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Reliability Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Reliability Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$126K - $159K/yr

Reliability Engineer Location: Cupertino, CA Job Type: Full Time / Contract Job Summary: The candidate will work with innovative Reliability Engineering team in hardware development group. The ...

Reliability Engineer

Ridgecrest, CA · On-site

$140K - $180K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Saalex is seeking a Reliability Engineer in China Lake, CA. The selected candidate will provide reliability engineering support by administering FRACAS processes, reviewing and resolving trouble ...

Reliability Engineer

Ridgecrest, CA · On-site

$140K - $180K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Saalex is seeking a Reliability Engineer in Rigecrest, CA. The selected candidate will provide reliability engineering support by administering FRACAS processes, reviewing and resolving trouble ...

Reliability Engineer

Ridgecrest, CA

$140K - $180K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Saalex is seeking a Reliability Engineer in Rigecrest, CA. The selected candidate will provide reliability engineering support by administering FRACAS processes, reviewing and resolving trouble ...

Reliability Engineer

Ridgecrest, CA · On-site

$140K - $180K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Saalex is seeking a Reliability Engineer in Rigecrest, CA. The selected candidate will provide reliability engineering support by administering FRACAS processes, reviewing and resolving trouble ...

$140 - $180/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Saalex is seeking a Reliability Engineer in Rigecrest, CA. The selected candidate will provide reliability engineering support by administering FRACAS processes, reviewing and resolving trouble ...

Staff Reliability Engineer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$92 - $122/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Reliability Engineer (Contract-to-hire) Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Staff Reliability Engineer to join their facility in Costa ...

Staff Reliability Engineer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$92 - $122/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Reliability Engineer (Contract-to-hire) Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Staff Reliability Engineer to join their facility in Costa ...

$140K - $180K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Saalex is seeking a Reliability Engineer in China Lake, CA. The selected candidate will provide reliability engineering support by administering FRACAS processes, reviewing and resolving trouble ...

Reliability Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$110K - $138K/yr

Advising and conferring with engineers in design review meetings to provide reliability findings and recommendations * Develop FMEA and FRACAS on MTS products. * Supports the Lead Reliability ...

Staff Reliability Engineer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$127 - $168/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Reliability Engineer (Contract-to-hire) Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Staff Reliability Engineer to join their facility in Costa ...

Reliability Engineer

Long Beach, CA

$107K - $135K/yr

Vast is looking for a Reliability Engineer , reporting to the Vice President, Flight Safety & Mission Assurance, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and ...

Staff Reliability Engineer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$127 - $168/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Reliability Engineer (Contract-to-hire) Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Staff Reliability Engineer to join their facility in Costa ...

Staff Reliability Engineer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$92 - $122/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Reliability Engineer (Contract-to-hire) Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Staff Reliability Engineer to join their facility in Costa ...

Staff Reliability Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$120K - $152K/yr

Staff Reliability Engineer Location: Burlingame, CA Department: ESS Engineering Reports To: Staff Reliability Engineer Position Type: Full-time About Peak Energy Peak Energy is the first American ...

Site Reliability Engineer

San Francisco, CA · Remote

$67.25 - $89.25/hr

Site Reliability Engineer Platform and software · shared across customers Reports to: Director, Site Reliability Location: Remote (US) Department: Cloud Platform Engineering / SRE/Reliability ...

Staff Reliability Engineer

Burlingame, CA

$115K - $145K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

Staff Reliability Engineer Location: Burlingame, CA Department: ESS Engineering Reports To: Staff Reliability Engineer Position Type: Full-time About Peak Energy Peak Energy is the first American ...

Showing results 21-40

Reliability Engineer information

See California salary details

$60.2K

$116.4K

$139.2K

How much do reliability engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for reliability engineer in California is $116,428.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $101,200.00 and $127,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some typical challenges reliability engineers face when implementing preventive maintenance strategies?

Reliability Engineers often encounter challenges such as balancing preventive maintenance schedules with production demands, ensuring buy-in from operations teams, and accurately predicting equipment failures. They must analyze large sets of historical data to identify trends and root causes, which can be complex in facilities with diverse machinery. Collaboration with maintenance, operations, and engineering teams is essential to develop effective strategies that minimize downtime while optimizing resources.

How much do reliability engineers get paid?

Reliability engineers typically earn a median annual salary ranging from $70,000 to $110,000, depending on experience, location, and industry. Senior or specialized reliability engineers with certifications and advanced skills can earn higher salaries, often exceeding $120,000 annually.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a reliability engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Reliability Engineer, you need a solid background in engineering principles, failure analysis, and reliability modeling, typically with a degree in engineering or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as FMEA, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) software, and certifications like Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) are highly valued. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills in this role. These skills ensure systems are dependable, downtime is minimized, and organizational performance and safety are optimized.

