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Physical Design Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Etched

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA

$2.0K/mo

Physical Design Engineer Etched is looking for exceptional PD engineers to join our team. The candidate will be responsible for working with 3rd party design services to implement and verify physical ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA

$129K - $225K/yr

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 ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA

$150K - $277K/yr

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 ...

Apetan Consulting

Physical Design Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$161K - $166K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location :: Sunnyvale, CA (Onsite) We are seeking a Physical Design Engineer with extensive industry experience to join our world-class silicon engineering team in Sunnyvale ...

Intelliswift Software

Physical Design Engineer

Phoenix, AZ · On-site

$135K - $139K/yr

Physical Design Develop & own physical design implementation of multi-hierarchy low-power designs including physical-aware logic synthesis, design for testability, floor-plan, place & route, static ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA

$184K - $324K/yr

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 ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA

$150K - $277K/yr

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":"Your ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA

$184K - $324K/yr

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 ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA

$129K - $225K/yr

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 ...

Stellent IT LLC

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 ...

Apple

Physical Design Engineer

Cupertino, CA

$129K - $225K/yr

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 ...

DensityAI

Physical Design Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$160K - $165K/yr

About the role Own floorplan-to-signoff physical design for one or more blocks of our AI accelerator silicon. Work with chip-design and software teams driving DensityAI's AI accelerator program from ...

The PJF Group

Physical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA · On-site

$180K - $230K/yr

We're looking for a hands-on Physical Design Engineer to support complex SoC projects for our client who designs and delivers advanced System-on-Chip solutions across multiple emerging technologies.

The PJF Group

Physical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA · On-site

$161K - $166K/yr

We're looking for a hands-on Physical Design Engineer to support complex SoC projects for our client who designs and delivers advanced System-on-Chip solutions across multiple emerging technologies.

Ambarella

$140K - $156K/yr

The Physical Design Engineer willbe an integral part of the physical design team with all aspects of physical design implementation and verification tasks for Ambarella's cutting edgelow powerAISoC ...

System Canada Technologies

Physical Design Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$146K - $150K/yr

Physical design implementation at block or top level, low power techniques and timing closure Job Duties Include: - Will own all parts of the physical design process from netlist handoff to tapeout ...

iFlow Inc

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 ...

DensityAI

Physical Design Engineer

Mountain View, CA

$230K - $400K/yr

About the role Own floorplan-to-signoff physical design for one or more blocks of our AI accelerator silicon. Work with chip-design and software teams driving DensityAI's AI accelerator program from ...

DensityAI

Physical Design Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$230K - $400K/yr

About the role Own floorplan-to-signoff physical design for one or more blocks of our AI accelerator silicon. Work with chip-design and software teams driving DensityAI's AI accelerator program from ...

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All JobsPhysical Design Jobs

Physical Design information

See salary details

$95K

$141.5K

How much do physical design jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for physical design in the United States is $139,408.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $136,000.00 and $140,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is physical design in the context of electronics and semiconductors?

Physical design refers to the process of transforming a circuit's logical representation into a geometrical layout that can be manufactured on a semiconductor chip. This involves placing and routing the various components, such as transistors and interconnections, while meeting performance, power, and area constraints. Physical design engineers use specialized software tools to optimize the layout and ensure it adheres to manufacturing rules. The process is a critical step in the development of integrated circuits (ICs) and directly impacts the chip’s speed, power consumption, and size.

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

To thrive as a Physical Design Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, digital circuit design, and VLSI concepts, usually supported by a relevant degree. Proficiency with EDA tools like Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics, as well as familiarity with scripting languages (e.g., TCL, Perl), is essential. Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help you address complex design challenges and collaborate within cross-functional teams. These competencies are crucial for optimizing chip layouts, ensuring manufacturability, and meeting performance and timing requirements in semiconductor development.

What are some common challenges faced by Physical Design engineers in meeting timing closure during chip development?

Physical Design engineers often encounter challenges in achieving timing closure due to factors such as increasing circuit complexity, tight power and area constraints, and process variations. Meeting timing goals requires careful floorplanning, placement, and routing, as well as close collaboration with logic design and verification teams to resolve critical path issues. Engineers must also frequently iterate designs and use advanced EDA tools to optimize performance while balancing trade-offs between speed, power, and manufacturability.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior engineers in specialized fields such as software engineering, data engineering, or hardware engineering can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and in high-demand industries like technology or finance. Executive-level engineering roles, such as CTOs or engineering directors, may also reach or exceed this compensation level. Achieving this salary often requires advanced degrees, certifications, and leadership responsibilities.

What does a physical designer do?

