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Soc Thermal Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Advanced Micro Devices

Thermal Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

THE PERSON: You are passionate about thermal engineering and advanced electronics cooling ... Experience with SoC thermal analysis, including interpretation of floorplans, power maps, thermal ...

Arista Networks

Senior Thermal Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$300K - $655K/yr

This position reports to the Mechanical Engineering Manager. The total estimated annual ... Experience with high power (>800W) SoC liquid cooling thermal models and system-level analysis.

PsiQuantum

Thermal Mechanical Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

The system engineering department is hiring a thermal mechanical engineer. You will be responsible ... Exposure to SOC thermal mechanical analysis. * Exposure to optical structural analysis. PsiQuantum ...

PsiQuantum

Thermal Mechanical Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

The system engineering department is hiring a thermal mechanical engineer. You will be responsible ... Exposure to SOC thermal mechanical analysis. * Exposure to optical structural analysis. PsiQuantum ...

PsiQuantum

Thermal Mechanical Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

The system engineering department is hiring a thermal mechanical engineer. You will be responsible ... Exposure to SOC thermal mechanical analysis. * Exposure to optical structural analysis. PsiQuantum ...

Qualcomm

SoC Modeling Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$115K - $173K/yr

... Engineering Group > ASICS Engineering General Summary This role is to support expanding SoC ... Modeling of thermal systems * Modeling of Power Delivery circuits (PMIC and PDN) * Digital design ...

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Soc Thermal Engineer information

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$43.5K

$104.5K

$167.5K

How much do soc thermal engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for soc thermal engineer in the United States is $104,528.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $80,000.00 and $129,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an SoC thermal engineer?

SoC Thermal Engineers are professionals who specialize in managing and optimizing the thermal performance of System-on-Chip (SoC) devices. Their main role is to ensure that the chip operates within safe temperature ranges by designing efficient cooling and heat dissipation solutions. They work closely with hardware and design teams to model, analyze, and test thermal behavior, helping to prevent overheating and maintain device reliability and performance. SoC Thermal Engineers are crucial in industries such as consumer electronics, automotive, and data centers, where device efficiency and longevity are essential.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an SoC thermal engineer?

To thrive as an SoC Thermal Engineer, you need a strong background in thermal engineering, heat transfer, and semiconductor physics, typically supported by a degree in electrical or mechanical engineering. Experience with simulation tools such as ANSYS, FLOTHERM, or COMSOL, as well as familiarity with measurement equipment and industry standards, is essential. Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help you collaborate across multidisciplinary teams and convey complex findings clearly. These skills ensure reliable thermal management of SoCs, which is critical for device performance, longevity, and safety.

What are some common challenges faced by SoC thermal engineers and how can they be addressed in day-to-day work?

SoC Thermal Engineers often encounter challenges such as managing heat dissipation in increasingly compact and high-performance chips, ensuring accurate thermal modeling, and balancing performance with power efficiency. Addressing these requires close collaboration with hardware designers to implement effective cooling solutions and regular use of simulation tools to predict thermal behavior under various workloads. Staying updated with the latest materials and cooling technologies, as well as maintaining clear communication with cross-functional teams, is key to proactively tackling these issues.

What are popular job titles related to Soc Thermal Engineer jobs?

For Soc Thermal Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Soc Thermal Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $104,528 per year, or $50.3 per hour.

Thermal Engineer

San Jose, CA • On-site

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing • 5 - 10K employees
Learn more about Advanced Micro Devices, Incexternal

$145K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 15 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand product requirements and drive thermal solutions throughout the product development cycle.

  • Perform die, package, board, and system-level thermal simulations to evaluate product thermal performance and support cooling solution development.

  • Develop and execute thermal characterization and validation plans for hardware platforms.

Advanced Micro Devices rating

8.6

Company rating: 8.6 out of 10

Based on 13 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

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:
The focus of this role is to support the thermal design, modeling, characterization, and validation of AMD's next-generation SoC, FPGA, ASIC, and high-performance computing products. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop thermal solutions, perform simulations and testing, and help ensure products meet thermal performance, reliability, and customer requirements throughout the product development lifecycle.
THE PERSON:
You are passionate about thermal engineering and advanced electronics cooling technologies. You have a strong foundation in heat transfer fundamentals and enjoy solving challenging thermal problems through analytical modeling, simulation, and experimentation. You are a team player with strong communication skills who works effectively across engineering disciplines and contributes in a fast-paced product development environment.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Collaborate with program managers, product planning, Power and Performance, Silicon Technology, Silicon Validation, Operation and Testing, Packaging, Reliability, and Technical Marketing teams to understand product requirements, silicon operation and characterization results, and drive thermal solutions throughout the product development cycle.
  • Perform die, package, board, and system-level thermal simulations to evaluate product thermal performance and support cooling solution development.
  • Develop and execute thermal characterization and validation plans for hardware platforms.
  • Analyze thermal test data and correlate measurements with simulation models to improve model accuracy and predict product performance.
  • Support the design and optimization of air-cooled and liquid-cooled thermal solutions for high-performance computing products.
  • Conduct thermal analysis and back-of-the-envelope calculations to guide design decisions and assess design tradeoffs.
  • Participate in thermal design reviews and provide recommendations to improve product thermal performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
  • Support customer technical engagements by participating in customer meetings, design reviews, thermal discussions, and issue resolution activities.
  • Collaborate with Technical Marketing and customer-facing teams to communicate thermal capabilities, requirements, and best practices.
  • Research thermal management materials, cooling technologies, and industry best practices to support future product development.
  • Develop and maintain technical documentation, simulation methodologies, test procedures, and engineering reports.
  • Communicate findings and collaborate effectively with internal teams, customers, and external partners as required.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:
  • Experience in thermal analysis, modeling, characterization, and testing of electronic systems, semiconductor packages, or computing hardware.
  • Experience with SoC thermal analysis, including interpretation of floorplans, power maps, thermal maps, hotspot analysis, and thermal optimization methodologies.
  • Working knowledge of power generation mechanisms in modern SoCs, including familiarity with power management features and interactions between power, performance, and thermal behavior.
  • Strong understanding of heat transfer fundamentals including conduction, convection, and radiation.
  • Proficient in CFD and thermal simulation tools such as Ansys Icepak, AEDT, FloTHERM, FloTHERM XT, or equivalent.
  • Experience with thermal validation and laboratory testing techniques, including thermocouples, data acquisition systems, airflow measurements, thermal chambers, and related instrumentation.
  • Familiarity with air-cooling and liquid-cooling technologies for high-power electronics.
  • Ability to perform first-order analytical calculations and engineering estimates to support design decisions.
  • Experience analyzing large datasets and generating engineering insights using tools such as Python, MATLAB, or similar scripting languages.
  • Familiarity with CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent mechanical design software.
  • Understanding of semiconductor packaging, high-performance computing systems, AI accelerators, servers, or data-center hardware.
  • Experience working directly with customers and cross-functional teams to address thermal requirements and resolve technical issues.
  • Experience working in Linux and Windows environments.
  • Strong problem-solving, communication, presentation, and technical documentation skills.
  • Exposure to cross-functional product development processes and collaboration with multiple engineering disciplines.

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
  • Master's degree or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

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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