What is the difference between Reliability Engineer vs Maintenance Engineer?

AspectReliability EngineerMaintenance Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires engineering degree, certifications in reliability or asset managementOften requires engineering or technical diploma, certifications in maintenance or equipment repair
Work EnvironmentFocuses on analysis, design, and improvement of systems for reliabilityHands-on maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting of equipment
Industry UsageCommon in manufacturing, energy, aerospace, and industrial sectorsPrevalent in manufacturing, facilities, and industrial plants

Reliability Engineers focus on designing and improving systems to prevent failures, using data analysis and modeling. Maintenance Engineers perform hands-on repairs and upkeep of equipment to ensure operational continuity. While both roles aim to optimize equipment performance, Reliability Engineers work proactively on system reliability, whereas Maintenance Engineers handle reactive and scheduled maintenance tasks.

What does a reliability engineer do?

As a reliability engineer, your duties are to test and evaluate the manufacturing of products and components and ensure that the procedures are efficient and do not lead to abnormally high maintenance or operational costs. Your other responsibilities are to find solutions to product reliability risks. You may manage risk in a supply chain, develop loss prevention strategies, and track the entire lifecycle of product development, from building prototypes to moving a product into full-scale production. You analyze information from department heads and recommend strategies to reduce risk and ensure that the product works reliably.

What is a reliability engineer?

Reliability Engineers are professionals responsible for ensuring that systems, equipment, or processes function consistently and efficiently over time. They analyze data, identify potential points of failure, and develop maintenance strategies to improve system reliability and minimize downtime. Their work spans various industries, including manufacturing, energy, and technology, and often involves collaborating with design, operations, and maintenance teams. By implementing reliability-centered maintenance and predictive analysis, they help organizations save costs and increase safety.

What are the most commonly searched types of Reliability Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Reliability Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Reliability Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Reliability Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Reliability Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $116,428 per year, or $56 per hour.

Hardware Reliability Engineer

SPECTRAFORCE TECHNOLOGIES Inc.

Sunnyvale, CA • On-site

$121K - $153K/yr

Other

Re-posted yesterday


Job description

Job Description: Sr. Hardware Reliability Engineer
Duration: 06 Months with possibility of extension or conversion
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
 
In this role, as a Sr. Hardware Reliability Engineer, you will be responsible for the reliability engineering of our new and emerging category of devices –Customer Terminal. As a reliability engineer on the Leo Customer Terminal products, you will be developing new reliability specifications. You should have a good understanding of Design for Reliability, Reliability statistics, Reliability tests and/or solid understanding of outdoor consumer and aviation electronics to influence design for reliability to:

  • Define new test specifications, methodology and test coverage based on mission profiles to assure product reliability.
  • Identify and validate product risks via Design for Reliability mechanisms and work with design teams to mitigate them during development.
  • Provide hands-on experimental design, execution, and test development.
  • Perform reliability prediction of failure mechanisms and risk assessment on products under development and products in the field
  • You will possess strong understanding of MIL-STD and DO-160 reliability requirement and reliability failure analysis techniques.
  • You will engage with an experienced cross-disciplinary staff and outside partners to drive key aspects of product definition, execution and test. You must be responsive, flexible and able to succeed within an open collaborative peer environment.

 
Basic qualifications

  • Experience in developing functional specifications, design verification plans and functional test procedures
  • Bachelor''s degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in hardware reliability engineering, preferably with a focus on satellite systems or space applications.
  • Significant knowledge of reliability engineering principles, methods, and tools.
  • Knowledge with environmental testing
  • Proficiency in failure analysis techniques and materials characterization methods.
  • Familiarity with electronics (PCBs, PCBAs, electronic components) and moving mechanical assemblies.

 
Preferred qualifications

  • Experience working with interdisciplinary teams to execute product design from concept to production
  • Experience with the project management of technical projects
  • Master''s or Doctorate degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
  • Experience with environmental testing, including temperature cycling, vibration, highly accelerated limit testing (HALT), and highly-accelerated stress screening (HASS).
  • Proficiency in Python, including NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, Plotly, and Matplotlib.
  • Familiarity with PCB fabrication, SMT, and polymerics application manufacturing processes.
  • Familiarity with relevant industry standards, including IPC, JEDEC, AIAA, AEC, MIL, and SMC standards.