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Physical Design Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $164K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167K - $172K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167K - $172K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

Title :: Physical Design Engineer Location :: San Jose, CA Job Type:- Full Time We are seeking a Physical Design Engineer with extensive industry experience to join our world-class silicon ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167K - $172K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167K - $172K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer.

San Diego, CA · On-site

$144K - $148K/yr

Hello, Tittle-Physical Design Engineer Location- San Diego, California, San Jose, CA and Irvine, CA Job Type- Fulltime Physical Design Engineer We are looking for humble geniuses, who believe that ...

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $164K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $164K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167K - $172K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Physical Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $164K/yr

We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming ...

Be Seen First

If so, our client is hiring a Physical Design Engineer. Position Type: * Contract * Onsite Required * Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related ...

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII.","responsibilities":"Generate ...

Physical Design Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location:Sunnyvale, CA OR Austin,TX Duration: Long term experience: 5-18 years only ( No 18+ years profile) Job Overview: We are looking for a highly skilled Physical Design ...

Description As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII. Your responsibilities include ...

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Physical Design Engineer information

See California salary details

$93.8K

$139.6K

How much do physical design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for physical design engineer in California is $137,583.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $134,200.00 and $138,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Physical Design Engineer job?

A Physical Design Engineer is responsible for transforming logical circuit designs into a physical layout that can be manufactured as an integrated circuit (IC). They focus on key aspects like floor planning, placement, clock tree synthesis (CTS), routing, and timing closure while ensuring power and performance optimization. They work with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and collaborate with front-end designers to meet design specifications. The role requires proficiency in tools such as Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics and knowledge of processes like ASIC or SoC design.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Physical Design Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Physical Design Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, experience with ASIC or SoC design methodologies, and a deep understanding of digital circuit fundamentals. Proficiency with EDA tools like Synopsys, Cadence, or Mentor Graphics, as well as familiarity with scripting languages and industry certifications, is highly valued. Attention to detail, effective teamwork, and strong problem-solving skills are essential soft skills for this role. These qualifications are crucial as they enable efficient chip design, ensure successful project delivery, and foster productive collaboration in complex engineering environments.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a Physical Design Engineer?

As a Physical Design Engineer, your daily responsibilities typically include taking logical circuit designs and translating them into physical layouts, performing floorplanning, placement, and routing of blocks, and conducting timing closure and verification. You will use specialized EDA tools to ensure that designs meet performance, power, and area requirements, collaborating closely with design, verification, and manufacturing teams. The role also involves resolving design issues, optimizing chip layouts, and preparing design data for fabrication. Working in this position provides exposure to advanced technology nodes and the opportunity to contribute directly to the development of cutting-edge semiconductor products.

What are the most commonly searched types of Physical Design Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Physical Design Engineer jobs in California are:
What job categories do people searching Physical Design Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Physical Design Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Physical Design Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Physical Design Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Physical Design Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $137,583 per year, or $66.1 per hour.
Physical Design Engineer

Physical Design Engineer

Apple

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$160K - $164K/yr

Full-time

Posted 28 days ago


Apple rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 675 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 30 rated technology retailers


Job description

At Apple we work every single day to craft products that enrich people's lives. Do you love working on challenges that no one has solved yet? Do you like changing the game? We have an opportunity for a forward-thinking and unusually hardworking Physical Design Engineer. As a member of our wide-ranging group, you will have the rare and great opportunity to craft upcoming products that will delight and encourage millions of Apple's customers every single day. In this role, we will be at the center of a PHY design effort working with architecture, CAD, timing, and logic design teams, with a critical impact on delivering outstanding PHY designs. You will be required to do physical designs of outstanding PHY design.
Description
As a Physical Design engineer you will contribute to all phases of physical design of high performance PHY design from RTL to delivery of our final GDSII.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering and 3+ years experience preferred.
Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have deep design experience in high PHY and/or SOC designs.
Deep Knowledge about industry standards and practices in Physical Design, including Physically aware
synthesis, Floor-planning, and Place & Route.
Experience in developing and implementing Power-grid and Clock specifications.
Strong understanding of all aspects of Physical construction, Integration and Physical Verification.
Shown Knowledge of Basic SoC Architecture and HDL languages like Verilog to be able with logic design team for timing fixes Power user of industry standard Physical Design & Synthesis tools.
Deep Understanding of scripting languages such as Perl/Tcl, solid understanding of Extraction and STA methodology and tools.
Deep Understanding of Physical Design Verification methodology to debug LVS/DRC issues at chip/block level.

What Apple employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Apple logo

About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976