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Semiconductor Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Altera

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$105K - $120K/yr

As a Physical Design Engineer, you will support block-level and/or top-level physical design ... Knowledge of semiconductor design flows, from RTL handoff through physical implementation and ...

Micross

Package Design Engineer | Semiconductor

Apopka, FL · On-site

$119K/yr

Micross is seeking a Semiconductor Package Design Engineer to work in our Apopka, Florida or Raleigh, North Carolina facility . Essential Duties and Responsibilities: * The primarily responsible for ...

Etech Hi

ASIC / VLSI Engineers

Milpitas, CA

These roles are within a leading semiconductor design services organization, supporting long-term engagements with tier-1 clients in networking and advanced silicon. Open roles: * RTL Engineer ...

Lattice Semiconductor

Dir, CAD Eng R&D

San Jose, CA · On-site

... Engineering, or related field. * Experience : 15+ years in semiconductor design, with at least 7 ... years in EDA methodology leadership. * Technical Expertise : Deep knowledge of RTL design ...

Micron

Sr EDA/CAD Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$98K - $267K/yr

The AI Design Enablement team focuses on applying AI-assisted methods to real semiconductor design challenges, helping accelerate development, improve quality, and enhance engineering efficiency ...

Micron

Sr EDA/CAD Engineer

Richardson, TX

$98K - $267K/yr

The AI Design Enablement team focuses on applying AI-assisted methods to real semiconductor design challenges, helping accelerate development, improve quality, and enhance engineering efficiency ...

New

Micron

Sr EDA/CAD Engineer

Boise, ID

$98K - $267K/yr

The AI Design Enablement team focuses on applying AI-assisted methods to real semiconductor design challenges, helping accelerate development, improve quality, and enhance engineering efficiency ...

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All JobsSemiconductor Design Engineer Jobs

Semiconductor Design Engineer information

See salary details

$40.5K

$88.2K

$158.5K

How much do semiconductor design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for semiconductor design engineer in the United States is $88,150.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $68,000.00 and $98,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior semiconductor design engineers with extensive experience, advanced skills in VLSI design, and often holding advanced degrees or certifications can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially in high-cost-of-living areas or within leading tech companies. Compensation packages may include base salary, bonuses, and stock options. Achieving this level typically requires years of specialized expertise and leadership roles in the industry.

What is the difference between Semiconductor Design Engineer vs Semiconductor Test Engineer?

AspectSemiconductor Design EngineerSemiconductor Test Engineer
Primary FocusDesigning integrated circuits and semiconductor devicesTesting and validating semiconductor products for functionality and quality
Required SkillsVLSI design, CAD tools, circuit theoryTest methodologies, debugging, automation tools
Work EnvironmentDesign labs, CAD software, collaboration with R&D teamsTest labs, production lines, quality assurance teams
Industry UsageUsed by chip manufacturers, electronics companiesUsed by testing and quality assurance departments in semiconductor firms

While both roles are essential in the semiconductor industry, Semiconductor Design Engineers focus on creating and developing new chip designs, whereas Semiconductor Test Engineers ensure these chips meet quality standards through rigorous testing. Both roles require technical expertise and often collaborate during product development cycles.

What does a semiconductor design engineer do?

A semiconductor design engineer develops and tests integrated circuits and semiconductor devices used in electronic systems. They use electronic design automation (EDA) tools, create schematics, simulate circuit performance, and ensure designs meet specifications and manufacturing standards. This role often requires knowledge of physics, circuit theory, and programming skills.

Are semiconductor engineers in demand?

Semiconductor engineers are in high demand due to the growing need for advanced electronic devices and integrated circuits. The industry requires expertise in chip design, process technology, and CAD tools, with job opportunities increasing in sectors like consumer electronics, automotive, and telecommunications.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior semiconductor design engineers with extensive experience, advanced skills in VLSI design, and often holding advanced degrees or certifications can earn $300,000 or more annually. High compensation is typically associated with leadership roles, specialized expertise, and working in high-demand industries or companies with competitive pay structures.

What are some common challenges Semiconductor Design Engineers face when working on complex chip projects?

Semiconductor Design Engineers often encounter challenges such as balancing performance, power consumption, and area constraints while meeting strict project deadlines. Coordinating with cross-functional teams—including verification, manufacturing, and software engineers—requires strong communication and adaptability skills. Additionally, staying updated with rapidly evolving tools and industry standards is essential to ensure successful tape-out and avoid costly design errors. Addressing these challenges helps build expertise and opens up opportunities for advancement in the field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Semiconductor Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Semiconductor Design Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, semiconductor physics, and circuit design, often supported by a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with CAD tools like Cadence or Synopsys, as well as experience with HDL languages such as Verilog or VHDL, is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective teamwork help differentiate top performers in this role. These skills ensure the efficient design, verification, and optimization of complex semiconductor devices, which are critical for innovation and product reliability.
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What cities are hiring for Semiconductor Design Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Semiconductor Design Engineer job openings:
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Semiconductor Design Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Semiconductor Design Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,150 per year, or $42.4 per hour.

Semiconductor Laser Design Engineer

Ayo Semiconductor

Boston, MA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 8 hours ago

Job description

Ayo is a venture-backed early-stage startup that will radically re-define how humanity performs compute for AI. Our photonic processors will provide orders of magnitude improvement in speed and power efficiency in comparison to conventional digital compute platforms by taking advantage of the natural parallelism, speed and energy efficiency of light.

We are seeking a semiconductor laser engineer to serve as a core team member who will be among the first employees of the company. The engineer will drive the optimization of both active III-V epitaxy and active device design (on-chip lasers and SOAs). The ideal candidate has taped out or fabricated working semiconductor laser or SOA devices, has a deep understanding of the underlying physics, and has a desire to explore the limits of what can be built with current fabrication technologies. This will be a key role within the photonics team, requiring close collaboration with other team members and engineering functions.

Responsibilities:

  • Simulate/design III-V epitaxies optimized for our application

  • Design test structures for measurement of electronic and optical properties of fabricated epitaxial wafers

  • Design, tape out and test integrated lasers and SOAs

  • Work with systems, electronic, and AI teams to design prototype chips

  • Mentor & guide junior photonics engineers and photonics test engineers

Qualifications:

  • PhD or MS with 5+ years experience

  • Experience designing, taping out or fabricating, and testing integrated semiconductor lasers, LEDs and/or SOAs

  • Experience using commercial simulation tools (such as Ansys/Lumerical, Tidy3D, PhotonDesign or similar)

  • Proficiency with Python

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience designing multi-quantum well and/or quantum dot structures

  • Experience designing and laying out photonic integrated circuits

  • Experience probing/testing photonic integrated circuits

  • Experience with advanced packaging of photonic integrated circuits such as hybrid or flip-chip integration

Contact:

  • Mike Gould (mike@ayoelectronics.com)