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Software Reverse Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Performs software design and implementation of vehicle interface software and protocols ... Understands and implements methodologies for reverse engineering of vehicle communication protocols ...

Performs software design and implementation of vehicle interface software and protocols ... Understands and implements methodologies for reverse engineering of vehicle communication protocols ...

Applied Signal Technology (AST) is seeking a Senior Principal Reverse Systems Engineer who strives ... Master of Science (MS) Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering ...

This position will be part of the US Navy RESTORE (Reverse Engineering, Science, and Technology for ... Design, develop, and test hardware, software, sensors, actuators, and embedded systems for robotic ...

Sr. Principal Reverse Engineer

Anaheim, CA

$131.40K - $181.10K/yr

Applied Signal Technology (AST) is seeking a Senior Principal Reverse Systems Engineer who strives ... Master of Science (MS) Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering ...

Experience at the software/hardware interface, including device drivers or real-time/embedded operating systems * Experience with reverse engineering and firmware rehosting for embedded systems ...

Experience at the software/hardware interface, including device drivers or real-time/embedded operating systems * Experience with reverse engineering and firmware rehosting for embedded systems ...

Experience at the software/hardware interface, including device drivers or real-time/embedded operating systems * Experience with reverse engineering and firmware rehosting for embedded systems ...

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Software Reverse Engineering information

See California salary details

$76

$90

$102

How much do software reverse engineering jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for software reverse engineering in California is $90.15, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $83.27 and $97.02 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To excel as a Software Reverse Engineer, you need a strong background in computer science, excellent programming skills (especially in C/C++ and assembly), and a deep understanding of operating systems and software architectures. Familiarity with disassemblers, debuggers (like IDA Pro, Ghidra, OllyDbg), and knowledge of malware analysis and security certifications such as OSCP or CEH are highly valuable. Analytical thinking, persistence, and attention to detail are critical soft skills for uncovering hidden logic and solving complex technical puzzles. These skills are essential for identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring software integrity, and enhancing cybersecurity defenses.

What are some common challenges faced by software reverse engineers when analyzing complex applications?

Software reverse engineers often encounter challenges such as obfuscated code, anti-debugging techniques, and proprietary file formats designed to prevent analysis. Navigating these obstacles requires strong problem-solving skills, familiarity with various tools (like disassemblers and debuggers), and a deep understanding of operating system internals. Additionally, reverse engineers frequently collaborate with security analysts and developers to interpret findings and propose solutions, making communication skills and teamwork essential for success in this role.

What is software reverse engineering?

Software reverse engineering is the process of analyzing software to understand its structure, functionality, and operation, often without access to the original source code. This technique is commonly used to discover how a program works, identify vulnerabilities, ensure compatibility, analyze malware, or recover lost documentation. Professionals use specialized tools to deconstruct executable files, inspect their components, and reconstruct higher-level representations. While reverse engineering is legal for purposes like security research and interoperability, it may be restricted by laws and software licenses in some jurisdictions.

What is the difference between Software Reverse Engineering vs Malware Analyst?

AspectSoftware Reverse EngineeringMalware Analyst
CredentialsKnowledge of programming, debugging, and disassembly toolsKnowledge of malware behavior, analysis tools, and cybersecurity certifications
Work EnvironmentSoftware development, security research, or cybersecurity teamsCybersecurity firms, government agencies, or security teams
Industry UsageSoftware security, vulnerability research, software debuggingThreat detection, malware analysis, incident response

While both roles involve analyzing software, Software Reverse Engineering focuses on understanding software code and behavior, often for security testing or debugging. Malware Analysts specifically analyze malicious software to identify threats and develop defenses. Both require technical skills but serve different security objectives.

What are popular job titles related to Software Reverse Engineering jobs in California? For Software Reverse Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Software Reverse Engineering jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Software Reverse Engineering jobs in California are:
Infographic showing various Software Reverse Engineering job openings in California as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 4% Internship, 52% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 38% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $187,511 per year, or $90.1 per hour.
Engineering Manager, Runtime Analysis Tools

Engineering Manager, Runtime Analysis Tools

Apple

Cupertino, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 18 days ago


Apple rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 661 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 30 rated technology retailers


Job description

The Runtime Tools team is looking for developers with a passion for memory and resource optimization to enhance, adapt, and innovate in creating tools for the next generation of software and hardware on Apple's platforms. Runtime Tools exist to understand how code runs, mapping the execution back to code and the system calls responsible. Memory is also an important and limited shared resource, making intelligent, developer-friendly tools critical for identifying optimization opportunities. Core responsibilities of the role include working with Apple's internal performance optimization engineers, Swift and Objective-C runtime teams, and frameworks teams to provide symbolication services and introspect memory usage across Apple's ecosystem...This role is within Apple's Xcode group which encompasses more than just the IDE - providing tools like Instruments and CLI tools that allow dreamers, makers, and shapers to design, write, build, debug, profile, and deploy software for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Tools development is a uniquely rewarding area as the primary users are developers, making it an opportunity to influence and improve the productivity of developers and efficiency of Apps all across the world...The Memory & Symbolication team primarily focuses on runtime analysis techniques to introspect running software and on-disk binaries to understand and improve them. The team is responsible for command-line tools like `leaks`, `heap`, `vmmap`, `sample`, `atos`, `symbols`, symbolication services and frameworks, Xcode's Memory Graph Debugger, and runtime libraries that improve the built-in debugging experience on Apple's platforms. These tools and services for process analysis are used on over a billion devices and by developers worldwide who make life-changing ideas a reality.
We're looking for developers who are passionate about making software better! Core interests should include areas such as profiling, optimization, reverse engineering, debugging, security, graph theory, and data visualization. You should have an interest in all levels of the system with the ability to connect OS concepts like virtual memory with language-level tools such as runtime reflection and Swift Concurrency.With every new technology, framework, or product Apple releases there's a need for tools to help expose and explain important system behaviors. As a result, it's key that you have a strong passion for learning! You'll need to work effectively with Apple teams of different engineering disciplines, anticipate problems early, and communicate ideas clearly. You should be able to drive development projects independently, collaborating with other teams to innovate in solving engineering challenges, and iteratively develop solutions to novel and complex problems.
5+ years macOS or iOS development experienceExcellent verbal and written communication skillsPassion for leading other engineers, developing skills, and providing clear and actionable feedbackAbility to facilitate respectful, creative, and pragmatic, solution-focused technical discussionsExpertise in C or C++, proficiency in Swift and/or Objective-CStrong operating systems background, understanding allocators, virtual memory, and process lifecycleDetail-oriented code review skills, reasoning through edge cases and security implications
Prior engineering management experienceProblem solving and debugging skills with lldb, gdb, or other interactive toolsExperience using AI technologies to assist in authoring, reviewing, and debugging codeSkills in reverse engineering, exploit analysis, fuzzing, binary analysis tools helpfulFamiliarity with macOS internals, mach APIs, sandboxing, and other security subsystemsHistory of designing, implementing, or improving development toolsExperience in computer science or a related field commensurate with a 4-year degree If possible, we'd love to see an example of your relevant work, such as a personal project or open source contributionIf you believe you have relevant transferable skills not listed on this posting, please share that information via a Cover Letter

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