1

Rf Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Each intern will own a focused project area and work closely with RF and validation engineers to turn experimental results into engineering recommendations. This role offers hands-on experience ...

New

We are seeking a motivated RFIC Design Engineer Intern to support the development, simulation, and validation of RF integrated circuits for next-generation wireless and satellite communications ...

We are seeking a motivated RFIC Design Engineer Intern to support the development, simulation, and validation of RF integrated circuits for next-generation wireless and satellite communications ...

Antenna Intern (Fall 2026) Internships at Astranis typically last for twelve weeks, and are hourly ... Work with vendors to design and procure antenna and RF components and validate their performance ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Rf Intern information

See California salary details

$8

$16

$23

How much do rf intern jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for rf intern in California is $16.81, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.23 and $18.99 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the RF intern position, and why are they important?

To succeed as an RF Intern, a solid understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals, particularly in radio frequency (RF) concepts and circuit analysis, is essential—often supported by coursework or a related degree in engineering or physics. Familiarity with RF testing tools like spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and simulation software such as MATLAB or ADS is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication skills help interns thrive in collaborative lab and project environments. These abilities ensure accurate testing, efficient problem-solving, and successful contributions to RF engineering projects.

What is an RF intern?

An RF Intern supports radio frequency (RF) engineers in designing, testing, and optimizing wireless communication systems. Responsibilities may include conducting signal measurements, analyzing data, and troubleshooting RF issues. Interns often work with tools like spectrum analyzers and simulation software to assist in network optimization. This role provides hands-on experience in RF design, testing, and wireless communication technologies.

What types of projects and tasks can I expect to work on as an RF intern?

As an RF Intern, you can expect to assist with designing, testing, and troubleshooting RF circuits and systems under supervision from experienced engineers. Your daily tasks may involve hands-on lab work, using specialized equipment to measure signal characteristics, setting up experiment protocols, and documenting test results. You may also support simulation and analysis of RF designs using industry-standard software. These experiences provide valuable exposure to real-world engineering challenges and offer opportunities to build technical and teamwork skills that support future career growth in the RF field.

What are the most commonly searched types of Rf jobs in California? The most popular types of Rf jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Rf Intern jobs? Cities in California with the most Rf Intern job openings:
Infographic showing various Rf Intern job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 33% Internship, and 67% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $34,972 per year, or $16.8 per hour.

RF Hardware Intern (Fall 2026)

Tacit

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$40 - $60/hr

Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

About Tacit
We are an early-stage, deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing innovative hardware that rethinks human-computer interaction. We are backed by General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Greylock Partners, with a founding team from Stanford, BrainGate, Oculus, and Tesla. While we can't reveal too much just yet, our team is tackling cutting-edge engineering challenges to bring revolutionary products to life.
About the role
We're seeking motivated RF Hardware interns to contribute to the development and validation of RF systems for our cutting-edge sensing technology. Depending on your experience, interests, and the needs of the team, your work may focus on exploring new RF architectures or on validating and improving the performance of existing RF systems.
Projects may involve prototyping new circuit concepts, evaluating RF components and system architectures, bringing up RF transceiver and evaluation hardware, developing automated measurement infrastructure, or characterizing hardware performance across devices, builds, and operating conditions.
For this fall, the primary focus areas are (a) systematic, per-build characterization of our RF signal chain against expected performance, and (b) bring-up of RF transceiver evaluation hardware, combining embedded firmware work with RF exploration.
Each intern will own a focused project area and work closely with RF and validation engineers to turn experimental results into engineering recommendations.
This role offers hands-on experience across RF hardware, embedded firmware, test automation, and data analysis, along with collaborative learning, technical mentorship, and direct involvement in product development within a dynamic startup environment.
This position is primarily for a fall-start internship.
What you'll do
Depending on your project area, you may:
  • Run systematic, per-build characterization of the RF signal chain: execute defined test sets across all RF blocks and compare measured results against datasheet-based expected performance, flagging typical vs. atypical behavior
  • Bring up RF transceiver evaluation hardware: radio configuration and control, RF performance exploration, and integration into our measurement infrastructure
  • Prototype and evaluate RF components, circuits, and sensing architectures
  • Design and assemble evaluation boards, test fixtures, and PCB prototypes
  • Characterize RF signal-chain components such as amplifiers, mixers, filters, switches, couplers, and antennas
  • Investigate architectural tradeoffs involving sensitivity, bandwidth, noise, power consumption, size, and system complexity
  • Develop test methods to characterize RF system performance, repeatability, and reliability
  • Measure parameters such as gain, loss, sensitivity, noise, linearity, frequency response, and device-to-device variation
  • Build automated test setups using Python, laboratory instruments, and embedded hardware
  • Develop validation procedures and test coverage for new hardware revisions
  • Investigate performance limitations and support root-cause analysis
  • Contribute to embedded firmware (C/C++) used for hardware bring-up, radio configuration, test control, calibration, and diagnostics
  • Analyze experimental data and compare results against simulations, component specifications, and system requirements
  • Document test procedures and clearly present engineering findings, tradeoffs, and recommendations
Requirements
  • Currently enrolled in (or completing) an MS or PhD program in Electrical Engineering, RF & Applied Electromagnetics, Microwave & Wireless Engineering, or a closely related field
  • Available for a fall-start internship, onsite in San Francisco
Strong candidates may have
  • Experience with RF circuits, wireless systems, antennas, or microwave engineering
  • Familiarity with RF concepts such as S-parameters, impedance matching, gain, noise figure, compression, phase noise, and link budgets
  • Experience using RF laboratory equipment such as a VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generator, oscilloscope, or power meter
  • Experience with embedded C/C++ on microcontrollers, including peripheral interfaces such as SPI/I2C/UART and register-level device configuration
  • Experience with Python for measurement automation and data analysis, or with PCB design
  • Experience with Altium Designer or another PCB design tool
  • Experience with analog or mixed-signal design at the system or PCB level
  • Experience bringing up COTS RF transceivers, radio modules, or SDR platforms
  • Familiarity with RF simulation tools such as ADS, HFSS, CST, or similar tools
  • Experience automating measurements or analyzing experimental data
  • Strong hands-on debugging and problem-solving skills
  • Independent work ethic, flexibility, and resourcefulness
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills
  • Comfort working in a fast-moving startup environment and excitement about building and testing hardware independently
Compensation Range
$40-$60/hr