A physical designer is responsible for translating a digital circuit design into a physical layout on silicon, ensuring that the design meets timing, power, and area requirements. They use electronic design automation (EDA) tools to place and route components, optimize performance, and verify manufacturability. This role requires knowledge of semiconductor fabrication processes and design rules.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

In the field of physical design, senior engineers such as chip design engineers or EDA (Electronic Design Automation) specialists can earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills in hardware description languages, and proficiency with tools like Synopsys or Cadence. High compensation is often associated with roles in semiconductor companies or large tech firms, and may include bonuses and stock options.

What are 20 careers in design?

Design careers encompass roles such as graphic designer, industrial designer, user experience (UX) designer, user interface (UI) designer, fashion designer, interior designer, web designer, product designer, architectural designer, game designer, motion graphics designer, textile designer, visual designer, packaging designer, exhibit designer, landscape designer, furniture designer, multimedia designer, branding designer, and CAD technician. These roles often require proficiency with design software, creativity, and technical skills, and they can be found in industries like technology, fashion, architecture, entertainment, and advertising.

What is the difference between Physical Design vs Logic Design?

AspectPhysical DesignLogic Design
Primary FocusTranslating logical circuits into physical layoutsCreating logical circuit schematics and functional specifications
Skills RequiredEDA tools, layout constraints, circuit optimizationHardware description languages, digital logic, circuit theory
Work EnvironmentASIC/FPGA design teams, semiconductor companiesDesign teams, electronic design automation (EDA) environments
CertificationsTypically none specific, but EDA tool proficiency is valuedHardware description language certifications (e.g., VHDL, Verilog)

Physical Design and Logic Design are closely related stages in chip development. Logic Design focuses on creating the logical circuit functions, while Physical Design involves implementing those functions into physical layouts on silicon. Both roles require knowledge of digital circuits, but Physical Design emphasizes layout optimization and tool proficiency, whereas Logic Design centers on circuit behavior and description.

More about Physical Design jobs
What cities are hiring for Physical Design jobs? Cities with the most Physical Design job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Physical Design jobs? The most popular types of Physical Design jobs are:
What states have the most Physical Design jobs? States with the most job openings for Physical Design jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Physical Design jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Physical Design jobs are:
Physical Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Physical Design job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, and 50% Contract. Highlights an 75% In-person, and 25% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $139,408 per year, or $67 per hour.

Physical Design Engineer

Etched

Cupertino, CA

$2.0K/mo

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision

Posted 29 days ago

Job description

About Etched

Etched is building AI chips that are hard-coded for individual model architectures. Our first product (Sohu) only supports transformers, but has an order of magnitude more throughput and lower latency than a B200. With Etched ASICs, you can build products that would be impossible with GPUs, like real-time video generation models and extremely deep chain-of-thought reasoning.

Physical Design Engineer 

Etched is looking for exceptional PD engineers to join our team. The candidate will be responsible for working with 3rd party design services to implement and verify physical designs, and will help Etched as we work to improve iteration speed on physical design.

Representative projects:

  • Supervise the outsourcing of physical design to a 3rd party service
  • Deeply understand what is involved in physical design
  • Running Physical Design flows to close blocks, support ASIC infrastructure, automate Physical Design flows, improve CAD infrastructure
  • Drive dashboards that show the convergence of projects related to Physical Design
  • Optimize tool flows, working with EDA vendors to incorporate the latest features
  • Accountable for block level closure

Requirements:

  • 2+ years of previous experience with PD
  • Tools, flow, and design methodology from RTL synthesis to GDSII sign-off
  • Experience with back-end design and timing closure on 3nm-7nm
  • Experience with UPF-based low power design methodology, power verification, synthesis, scan insertion/ATPG, formal verification, floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, IR drop, and EM/antenna analysis
  • Deeply creative and able to think from first principles

Desired qualifications:

  • Familiarity with transformer models and machine learning.
  • Familiarity with OpenROAD and other automated RTL-to-GDSII flows
  • Ability to program with Python or another scripting language.

We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification.

How we're different:

Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We think most of the progress in the AI field has come from using more FLOPs to train and run models, and the best way to get more FLOPs is to build model-specific hardware. Larger and larger training runs encourage companies to consolidate around fewer model architectures, which creates a market for single-model ASICs.

We are a fully in-person team in Cupertino, and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.

Benefits:

  • Full medical, dental, and vision packages, with 100% of premium covered, 90% for dependents
  • Housing subsidy of $2,000/month for those living within walking distance of the office
  • Daily lunch and dinner in our office
  • Relocation support for those moving to Cupertino

Apply