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Scientific Software Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

BigHat Biosciences

Senior Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$140K - $184K/yr

You will work closely with engineers, product partners, and laboratory scientists to build and evolve the internal software systems at the center of our science. This role is leveled as Senior ...

BigHat Biosciences

Senior Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$19K - $215K/mo

You will work closely with engineers, product partners, and laboratory scientists to build and evolve the internal software systems at the center of our science. This role is leveled as Senior ...

BigHat Biosciences

Senior Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$139K - $183K/yr

You will work closely with engineers, product partners, and laboratory scientists to build and evolve the internal software systems at the center of our science. This role is leveled as Senior ...

Intelliswift Software

Software Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$226K - $227K/yr

Education and Experience • Position requires a Master's degree or foreign equivalent degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related field plus two (2) years of experience in a ...

Intelliswift Software

Software Engineer

Newark, CA · On-site

$181K - $190K/yr

Position requires a Master's degree or foreign equivalent degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related field plus two (2) years of experience in a related occupation. Position also ...

Gamma Scientific

Software Engineer

San Diego, CA

Software Engineering Manager Position Summary Gamma Scientific is seeking a talented and motivated Mid-Level Software Engineer to develop innovative software solutions for advanced optical ...

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Scientific Software Engineer information

See California salary details

$14

$38

$84

How much do scientific software engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for scientific software engineer in California is $38.84, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.59 and $56.68 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a scientific software engineer typically collaborate with researchers and domain experts on projects?

Scientific Software Engineers frequently work closely with researchers, scientists, and domain experts to translate complex scientific requirements into robust and efficient software solutions. Collaboration often involves participating in project meetings, understanding specific scientific models or data workflows, and iteratively refining software based on user feedback. This role requires strong communication skills and the ability to bridge the gap between technical software development and domain-specific needs, ensuring that the resulting tools are both scientifically accurate and user-friendly.

What is a scientific software engineer?

Scientific Software Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and maintain software applications tailored for scientific research and data analysis. They collaborate with scientists and researchers to create computational tools, simulations, or data processing pipelines that enable complex experiments and facilitate discovery. Their role often requires expertise in both domain-specific science and advanced programming, ensuring that software solutions are robust, efficient, and reproducible. Scientific Software Engineers typically work in academic institutions, research labs, or industries such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and climate science.

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

To thrive as a Scientific Software Engineer, you need a strong background in computer science, mathematics, and scientific domains, often with an advanced degree in a STEM field. Familiarity with programming languages like Python, C++, and MATLAB, as well as experience with scientific computing libraries and version control systems, is typically required. Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective collaboration are essential soft skills for this role. These competencies enable the development of robust and efficient scientific software, facilitating research and innovation in scientific projects.

What is the difference between Scientific Software Engineer vs Data Scientist?

AspectScientific Software EngineerData Scientist
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields; programming skillsBachelor's or Master's in Data Science, Statistics, or related fields; programming and analytical skills
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, scientific organizations, tech companies focusing on simulation and modelingBusiness, tech companies, research institutions analyzing large datasets
Industry UsageScientific research, engineering, simulation developmentData analysis, predictive modeling, machine learning applications

While both roles require programming skills and a strong technical background, Scientific Software Engineers focus on developing software for scientific research and simulations, whereas Data Scientists analyze data to extract insights and build models. The roles often overlap in skills but differ in their primary objectives and work environments.

What are popular job titles related to Scientific Software Engineer jobs in California? For Scientific Software Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Scientific Software Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Scientific Software Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Scientific Software Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Scientific Software Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Scientific Software Engineer jobs in CA? For Scientific Software Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Scientific Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Scientific Software Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, and 8% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $80,788 per year, or $38.8 per hour.

Software Engineer, Scientific Computing

Vorticity, Inc

Redwood City, CA • On-site

$130K - $190K/yr

Full-time

Posted 23 days ago

Job description

Vorticity is building new scientific computing technology for some of the world's most challenging problems. We are looking for a Software Engineer to join our Applications team. You will work across mathematics, physics, and computer science to build, test, and improve scientific computing applications running on CPUs and GPUs.
This is a broad role on a small team. We are looking for someone who is smart, curious, practical, and excited to learn quickly and build useful technology. The right candidate does not need experience in any particular scientific domain. They should be interested in scientific computing and comfortable working on unfamiliar, multidisciplinary problems.
Responsibilities
  • Develop scientific computing applications and numerical methods.
  • Measure, debug, optimize, and improve computational performance.
  • Work across research, software engineering, testing, and deployment.
  • Contribute wherever needed as the technology and team evolve.
Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree or higher in mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, or another relevant technical field.
  • Strong Python programming skills.
  • A strong foundation in mathematics, physics, and computer science.
  • Ability to operate at multiple levels of abstraction in a complex software system.
  • Comfort working across disciplines and tackling unfamiliar problems.
Preferred Skills
  • Experience with CUDA or another GPU programming environment.
  • Familiarity with scientific computing, numerical methods, simulations, signal processing, or inverse problems.
  • Experience developing and maintaining production software.

Our Applications team builds scientific software on existing computing hardware while working closely with the broader company as we develop our own Scientific Processing Unit.
As passionate scientists and engineers, we are well aware of the plethora of critical problems in the world that cannot be solved because humanity simply does not have enough computing power. To address this, Vorticity is developing a radically new silicon chip architecture and system to dramatically accelerate scientific computing problems.
Vorticity's mission is to expand human ingenuity. To do that we are building a team of exceptional people to work together on big problems. Join us!

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