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Release Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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Motivated SDE-T/Builds and Release Engineer * Professionals with ability to work both with in-house projects and on-site assignments at our customers' locations We need to hire an SDE-T/Builds and ...

Build & Release Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$140 - $190/hr

About the Role We are looking for a Build & Release Engineer to own release cuts from our Git repositories, manage uprevs (dependency/firmware version updates), build and maintain our CI/CD pipelines ...

Design Release Engineer - Exterior

Newark, CA · On-site

$45.25 - $51.75/hr

Design and release Exterior vehicle system components and assemblies (Fascia, Grille, Exterior ... Coordinate engineering designs and systems with purchasing, suppliers, testing team, manufacturing ...

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Release Train Engineer Category: Project Management Main location: United States, California, Sacramento Position ID:J0826-1496 Employment Type: Full Time U.S. - Technology as a force for good By ...

Showing results 41-60

Release Engineer information

See California salary details

$28

$61

$90

How much do release engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average hourly pay for release engineer in California is $61.69, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $51.25 and $68.80 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a release engineer?

A release engineer delivers computer application source code into functioning software components. They are specialized software engineers that focus on the transition from code development to production software implementation. Job duties for a release engineer include ensuring that computer source code compiles correctly, moving it through the version control process, and implementing the completed software programs into the production environment. Qualifications for these technician roles include computer science skills and experience with software coding languages.

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

To thrive as a Release Engineer, you need expertise in software development lifecycle processes, version control systems, and scripting languages, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with deployment automation tools (like Jenkins, Git, Docker, or Kubernetes) and experience with CI/CD pipelines are typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help you coordinate releases and resolve issues efficiently. These skills ensure smooth, reliable software releases and collaboration across development, QA, and operations teams.

What are some common challenges faced by release engineers during software deployment cycles?

Release Engineers often encounter challenges such as coordinating across multiple development and operations teams, managing tight deadlines for software releases, and ensuring compatibility across different environments. Handling unexpected build failures or last-minute bug fixes can also add pressure, requiring strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Effective communication and robust automation are key strategies for overcoming these hurdles and ensuring smooth, predictable releases.

What is the difference between Release Engineer vs Build Engineer?

AspectRelease EngineerBuild Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires experience with CI/CD tools, scripting, and version controlRequires knowledge of build tools, scripting, and version control
Work EnvironmentWorks closely with development, QA, and operations teams to manage releasesFocuses on automating and managing build processes within development teams
Industry UsageCommon in software development, DevOps, and IT industriesCommon in software development, especially in continuous integration environments

While both roles involve automation and scripting, Release Engineers primarily oversee the deployment and release process, ensuring smooth delivery of software. Build Engineers focus on creating and maintaining the build systems that compile and prepare code for testing and release. Understanding these distinctions helps organizations assign the right responsibilities and professionals for each stage of software delivery.

How much do release engineers make?

Release engineers typically earn a median annual salary between $80,000 and $130,000, depending on experience, location, and industry. Salaries can be higher for those with expertise in automation tools, scripting, and continuous integration systems.

What job categories do people searching Release Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Release Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Release Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Release Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Release Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $128,325 per year, or $61.7 per hour.

Release Engineer, Retail and Marcom Engineering

Apple

Sunnyvale, CA • On-site

$150K - $225K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Retirement

Posted 9 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Build, manage, and optimize CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins and Harness to support reliable releases.

  • Write and maintain automation scripts in Go and Python to streamline build, test, and deployment workflows.

  • Collaborate with development, QA, and operations teams to define release processes, resolve blockers, and ensure release quality.


Apple rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 680 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 30 rated technology retailers


Job description

Do you want to help build some of the largest and most consequential enterprise and customer technology systems in the world? Join Apple’s Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) organization. IS&T is the engine behind everything Apple does for customers and for the people who build for them. It’s Apple’s central nervous system. Supporting 2.5 billion active Apple devices, processing billions of secure transactions, and keeping the technology that defines modern life running flawlessly, IS&T makes the impossible feel effortless. Do you love building solutions to handle global complexity and immense scale? Imagine what you could do here.
Retail and Marcom Engineering, an IS&T team, builds and operates the systems and experiences that connect Apple's products with its customers. The team owns the technology behind both Apple's online and physical stores and drives the interactive marketing experiences and tools that keep creative operations moving. Together, those functions deliver the technology behind every product story Apple tells and every purchase a customer makes.
Description
In this role, you will work within a highly collaborative environment that balances rapid execution with technical excellence. You will gain exposure to modern CI/CD tooling and emerging AI-driven automation practices, opening up clear pathways for personal growth and career advancement.","responsibilities":"Building, managing, and optimizing robust CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins and Harness to support smooth, secure, and reliable releases.
Writing and maintaining automation in Go and Python to streamline build, test, and deployment workflows.
Collaborating closely with development, QA, and operations teams to define release processes, resolve blockers, and ensure release quality.
Integrating automated testing and quality gates into CI/CD pipelines to catch issues earlier in the release cycle.
Applying AI-driven automation to release pipelines, such as anomaly detection on build/deployment metrics, predictive failure analysis, intelligent test selection, and self-healing pipeline logic that reduces manual intervention.
Leveraging AI/LLM-based tools to accelerate troubleshooting, summarize incident data, and generate actionable insights from pipeline and observability data.
Implementing and maintaining observability and monitoring for release pipelines using tools such as Grafana, Prometheus, ELK, or Splunk.
Managing artifact repositories and ensuring proper versioning, traceability, and governance of release artifacts.
Championing security best practices across the release process, including secrets management, artifact signing, and vulnerability scanning.
Supporting progressive delivery strategies (feature flags, canary/blue-green rollouts) and continuously improving release velocity and reliability.
Maintaining clear, comprehensive documentation of release processes, pipeline architecture, and automation logic.
Preferred Qualifications
5 years of experience in Release Engineering, DevOps, or Build/CI roles.
Expert in CI/CD concepts, Git workflows, and branching strategies.
Hands-on experience with Harness for automated deployments and governance.
Experience integrating CI/CD pipelines with automated testing and quality gates.
AI-Driven Release Automation: Exposure to AI-driven automation in release pipelines, including automated test generation and prioritization, anomaly detection in build/release metrics, predictive failure analysis, and self-healing pipelines.
AI-Assisted Troubleshooting: Experience using AI/ML-based tools or LLMs to accelerate root cause analysis, summarize build/release failures, or generate remediation suggestions.
Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation).
Exposure to artifact management tools (Artifactory, Nexus).
Understanding of observability tools (Grafana, Prometheus, ELK, Splunk) to monitor release pipelines, including using anomaly detection to proactively flag pipeline health issues.
Knowledge of security best practices in CI/CD (secrets management, signing, vulnerability scanning), including AI-assisted vulnerability triage and prioritization.
Experience with feature flagging systems or progressive delivery (e.g., Argo Rollouts), including data-driven or AI-assisted rollout decisioning.
Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and orchestration basics (Kubernetes).
Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
Minimum Qualifications
3 years of experience in Release Engineering, DevOps, or Build/CI roles.
Strong programming experience with Go or Python.
Good understanding of CI/CD concepts, Git workflows, and branching strategies.
Experience with Linux systems and scripting (Bash, Shell, Groovy).
Proficiency in Jenkins pipeline creation, troubleshooting, and optimization.
Ability to troubleshoot build, deployment, and release issues across environments.
BS or MS in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent education/experience.
Pay & Benefits
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $150,400 and $225,300, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

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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