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Qualcomm Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Staff Embedded Audio Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$139K - $183K/yr

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering General Summary: Qualcomm is a world leading provider of mobile phone, industrial and consumer IoT ...

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering General Summary: Qualcomm's central baseband hardware systems organization designs and delivers ...

#Senior Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$130K - $171K/yr

Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering General Summary: ** This position is not eligible for Qualcomm immigration sponsorship. ** As a ...

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Camera Software Engineering General Summary: This individual independently plans, performs the moderately-defined ...

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering General Summary: As a leading technology innovator, Qualcomm pushes the boundaries of what's possible ...

Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering General Summary: This position is not eligible for Qualcomm immigration sponsorship. The Linux ...

Senior Staff Software Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$143K - $189K/yr

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Machine Learning ... software. Minimum Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering ...

Embedded NPU Software Engineer, Senior

San Diego, CA · On-site

$131K - $172K/yr

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > DSP Architecture and Design General Summary: Qualcomm is seeking a Staff Embedded NPU Software Engineer to lead the design ...

Sr. ADAS Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$131K - $172K/yr

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > ADAS R&D Software General Summary: At Qualcomm, we are advancing the automotive industry through our Snapdragon Digital ...

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Qualcomm Software Engineer information

See salary details

$63.5K

$147.5K

$205.5K

How much do qualcomm software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for qualcomm software engineer in the United States is $147,524.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Does Qualcomm pay well?

Qualcomm software engineers typically receive competitive salaries that are above industry averages, reflecting the company's focus on innovation and technology development. Compensation often includes base pay, bonuses, and stock options, with higher pay generally associated with experience, skills, and location. Overall, the role is considered well-paying within the tech industry.

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

To thrive as a Qualcomm Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (such as C/C++), knowledge of embedded systems, and a relevant degree in computer science or engineering. Familiarity with Qualcomm’s proprietary platforms, embedded development tools, and debugging systems is highly beneficial, along with experience in real-time operating systems. Excellent problem-solving skills, teamwork, and effective communication help you excel in cross-functional, fast-paced environments. These technical and interpersonal skills are crucial for delivering innovative, reliable solutions that meet Qualcomm’s high standards for wireless and semiconductor products.

What opportunities are available for career growth as a Qualcomm Software Engineer?

As a Qualcomm Software Engineer, there are multiple avenues for career advancement, including technical leadership, management, and specialization in emerging technologies such as AI, 5G, or IoT. Employees often have access to mentorship programs, internal training, and the chance to work on cross-functional projects, which can help broaden their skill sets. Regular performance reviews and a culture that encourages innovation further support career progression. Advancement typically depends on both technical expertise and the ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams.

What is the difference between Qualcomm Software Engineer vs Qualcomm Firmware Engineer?

AspectQualcomm Software EngineerQualcomm Firmware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or EE, programming skillsBachelor's/Master's in EE, embedded systems knowledge
Work EnvironmentSoftware development teams, R&D labsEmbedded systems, hardware integration teams
Industry UsageMobile, IoT, networking productsDevice firmware, hardware-software interface
Common Search/ComparisonYesYes

Qualcomm Software Engineers focus on developing software applications and systems, while Qualcomm Firmware Engineers work on embedded firmware that interfaces directly with hardware. Both roles require strong technical skills and are integral to Qualcomm's product development, but they differ mainly in their focus on software versus embedded firmware development.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

Software engineers at senior levels, especially those working in high-demand industries like technology and semiconductor companies such as Qualcomm, can earn $500,000 or more annually through base salary, bonuses, and stock options. Achieving this level typically requires extensive experience, specialized skills, and often leadership roles or executive-level positions.

Is it hard to get hired at Qualcomm?

Qualcomm Software Engineer positions are competitive due to high industry demand and the company's reputation. Candidates typically need strong technical skills in programming, algorithms, and experience with relevant tools, along with a solid educational background, to improve their chances of being hired.

How much does a software engineer make at Qualcomm?

A Qualcomm software engineer's salary typically ranges from $80,000 to $150,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and specific role. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced engineers with specialized skills can earn higher compensation, often including bonuses and stock options.

What does a Qualcomm Software Engineer do?

