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Rust Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Senior Compiler Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$121K - $167K/yr

We are redefining how developers write high-performance GPU software by bringing the safety ... Develop Rust-to-GPU Compiler Pipelines: Design, implement, and maintain custom compiler backends ...

Senior Compiler Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$122K - $168K/yr

We are redefining how developers write high-performance GPU software by bringing the safety ... Develop Rust-to-GPU Compiler Pipelines: Design, implement, and maintain custom compiler backends ...

Senior Compiler Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$122K - $168K/yr

We are redefining how developers write high-performance GPU software by bringing the safety ... Develop Rust-to-GPU Compiler Pipelines: Design, implement, and maintain custom compiler backends ...

C/C++ Developer with Rust Services

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$57.25 - $77/hr

ClifyX is a company seeking a C/C++ Developer with Rust Services. The role involves hands-on experience with C/C++ and working on changes in existing scripts while ensuring timely completion of ...

Showing results 41-60

Rust Engineer information

See California salary details

$35K

$94.8K

$165.8K

How much do rust engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for rust engineer in California is $94,849.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $79,000.00 and $106,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Rust engineer?

Rust Engineers are software developers who specialize in using the Rust programming language to build reliable, efficient, and safe systems. They often work on performance-critical applications such as backend services, embedded software, systems programming, and blockchain technologies. Rust Engineers are valued for their ability to write code that minimizes bugs and security vulnerabilities, leveraging Rust's strict compiler and memory safety features. Their expertise is increasingly sought after in industries where safety, speed, and concurrency are essential.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a Rust engineer?

To thrive as a Rust Engineer, you need a strong understanding of systems programming concepts, the Rust language, and experience with software development best practices, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with version control systems like Git, build tools such as Cargo, and knowledge of CI/CD pipelines are typically required. Problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication set outstanding Rust Engineers apart. These skills and qualifications are essential for building reliable, high-performance, and secure software systems in collaborative development environments.

What are common challenges Rust engineers face when integrating Rust with existing systems?

Rust Engineers often encounter challenges when integrating Rust into codebases written in other languages, such as C, C++, or Python. These challenges can include managing foreign function interfaces (FFI), ensuring memory safety across language boundaries, and handling differences in build systems and tooling. Collaboration with teams familiar with legacy systems is often essential to navigate these complexities, and clear documentation is key to successful integration. Over time, these challenges can deepen your understanding of system interoperability and lead to broader career opportunities in systems programming.

What is the difference between Rust Engineer vs Software Developer?

AspectRust EngineerSoftware Developer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science or related, familiarity with RustBachelor's in Computer Science or related, general programming skills
Work EnvironmentTech companies, startups, embedded systems, systems programmingVarious industries including tech, finance, healthcare, web development
Employer & Industry UsageCompanies developing performance-critical or system-level applicationsBroad range of companies developing software across sectors
Search & Comparison IntentFocus on Rust-specific roles, systems programmingGeneral software development roles across languages

Rust Engineers specialize in developing high-performance, safe systems using Rust, often in embedded or systems programming contexts. Software Developers have a broader scope, working across multiple languages and industries. While both roles require strong programming skills, Rust Engineers focus on Rust expertise, whereas Software Developers may work with various languages and technologies.

How do you become a Rust engineer?

To become a Rust engineer, you should learn the Rust programming language through official documentation, tutorials, and practice projects. Gaining experience with systems programming, understanding ownership and concurrency concepts, and familiarizing yourself with tools like Cargo and Rustup are also important. Building a portfolio of Rust projects and contributing to open-source can enhance your qualifications for such roles.

How much do Rust engineers make?

Rust engineers typically earn between $80,000 and $150,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Senior roles or those with specialized skills in systems programming and performance optimization tend to command higher salaries.

What are popular job titles related to Rust Engineer jobs in California?

For Rust Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

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

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

Infographic showing various Rust Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $94,849 per year, or $45.6 per hour.

