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Silicon Design Engineering Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Microsoft

Senior Silicon Design Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$119K - $234K/yr

Overview Microsoft Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) is the team ... We are looking for a Senior Design Engineer to work in the dynamic Microsoft Artificial ...

Google

Silicon Design Verification Manager

Austin, TX · On-site

$134K - $164K/yr

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related ... or in a Silicon Design Verification-related occupation. * Alternatively, will accept a Master ...

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Silicon Design Engineering information

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How much do silicon design engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for silicon design engineering in the United States is $134,466.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $109,000.00 and $150,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is silicon design engineering?

Silicon Design Engineering is the process of designing and developing integrated circuits (ICs), commonly known as chips or microchips, that are used in electronic devices. Silicon design engineers work on the architecture, logic design, verification, and physical layout of these chips, ensuring they meet performance, power, and functionality requirements. Their work is crucial in industries like consumer electronics, computing, automotive, and telecommunications, where advanced semiconductor technology is essential. This field requires strong knowledge in electrical engineering, computer architecture, and specialized software tools for chip design.

What are some common challenges faced by silicon design engineers during the chip development process?

Silicon Design Engineers often encounter challenges such as meeting tight project deadlines, ensuring design accuracy, and coordinating with cross-functional teams like verification and physical design. Debugging complex design issues and optimizing for power, performance, and area constraints are also common hurdles. Additionally, adapting to rapidly evolving technologies and tools requires continuous learning and flexibility. Effective collaboration and clear communication are essential for overcoming these challenges and delivering high-quality silicon products.

What do silicon design engineers do?

Silicon design engineers develop and optimize integrated circuits and semiconductor devices, focusing on creating efficient, reliable chip architectures. They use hardware description languages like VHDL or Verilog and tools such as CAD software to design, simulate, and verify silicon components, often working closely with manufacturing and testing teams.

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

To thrive as a Silicon Design Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, digital logic design, and semiconductor fundamentals, typically supported by a relevant degree. Proficiency with hardware description languages (such as Verilog or VHDL), EDA tools (like Synopsys or Cadence), and simulation software is commonly required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective teamwork are essential soft skills for success in this role. These skills are crucial for accurately designing, verifying, and collaborating on complex integrated circuits that meet performance and reliability standards.

What is the salary of silicon design engineer?

The salary of a silicon design engineer typically ranges from $80,000 to $150,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced engineers with specialized skills in VLSI design and verification can earn higher compensation.

What is the difference between Silicon Design Engineering vs ASIC Design Engineer?

AspectSilicon Design EngineeringASIC Design Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer EngineeringBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
Work EnvironmentDesign labs, CAD tools, collaboration with cross-functional teamsDesign teams, simulation environments, hardware testing
Industry UsageUsed across semiconductor companies, integrated circuit firmsPrimarily in ASIC development for various industries

Silicon Design Engineering focuses on designing and verifying the physical silicon chips, while ASIC Design Engineers specialize in creating specific application-specific integrated circuits. Both roles require similar credentials and often work in overlapping environments, but their focus areas differ within the chip development process.

More about Silicon Design Engineering jobs
What cities are hiring for Silicon Design Engineering jobs? Cities with the most Silicon Design Engineering job openings:
What states have the most Silicon Design Engineering jobs? States with the most job openings for Silicon Design Engineering jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Silicon Design Engineering jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Silicon Design Engineering jobs are:
Silicon Design Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Silicon Design Engineering job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $134,466 per year, or $64.6 per hour.

Silicon Design Engineer

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc

San Jose, CA • On-site

$145K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 25 days ago

Advanced Micro Devices rating

8.6

Company rating: 8.6 out of 10

Based on 13 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

27th of 156 rated electronics manufacturers

Job description

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER. ADVANCE THE WORLD.
At AMD, we believe technology can change lives for the better. It can heal us, entertain us, and make us more connected, productive, and understanding of the world around us. And we're looking for talent who feel the same: people who want to leave the planet better than they found it, those who don't shy away from humanity's challenges but are determined to help solve them.
AMD is powering the next generation of supercomputing, high-performance computing, cloud, and AI. Whether you're designing next-gen processors, enabling AI breakthroughs, or creating go-to-market plans, every role at AMD contributes to something bigger - technology that moves the world forward.
THE ROLE:
We are seeking a highly motivated Silicon Design Engineer. In this role, you will lead and contribute to the design, integration, verification, and characterization of advanced silicon testchips supporting FPGA and ASIC products on leading-edge process technologies
THE PERSON:
The ideal candidate is a hands-on silicon design engineer with experience across RTL-to-GDS implementation, design verification, and post-silicon validation. You should be comfortable working independently, driving technical challenges to closure, collaborating across teams, delivering successful tapeouts, and communicating effectively in fast-paced environments with a passion for innovation.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Drive the timing-aware/physical-aware synthesis flow using industry-standard tools (e.g., Design Compiler) to generate optimized netlists.
  • Lead the end-to-end digital ASIC/SoC physical design cycle from RTL handoff through GDSII tapeout, including floorplanning, power planning, placement, clock tree synthesis (CTS), routing, timing closure, signal integrity optimization, physical verification, and design signoff.
  • Close SoC timing with Static Timing Analysis (STA) using tools such as PrimeTime to validate setup/hold margins across process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) corners.
  • Drive tapeout readiness by performing physical signoff analyses including IR drop, electromigration (EM), noise, DRC/LVS verification, and cross-functional reviews with RTL, DFT, package, and foundry teams.
  • Develop verification plans and testbenches to validate chip functionality, and generate test patterns for post-silicon validation
  • Assist with post-silicon bring-up, debugging, and lab-based validation activities.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:
  • Good understanding of CMOS circuit design fundamentals, semiconductor device physics, signal integrity, power integrity, and device reliability mechanisms.
  • Proven experience delivering silicon across advanced process technologies, including FinFET (7nm/5nm/3nm) and emerging Gate-All-Around (GAA) nodes.
  • Expertise in digital ASIC/SoC implementation flows, including synthesis, floorplanning, power planning, placement, CTS, routing, timing closure, and physical signoff using industry-standard tools (Cadence Genus/Innovus and/or Synopsys Fusion Compiler).
  • Strong understanding of CMOS circuit design fundamentals, semiconductor device physics, signal integrity, power integrity, and device reliability mechanisms.
  • Proven experience delivering silicon across advanced process technologies, including FinFET (7nm/5nm/3nm) and emerging Gate-All-Around (GAA) nodes.
  • Hands-on experience with physical signoff methodologies, including STA, IR drop, electromigration (EM), DRC/LVS, noise analysis, and tapeout qualification.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience debugging complex design implementation issues and driving cross-functional closure.
  • Experience with silicon bring-up, post-silicon validation, and laboratory test equipment is a plus.
  • Proficiency in Python, Tcl, and shell scripting for automation, flow development, and productivity enhancement.

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
Preferably holds an advanced degree (PhD or MS) in electrical & electronics engineering or physical sciences; alternatively, a bachelor's degree and relevant industry experience is acceptable.
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
#LI-DR2
Benefits offered are described: AMD benefits at a glance.
AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants' needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.
AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD's "Responsible AI Policy" is available here.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

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