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Reliability Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Principal Reliability Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$121.50K - $152.90K/yr

The Principal Reliability Engineering role is pivotal in this process, focusing on design for reliability, qualification testing, and ensuring the long-term reliability of leading-edge optoelectronic ...

Principal Reliability Engineer

San Diego, CA

$108.80K - $137K/yr

We are looking for a Principal Reliability Engineer to join our team located in Tucson, AZ. What You Will Do: * Develop and implement reliability strategy across multiple product phases including ...

Principal Reliability Engineer

Fremont, CA · Hybrid

$121.50K - $152.90K/yr

The Principal Reliability Engineering role is pivotal in this process, focusing on design for reliability, qualification testing, and ensuring the long-term reliability of leading-edge optoelectronic ...

Reliability Engineer

Wilmington, CA · On-site

$111.90K - $140.80K/yr

Support engineering, design, specification, and execution of projects to maximize reliability and operability * Further, you will review and update Standard Maintenance and Operating procedures

Principal Reliability Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

$110.40K - $139K/yr

We are looking for a Principal Reliability Engineer to join our team located in Tucson, AZ. What You Will Do: * Develop and implement reliability strategy across multiple product phases including ...

Principal Reliability Engineer

Fremont, CA · Hybrid

$121.50K - $152.90K/yr

The Principal Reliability Engineering role is pivotal in this process, focusing on design for reliability, qualification testing, and ensuring the long-term reliability of leading-edge optoelectronic ...

Principal Reliability Engineer

San Jose, CA

$120.10K - $151.20K/yr

We are looking for a Principal Reliability Engineer to join our team located in Tucson, AZ. What You Will Do: * Develop and implement reliability strategy across multiple product phases including ...

Site Reliability Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$67.25 - $89.25/hr

About the role We're hiring a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) to ensure the reliability, performance, and scalability of Plenful's production systems as we continue to grow. This role is centered on ...

The Role As a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) at Air Apps, you will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, availability, and scalability of our systems. You will work at the intersection of ...

Site Reliability Engineer

Santa Clara, CA

$66.50 - $88.25/hr

Site Reliability Engineer Candidate local to Santa Clara, CA Hybrid model it is must for the candidate to come down for the client F2F interview. As an SRE, you'''''ll also be working in conjunction ...

SRE Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$66.75 - $88.75/hr

Job Title: SRE Engineer Location: San Jose, CA / RTP, NC(Onsite) Job Type: Full Time Must Have Technical/Functional Skills: * SRE, NetApp Storage, Linux Certified, Kubernetes Certified, DevOps, ...

As a main contributor to our SRE team you will develop and maintain infrastructure, tooling, and engineering services for cloud based applications. You will be responsible for system bringup ...

Java SRE Engineer Onsite San Francisco Bay Area Infrastructure Engineer (2 Positions) We are looking for an experienced Java SRE / Platform Engineer to support large-scale cloud migrations and ...

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Showing results 1-20

Reliability Engineer information

See California salary details

$60.2K

$116.4K

$139.2K

How much do reliability engineer jobs pay per year?

As of May 30, 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 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 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 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.

What are Reliability Engineers?

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 engineers make $500,000 a year?

Highly experienced engineers in specialized fields such as petroleum engineering, aerospace engineering, or software engineering with senior roles and advanced skills can earn $500,000 or more annually. These roles often require extensive experience, advanced certifications, and leadership responsibilities, typically in industries with high profit margins or complex technical demands.

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 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 May 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, and 21% Contract. Highlights an 84% In-person, 5% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $116,428 per year, or $56 per hour.

Principal Reliability Engineer

Coherent Corp.

Fremont, CA • On-site

$121.50K - $152.90K/yr

Full-time

Posted 14 days ago


Job description

Job Description
In our drive to develop and introduce cutting-edge products ahead of the competition, we are developing critically advanced components in parallel with higher levels of integration. This creates an NPI environment with significant interdependence and the need for proactive risk management.
The Principal Reliability Engineering role is pivotal in this process, focusing on design for reliability, qualification testing, and ensuring the long-term reliability of leading-edge optoelectronic and silicon photonic components in a highly complex, dynamic R&D setting.
This position offers the opportunity to achieve ambitious goals alongside talented, driven professionals-making the work both motivating and rewarding.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
In our drive to develop and introduce cutting-edge products ahead of the competition, we are developing critical advanced components in parallel with higher levels of integration. This creates an NPI environment with significant interdependencies and the need for proactive risk management.
The Principal Reliability Engineering role is pivotal in this process, focusing on lifetime modelling, qualification testing, and ensuring the long-term reliability of leading-edge optoelectronic and silicon photonic components in a highly complex, dynamic R&D setting. This position offers the opportunity to achieve ambitious goals alongside talented, driven professionals-making the work both motivating and rewarding.
  • Serve as the NPI Reliability Engineer, managing component qualifications and GR-468 qualification of Coherent laser chips and photodetectors.
  • Engage with design teams, factories, and internal/external suppliers to ensure new products meet II-VI's high standards of quality and reliability.
  • Analyze lifetime data from different sources, testers etc. and perform reliability and lifetime data analysis
  • Present reliability results for new products, process/component changes, deviations, transfers, wafer qualifications, and ongoing reliability programs.
  • Prepare reliability reports and product reliability prediction calculations.
  • Review reliability data from external vendors and collaborate with suppliers to resolve reliability-related issues.
  • Participate in technical discussions and drive failure analysis and corrective actions to closure.

Education & Experience
  • Education: MSc / PhD in NPI, Reliability and Product Engineering,
  • 3+ years of experience in reliability engineering
  • Knowledge of Telcordia or other performance and reliability standards, reliability modeling, and lifetime calculations
  • Prior experience driving the qualification execution to meet strict deadlines.
  • Positive interpersonal skills necessary to support cross-functional teams
  • Strong technical written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience with subassembly and semiconductor packaging processes and controls

Skills
  • Semiconductor device reliability
  • Wearout failure modes
  • Arrhenious equation and acceleration factors
  • Random failure modes
  • FIT calculations

Working Conditions
  • This position is onsite preferred but will consider Hybrid for the right candidate
  • Regular use of a computer and other office equipment is necessary
  • Interaction with team members is a regular part of the job

Physical Requirements
  • Sitting for extended periods while working on a computer or conducting meetings.
  • Use of hands and fingers for typing, writing, and handling documents.
  • Occasional lifting of objects or materials up to 20 pounds for administrative tasks.
  • Ability to communicate verbally and in writing.xxxx

Safety Requirements
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
Quality and Environmental Responsibilities
Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.
Culture Commitment
Ensure adherence to company's values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:
Integrity - Create an Environment of Trust
Collaboration - Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas
Accountability - Own the Process and the Outcome
Respect - Recognize the Value in Everyone
Enthusiasm - Find a Sense of Purpose in Work
Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at talentacquisition@coherent.com.
About Us
Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!
Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.