Senior Compiler Engineer

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

NVIDIA Gruppe
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing • 10K+ employees

$121K - $167K/yr

Other

Posted 8 days ago


Nvidia rating

9.6

Company rating: 9.6 out of 10

Based on 18 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

NVIDIA is dedicated to reinvent accelerated computing. Reinvention requires great technology and amazing people. As an NVIDIAN, you’ll be immersed in a diverse, supportive environment where everyone is inspired to do their best work. Come join the team and see how you can make a lasting impact on the world.

NVIDIA is hiring a Senior Compiler Engineer to join our team driving the next generation of GPU systems programming. We are redefining how developers write high-performance GPU software by bringing the safety, expressiveness, and modern tooling of Rust to native GPU and CUDA development. On this team, you will build cutting-edge compiler pipelines, custom intermediate representation (IR) frameworks, and JIT compilation systems that bridge host and device execution-allowing developers to write memory-safe, high-performance GPU kernels in idiomatic Rust.

What you’ll be doing:
  • Develop Rust-to-GPU Compiler Pipelines: Design, implement, and maintain custom compiler backends (such as rustc codegen backends and proc-macros) and Rust-native intermediate representation (IR) frameworks to compile standard Rust directly to high-performance CUDA PTX and machine code.
  • Build compiler IRs and Optimizers: Work with modern compiler architectures to lower Rust AST and MIR into IRs including MLIR, PTX, and LLVM, including GPU-specific optimizations.
  • Support complex ahead-of-time, just-in-time, and link time optimization workflows: Build state-of-the-art tooling to support users targeting a broad family of NVIDIA GPUs, host platforms, and feature sets.
  • Define Safe Parallel Abstractions: Architect innovative compiler-enforced safety models that extend Rust's ownership, borrowing, and lifetime disciplines across the GPU launch boundary—preventing data races and enforcing memory safety during asynchronous GPU execution.
  • Expose Next-Gen Hardware Features: Implement type-safe, ergonomic device-side abstractions in Rust for low-level GPU hardware primitives, including shared memory, barriers, scoped atomics, Tensor Memory Accelerator (TMA), and warp/cluster-level operations.
  • Build the future: Supporting today’s accelerated computing applications is not sufficient. We have to build composable building blocks for others around us to build the applications of tomorrow.
What we need to see:
  • Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years of relevant work or research experience in compiler development, language design, or GPU code generation.
  • Deep expertise in the Rust programming language, including a strong grasp of compiler internals (rustc), Rust MIR, procedural macros, and Rust's borrow-checker/lifetime model.
  • Hands‑on experience with compiler infrastructures, intermediate representations (IRs), and code generation (such as LLVM IR, MLIR, or custom IR systems).
  • Solid understanding of parallel programming models, GPU architectures, and CUDA programming.
  • Strong software design skills, including debugging, profiling, and benchmarking compilers and GPU kernels.
  • Ability to orchestrate agents for product requirement design, architecture, code development, testing, code review, and issue triage.
  • Ability to work independently, define project goals and scope, and drive complex compiler-engineering efforts from research to production.
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
  • A track record of contributing to the Rust compiler (rustc), Cargo tooling, or open-source Rust-to-GPU projects.
  • Experience building custom compiler front-ends, AST translators, or JIT engines.
  • Familiarity with MLIR or other extensible compiler frameworks.
  • Deep proficiency in low-level GPU programming, including the use of modern hardware features (e.g., Tensor Cores, warp-level shuffles, or asynchronous transfer pipelines).
  • Experience designing Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) or tile-based programming abstractions for tensor processing.

With competitive salaries and a generous benefits package, we are widely considered to be one of the technology world's most desirable employers. We have some of the most forward-thinking and hardworking people in the world working for us and, due to unprecedented growth, our exclusive engineering teams are rapidly growing. If you’re a creative and autonomous engineer with a real passion for programming languages and systems technology, we want to hear from you.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 152,000 USD - 241,500 USD.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until September 6, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

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What Nvidia employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


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About Nvidia

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It's a unique legacy of innovation that's fueled by great technology--and amazing people. Today, we're tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brains of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Doing what's never been done before takes vision, innovation, and the world's best talent.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Clara, CA, US