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Physical Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

AI Chopping Block

Forward Deployed Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$100 - $140/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

A physical engineering background (automotive, aerospace, electrical, mechanical, etc.). * Can rapidly build integrations between disparate customer systems. * Comfortable working directly with ...

New

P-1 AI Inc.

Forward Deployed Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$100 - $150/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

A physical engineering background (automotive, aerospace, electrical, mechanical, etc.). * Can rapidly build integrations between disparate customer systems. * Comfortable working directly with ...

New

Delo

Sales Engineer San Jose

San Jose, CA · Hybrid

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Material Science, Physical Engineering, or similar technical areas (Bachelor's required, Master welcome) * At least 5 years of experience in a technical ...

Nvidia

Senior Reliability Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

What we need to see: * BS/MS in related areas such as physical engineering, mechanical, materials, or electrical engineering, or equivalent experience. * Minimum of 8 years of experience in ...

career

Forward Deployed Engineer (Ayama)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$100 - $130/hr

Background in a physical-engineering discipline (mechanical, electrical, industrial) Why Join Ayama: * Exclusive Ecosystem: Unparalleled access to AI Fund's experts and Dr. Andrew Ng's network of AI ...

Quest Global

Substation Physical Engineer

San Ramon, CA · On-site

$110K - $120K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET accredited university * 5+ years of ... site preparation, physical and electrical facilities, electrical design, structural design ...

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All JobsPhysical Engineering JobsPhysical Engineering Jobs in California

Physical Engineering information

See California salary details

$93.8K

$139.6K

How much do physical engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for physical engineering 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 engineer?

A Physical Engineering job involves applying principles of physics and engineering to develop and improve materials, structures, and systems. Professionals in this field work in various industries, including manufacturing, aerospace, energy, and electronics, focusing on solving technical challenges. They use advanced modeling, simulations, and experimental methods to optimize designs and ensure functionality. This role requires strong problem-solving skills, knowledge of materials science, and proficiency in engineering software.

What does a physical engineer do?

Physical Engineers often spend their days designing, analyzing, and testing physical systems or components, whether in the fields of electronics, materials, or mechanical applications. Their work includes using simulation software, conducting experiments in the lab, interpreting test data, and collaborating closely with multidisciplinary teams to improve product performance or resolve technical challenges. Physical Engineers may also be involved in documenting their findings, preparing reports, and presenting recommendations to stakeholders. This role combines hands-on experimentation with theoretical analysis, providing variety and opportunities to contribute to innovative projects.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a physical engineer?

To thrive as a Physical Engineer, a strong background in physics, mathematics, and engineering principles is essential, often supported by a degree in physical engineering or a related field. Familiarity with CAD software, simulation tools, and laboratory instrumentation, as well as relevant engineering certifications, are commonly required. Excellent problem-solving skills, effective teamwork, and clear communication are important soft skills for success in this role. These abilities ensure accurate design, analysis, and implementation of physical systems and technologies, contributing to innovative solutions in industrial and research settings.

What are popular job titles related to Physical Engineering jobs in California?

For Physical Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Physical Engineering jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Physical Engineering jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Physical Engineering jobs?

Cities in California with the most Physical Engineering job openings:

Physical Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Physical Engineering job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $137,583 per year, or $66.1 per hour.

Forward Deployed Engineer

AI Chopping Block

San Mateo, CA • On-site

$100 - $140/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted yesterday

New

Job description

TL;DR: If you:

  • can rapidly prototype, integrate, and ship AI systems into production;

  • love turning messy real-world problems into elegant technical solutions;

  • have built something remarkable, at work or outside of it…

… you should apply for this role!

About P-1 AI

At P-1 AI, we are building an AI engineer agent for the physical world named Archie. We maximize Archie’s anthropomorphism so that he fits seamlessly into existing engineering teams and workflows in the form factor of a human engineer. Archie today is at the level of a junior mechanical and electrical engineer, with a quantitative intuition over the product design space and the ability to use complex engineering tools—the same tools his human teammates use. Archie's tech stack includes a custom agentic harness, structured design representation, continual skills learning, and small custom post‑trained models (SFT and RLVR) using proprietary semi‑synthetic training data sets and environments which create a deep competitive moat. Our ultimate aim is to build engineering ASI. We are backed in our mission by some of the top venture investors and AI luminaries.

About the opportunity

Our Forward Deployed Engineers serve as the technical lead for each customer deployment, making key technical decisions on architecture, data integrations, and user experience for specific customer missions. On a daily basis, you will build end‑to‑end AI solutions, take them into production, and support our customers solving real‑world physical engineering problems with novel AI capabilities.

About the role

  • Work with customers over the entire Archie product lifecycle: Lead discovery sessions, translate engineering challenges into AI use cases, design how Archie integrates into each workflow, and provide post‑deployment support to ensure customer success.

  • Design, implement, and refine customer integrations: Connect Archie to engineering data sources and tools, iterate until it delivers measurable value.

  • Fine‑tune and evaluate AI systems in production environments: Identify, collect, and prepare customer data to fine‑tune models. Source evaluation criteria and questions from customer sessions to validate improved engineering capability.

  • Collaborate with engineering teams: Work closely with subject matter experts and AI specialists to develop novel AI systems capable of executing critical customer engineering tasks.

  • Diagnose and resolve critical issues in live deployments: Drive root‑cause analysis and implement durable improvements across the organization.

About you

  • Experience shipping data‑driven or AI systems to production (Python experience strongly preferred).

  • A physical engineering background (automotive, aerospace, electrical, mechanical, etc.).

  • Can rapidly build integrations between disparate customer systems.

  • Comfortable working directly with customers and technical leaders.

  • Have integrated or extended AI systems. Bonus points for engineering or scientific domains!

  • Delivered solutions in secure enterprise environments.

  • Handled live production troubleshooting and customer incident response.

Location

Remote (US/Canada) or San Mateo, CA. Remote employees spend one week out of six working together on‑site in our San Mateo office. Relocation support available.

Benefits

Competitive salary, meaningful equity ownership, healthcare, dental, vision, 401(k) match, and unlimited PTO.

Interview process

  • Introductory call (30 mins)

  • Biographical/behavioural interview (45 mins)

  • Technical interview (60 mins)

  • CEO interview (30 mins)

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