A Qualcomm Software Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software solutions for Qualcomm's hardware products, such as mobile processors, chipsets, and wireless communication technologies. Their work often involves embedded systems, firmware development, driver programming, and optimizing software for performance and efficiency on Qualcomm platforms. They collaborate closely with hardware engineers, QA teams, and product managers to deliver cutting-edge technology for smartphones, IoT devices, automotive systems, and more. The role requires strong programming skills, problem-solving abilities, and a solid understanding of computer architecture and wireless communication protocols.
More about Qualcomm Software Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Qualcomm Software Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Qualcomm Software Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Qualcomm Software Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Qualcomm Software Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Qualcomm Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 8% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,524 per year, or $70.9 per hour.
Staff Embedded Audio Software Engineer

Staff Embedded Audio Software Engineer

Qualcomm

San Diego, CA • On-site

$139K - $183K/yr

Full-time

Posted 14 days ago


Qualcomm rating

9.6

Company rating: 9.6 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

5th of 202 rated software companies


Job description

Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering
General Summary:
Qualcomm is a world leading provider of mobile phone, industrial and consumer IoT, headset, wearable, and automotive infotainment and telematic SoCs and software technology. Qualcomm SoCs provide integrated solutions for smart phone, computing, augmented/virtual reality (XR), entertainment, automotive, connectivity, and industrial/commercial IoT products worldwide. Our technology solutions not only bring function and high-speed wireless connectivity to mobile devices, powering the majority smartphones around the globe, but also to a broad spectrum of other wirelessly connected devices spanning IoT, compute, voice & music, wearable, and automotive products.
As a member of the Audio Software global development team at Qualcomm, you will have the opportunity to work with an international team of hardware, systems, and software engineers to develop cutting edge audio technology employed by a wide array of machine learning enhanced smart devices powering mobile, compute, augmented/virtual (XR), entertainment, connectivity, automotive, and IoT products. The Audio Software team drives the feature design, development, integration, and commercialization of audio software running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 2+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.
Responsibilities:
This position requires candidate to technically lead software design and development of embedded audio software that runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors and meet specified performance, latency, power, robustness, and stability metrics.
Perform high level requirements analysis, deriving engineering requirements and producing documentation, troubleshooting and maintenance of software applications, framework and drivers.
Manage priorities, monitor progress, and take corrective actions for a collection of tasks to ensure work products are delivered on time and at the required level of quality and performance.
Communicate software development status, including mitigations to issues and risks, to project leads and stakeholders at the appropriate level of detail and complexity.
Collaborate effectively within and across teams to influence behavior and negotiate desired outcomes.
Exercise effective critical thinking skills to formulate requirements, solve problems, and define steps to complete ambiguous or open-ended tasks or resolve complex issues.
Think out of the box to identify new and innovate existing processes, procedures, or work products to achieve established objectives.
Participate in and contribute to strategic, development, and deployment team planning activities and initiatives.
Preferred Qualifications:
8+ years of Embedded Software development with relevant industry experience.
  • Excellent C/C++ programming, Python and other scripting language skills with proven experience of writing efficient code for embedded systems and multi-threaded environments.
  • Knowledge of software design patterns and multi-threaded programming.
  • Knowledge of computer architecture, real time operating systems, data structures, and basic algorithms.
  • Understanding of power, memory and performance considerations on embedded systems.
  • Background and experience in several of the following areas
    • Expertise in Multimedia or Audio software framework design and development.
    • Expertise in embedded driver development and debugging.
    • Expertise in use of various debug tools and techniques.
    • Experience in optimization techniques for memory and performance.
    • Expertise developing and debugging software on ARM/DSP, or other embedded, processors and SoCs.

Educational Requirements:
Bachelor's or Master's in Computer/Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent.
Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.
Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.
Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:
$134,800.00 - $202,200.00
The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer - and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.

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About Qualcomm

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. You interact with products and technologies made possible by Qualcomm every day, including 5G-enabled smartphones that double as pro-level cameras and gaming devices, smarter vehicles and cities, and the technology behind the smart, connected factories that manufactured your latest purchase. Our powerful connectivity solutions keep you connected—even in remote areas. Qualcomm 5G and AI innovations are the power behind the connected intelligent edge. You’ll find our technologies behind and inside the innovations that deliver significant value across multiple industries and to billions of people every day.

Industry

Technology, communication and media

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Diego, CA, US

Year founded

1985