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Senior Physical Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Senior Physical Design Engineer

Raleigh, NC ยท On-site

$160K - $261K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Physical Design Engineer with a dedicated passion for customer focused solutions, insight and industry knowledge to envision and implement future technical solutions that ...

# Senior Physical Design EngineerSanta ClaraApply for this job* Permanent* Experienced Professionals* Products & Systems Engineering* ID 527621-en\_USAt Capgemini Engineering, the world leader in ...

$82 - $193/hr

# Senior Physical Design EngineerSanta ClaraApply for this job* Permanent* Experienced Professionals* Products & Systems Engineering* ID 527621-en\_USAt Capgemini Engineering, the world leader in ...

Sr. Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA ยท On-site

$180 - $240/hr

Role Overview We are seeking a Senior Physical Design Engineer to join our silicon design team developing highโ€‘performance ASIC using TSMC advance process nodes, including 5nm and 3nm. In this role ...

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Senior Physical Design Engineer information

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$70.5K

$134.6K

$195K

How much do senior physical design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior physical design engineer in the United States is $134,577.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $107,500.00 and $157,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior physical design engineer?

A Senior Physical Design Engineer is a highly skilled professional in the field of semiconductor engineering who specializes in transforming circuit designs (netlists) into physical layouts for integrated circuits (ICs). They are responsible for tasks such as floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, and routing, ensuring that the chip meets performance, area, and power requirements. Senior engineers in this role often lead projects, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate closely with other design and verification teams to deliver high-quality silicon products.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior physical design engineer?

To thrive as a Senior Physical Design Engineer, you need expertise in VLSI design, ASIC/SoC implementation, and a solid background in electrical or computer engineering, often complemented by a relevant degree. Mastery of EDA tools such as Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics, and familiarity with scripting languages like TCL and Python, is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication are critical soft skills for collaborating with cross-functional teams and managing complex projects. These skills and qualifications ensure efficient, high-quality chip design, meeting both technical and timeline requirements in a competitive industry.

What are some common challenges faced by senior physical design engineers during the chip tape-out phase?

Senior Physical Design Engineers often encounter tight deadlines and last-minute design changes during the chip tape-out phase, which can make ensuring timing closure and meeting power, performance, and area (PPA) targets particularly challenging. Collaborating closely with verification and layout teams is essential to quickly resolve any critical design rule violations or integration issues. Effective communication, attention to detail, and thorough knowledge of EDA tools are key to successfully managing these high-pressure situations and delivering a manufacturable design on schedule.

What is the difference between Senior Physical Design Engineer vs Physical Design Engineer?

AspectSenior Physical Design EngineerPhysical Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering; experience in physical design toolsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering; entry to mid-level experience
Work EnvironmentDesign teams in semiconductor or chip design companies, using EDA toolsDesign teams in semiconductor or chip design companies, using EDA tools
Employer & Industry UsageCommonly employed in advanced chip design companies, focusing on complex ICsUsed across various semiconductor companies for standard physical design tasks

The main difference is experience level and responsibility. Senior Physical Design Engineers typically lead complex projects and mentor junior staff, while Physical Design Engineers focus on executing design tasks under supervision. Both roles require similar technical skills and work in similar environments, but the senior role involves more leadership and strategic planning.

How much does a senior physical design engineer make in the US?

A senior physical design engineer in the US typically earns between $110,000 and $160,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. Compensation may also include bonuses and stock options, especially in high-tech industries or large corporations.
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Cities with the most Senior Physical Design Engineer job openings:

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What states have the most Senior Physical Design Engineer jobs?

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Infographic showing various Senior Physical Design Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 74% Full Time, 20% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $134,577 per year, or $64.7 per hour.

