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Software Performance Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

Nuro

Software Engineer, Performance

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$160K - $240K/yr

Rowe Price, and other leading investors About the Role We are looking for talented engineers to join our Performance team to optimize the performance of Nuro's AV software, ensuring our vehicles can ...

Nuro

Software Engineer, Performance

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$160K - $240K/yr

Rowe Price, and other leading investors About the Role We are looking for talented engineers to join our Performance team to optimize the performance of Nuro's AV software, ensuring our vehicles can ...

Nuro

Software Engineer, Performance

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$160K - $240K/yr

Rowe Price, and other leading investors About the Role We are looking for talented engineers to join our Performance team to optimize the performance of Nuro's AV software, ensuring our vehicles can ...

Broadcom

AI Systems Performance Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

... software, and networking stakeholders. Qualifications : Required : • Education: Bachelor ... level performance tuning and troubleshooting. • Programming Skills: Strong proficiency in ...

Broadcom Inc.

AI Systems Performance Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$141.30 - $226/hr

... to hardware, software, and networking stakeholders. Qualifications * Education: Bachelor's or ... performance tuning and troubleshooting. * Programming Skills: Strong proficiency in Python and C ...

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Software Performance Engineer information

See Santa Clara, CA salary details

$128.7K

$166.5K

How much do software performance engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for software performance engineer in Santa Clara, CA is $164,781.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $165,300.00 and $165,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a software performance engineer?

To thrive as a Software Performance Engineer, you need a solid background in computer science, strong programming skills (often in languages like Java, C++, or Python), and experience in analyzing and optimizing software performance. Familiarity with profiling tools (such as JProfiler, VisualVM, or Perf), performance testing frameworks (like JMeter or LoadRunner), and knowledge of system monitoring solutions are typically required. Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and clear communication are standout soft skills for diagnosing issues and collaborating with development teams. These competencies ensure that applications run efficiently and reliably, directly impacting user satisfaction and system scalability.

What is a software performance engineer?

Software Performance Engineers are specialists who focus on ensuring that software applications run efficiently and meet performance requirements. They analyze system bottlenecks, optimize code and system configurations, and conduct performance testing to identify and resolve issues such as slow response times or high resource usage. Their work helps improve user experience and system reliability, especially for applications expected to handle large numbers of users or complex computations. Software Performance Engineers often collaborate with developers, QA teams, and system administrators to maintain and enhance application performance throughout the software development lifecycle.

What is the difference between Software Performance Engineer vs Software Quality Assurance Engineer?

AspectSoftware Performance EngineerSoftware Quality Assurance Engineer
Primary FocusOptimizing software speed, scalability, and efficiencyEnsuring software meets quality standards and is bug-free
Skills & CertificationsPerformance testing, profiling, scripting, knowledge of performance toolsTesting methodologies, defect tracking, automation tools, ISTQB certification
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, performance testing labs, cloud environmentsTesting teams, QA labs, cross-functional project teams
Industry UsageTech, finance, e-commerce, gamingSoftware development, enterprise applications, healthcare

While both roles focus on software quality, the Software Performance Engineer specializes in optimizing system performance and scalability, whereas the Software Quality Assurance Engineer concentrates on overall quality assurance and defect prevention. Understanding these differences helps employers and professionals align skills with job requirements.

What are some common challenges faced by software performance engineers when optimizing large-scale applications?

Software Performance Engineers often encounter challenges such as identifying performance bottlenecks in complex, distributed systems and ensuring scalability as user demand grows. Troubleshooting issues may require deep dives into both application code and infrastructure layers, often under tight deadlines. Collaboration with development, QA, and operations teams is essential to implement performance improvements without disrupting existing functionality. Staying up-to-date with evolving technologies and profiling tools is also key to maintaining optimal performance.

What does a software performance engineer do?

A software performance engineer analyzes and optimizes software systems to ensure they run efficiently, reliably, and at scale. They use tools like profiling and monitoring software, conduct performance testing, and identify bottlenecks to improve response times and resource usage. Strong knowledge of programming, system architecture, and performance testing methodologies is essential for this role.
What are popular job titles related to Software Performance Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA? For Software Performance Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Software Performance Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA look for? The top searched job categories for Software Performance Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA are:
What cities near Santa Clara, CA are hiring for Software Performance Engineer jobs? Cities near Santa Clara, CA with the most Software Performance Engineer job openings:
Software Performance Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Software Performance Engineer job openings in Santa Clara, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $164,781 per year, or $79.2 per hour.

Software Performance Engineer, Vision Products Group

Apple

Sunnyvale, CA • On-site

$164K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 8 days ago

Apple rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 677 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 30 rated technology retailers

Job description

The Vision Product Group is working on exciting new technologies. We are looking for a driven and dedicated performance engineer. This team is building the core foundational platform for some of Apple's most advanced technologies in spatial computing. As part of our creative organization, you will have a uniquely rewarding opportunity to craft future products that will delight and inspire millions of people every day.
Description
This role focuses on optimizing AR/VR system software to deliver high-performance, low-latency, and visually buttery-smooth immersive experiences on custom hardware. You will analyze and improve performance across the full stack-including rendering, GPU/graphics, runtime, OS, and hardware-to ensure smooth frame rates, minimal motion-to-photon latency, and scalable real-time performance. The work combines deep performance investigation, systems optimization, and AI-assisted tooling to push the boundaries of spatial computing.
Minimum Qualifications
A minimum B.S. degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
2+ years of experience in software development, system software, performance engineering, or a related technical area.
Experience programming in one or more languages such as C, C++, Python, or similar languages.
Understanding of computer architecture, operating systems, memory hierarchy, concurrency, and software performance fundamentals.
Experience analyzing software performance using profiling, tracing, benchmarking, and performance analysis tools.
Ability to quickly learn new software stacks, technologies, and performance methodologies.
Demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings clearly and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools and willingness to adopt emerging AI technologies to improve engineering effectiveness.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with macOS/iOS kernel, drivers, compilers, runtimes, or embedded systems.
Experience analyzing and optimizing graphics, gaming, or real-time interactive application performance.
Experience using GPU profiling and performance analysis tools to identify rendering bottlenecks, GPU stalls, memory inefficiencies, and synchronization issues.
Experience optimizing frame time, frame rate, input latency, power efficiency, and thermal behavior for interactive applications.
Understanding of AR/VR performance challenges, including motion-to-photon latency, frame stability, asynchronous processing, and maintaining a smooth immersive user experience.
Familiarity with Computer Vision, Transformers, and LLM architectures. Knowledge of AI/ML fundamentals including model evaluation and deployment/inference.

What Apple employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

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About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976

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