Senior Physical Design Engineer

Altera Corporation

San Jose, CA โ€ข On-site

$133 - $193/hr

Other

Posted 24 days ago


Job description

## Senior Physical Design EngineerApplylocations: San Jose, California, United Statestime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todayjob requisition id: R02916# **Job Details:**### ## **Job Description:****About Altera**At AlteraTM, our independence as the worldโ€™s largest pureโ€play FPGA solutions provider gives us the focus, speed, and agility to innovate without compromise. With more than four decades of industryโ€leading FPGA expertise, our singular mission is to deliver the programmable technologies that help customers differentiate, innovate, and scale across rapidly evolving markets like AI, cloud, networking, and edge. As an independent company, we move faster, invest deeper, and partner more closelyโ€”empowering our teams to drive breakthrough innovation and shape the future of the FPGA industry.**About the Role**Altera is seeking a highly motivated **Senior** **Physical Design Engineer** to join our Physical Design organization. In this role, you will be responsible for implementing custom IP and SoC designs from RTL through GDSII, driving physical implementation, timing closure, power optimization, and design signoff for next-generation FPGA products. You will collaborate closely with RTL designers, Design Verification, DFT, Timing, and CAD teams to deliver high-quality silicon while contributing to the continuous improvement of physical design methodologies and automation.This role is ideal for an engineer with strong experience across the complete physical implementation flow who enjoys solving complex timing, power, and physical design challenges in advanced process technologies.**Responsibilities*** Perform physical design implementation of custom IP and SoC designs from RTL through GDSII to create a manufacturing-ready design database.* Execute all aspects of the physical design flow, including synthesis, floorplanning, place and route, clock tree synthesis (CTS), static timing analysis (STA), power and clock distribution, reliability analysis, and power/noise analysis.* Perform physical verification and design signoff, including formal equivalence checking, static timing verification, reliability verification, power integrity analysis, layout verification, electrical rule checking (ERC), and structural design checking.* Analyze implementation and signoff results, identify violations, and develop solutions that improve current and future product architectures.* Apply expertise in physical clock design, timing closure, placement, routing, synthesis, DFT implementation, multiple power domain analysis, and coverage analysis using industry-standard EDA tools.* Optimize physical designs to improve power, performance, frequency, and area (PPA).* Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to resolve implementation challenges throughout the design cycle.* Participate in the development and continuous improvement of physical design methodologies, design flows, and automation.**What You'll Bring*** Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to debug complex physical implementation challenges.* Excellent collaboration and communication skills within cross-functional engineering teams.* Ability to manage multiple technical priorities in a fast-paced development environment.* Passion for delivering high-quality silicon and continuously improving design methodologies.**Salary Range**The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.**$133,200 - $192,825 USD**We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.#LI-MD1### ## **Qualifications:****Minimum Qualifications*** Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.* 6+ years of hands-on experience with digital ASIC or SoC physical design implementation.* 6+ years of experience performing RTL-to-GDSII physical design flows.* 6+ years of experience with synthesis, floorplanning, place and route, and clock tree synthesis (CTS).* 6+ years of experience performing static timing analysis (STA) and timing closure.* 4+ years of experience with physical verification, including DRC, LVS, ERC, and signoff methodologies.* 4+ years of experience using industry-standard physical design EDA tools such as Synopsys Fusion Compiler, ICC2, PrimeTime, Cadence Innovus, or equivalent.* 3+ years of experience optimizing designs for power, performance, and area (PPA).* 2+ years of experience supporting designs with multiple voltage or power domains.**Preferred Qualifications*** Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.* Experience with advanced semiconductor process nodes (7nm, 5nm, 3nm, or similar).* Experience implementing DFT-aware physical design flows and scan chain optimization.* Experience with physical design automation, scripting, and methodology development using Python, Tcl, Perl, or Shell.* Experience working on large-scale SoC or FPGA architectures.* Familiarity with power integrity, IR drop, electromigration (EM), and signal integrity analysis.* Experience collaborating across architecture, RTL, timing, DFT, verification, and CAD teams in a high-volume product development environment.### ## **Job Type:**Regular### ## **Shift:**Shift 1 (United States of America)### ## **Primary Location:**San Jose, California, United States### ## **Additional Locations:**### ## **Posting Statement:**All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance. #J-18808-Ljbffr