ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Spatial Audio Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Qualcomm

Sr. Staff Audio Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

Drive the design of advanced audio features such as spatial audio, active noise cancellation (ANC), voice activation/UI, and low-latency audio pipelines. * Performance Optimization: Analyze system ...

Roblox

Senior QA Engineer, AVC

San Mateo, CA

This team is responsible for ensuring the quality, performance, and reliability of Roblox's real-time Audio, Video, and Communication systems that power voice chat, video streaming, spatial audio ...

Apple

Video Content Data Scientist

Culver City, CA · On-site

Services at Apple help hundreds of millions of customers get the most out of the devices they love through amazing apps, award-winning shows and movies, immersive music in spatial audio, world-class ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsSpatial Audio JobsSpatial Audio Jobs in California

Spatial Audio information

See California salary details

$39K

$49.3K

$57.7K

How much do spatial audio jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for spatial audio in California is $49,345.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $44,400.00 and $54,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Spatial Audio position, and why are they important?

To thrive in a Spatial Audio role, you need a strong background in audio engineering, acoustics, and digital signal processing, often supported by a relevant degree in audio technology or a related field. Familiarity with spatial audio production tools such as Dolby Atmos, Ambisonics, Pro Tools, and relevant plugin suites, as well as certifications in immersive audio, are commonly required. Exceptional collaboration, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills help professionals design immersive sound experiences and work effectively with interdisciplinary teams. These skills are crucial for delivering high-quality spatial audio content that meets technical specifications and elevates user experiences in gaming, film, virtual reality, or other media.

What are the typical day-to-day responsibilities of someone working in Spatial Audio?

Professionals in Spatial Audio typically work on designing, mixing, and optimizing immersive soundscapes for various platforms such as VR, gaming, film, or live events. Daily tasks often include collaborating with creative and technical teams, utilizing spatial audio software, and ensuring audio assets are properly integrated into multi-dimensional environments. You may also be responsible for troubleshooting technical issues, conducting critical listening sessions, and staying updated with the latest audio technologies. Working in this field offers a dynamic mix of technical and creative challenges, making adaptability and communication important assets for success.

What is a Spatial Audio job?

A Spatial Audio job involves designing, developing, and implementing immersive 3D audio experiences for various applications, such as gaming, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and entertainment. Professionals in this field work with technologies like binaural audio, ambisonics, and object-based audio to enhance spatial perception. They may collaborate with audio engineers, sound designers, and software developers to create realistic and dynamic soundscapes. Skills in digital signal processing (DSP), spatialization techniques, and audio middleware tools are often essential.

What are the most commonly searched types of Spatial Audio jobs in California? The most popular types of Spatial Audio jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Spatial Audio jobs in California? For Spatial Audio jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Spatial Audio jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Spatial Audio jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Spatial Audio jobs? Cities in California with the most Spatial Audio job openings:
Spatial Audio jobs near you
Perceptual Audio Engineer (Research)

Perceptual Audio Engineer (Research)

Harman International Industries

Northridge, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 10 days ago

Job description

A Career at HARMAN
As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you'll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do every day.
Introduction: A Career at HARMAN Corporate
We're a global, multi-disciplinary team that's putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Corporate, you are integral to our company's award-winning success.
  • Enrich your managerial and organizational talents - from finance, quality, and supply chain to human resources, IT, sales, and strategy
  • Augment your comprehensive skillset with expert training across decision-making, change management, leadership, and business development
  • Obtain 360-degree support throughout your career life cycle, from early-stage to seasoned leader

About the Role
The Perceptual Audio Engineer (Research) develops the metrics, methods, and evaluation frameworks that connect algorithms to what users actually perceive. You will design listening tests, create perceptual datasets, develop objective and ML-based metrics, and establish quality gates so products can ship without perceptual regressions. Success means that we understand how create a desired perceptual goal in varying environments and just make it work for every customer.
What You Will Do
  • Metrics & Methods Development: Create perceptual metrics and evaluation methodologies that correlate with human preference and quality judgments (timbre, artifacts, clarity, spatial realism, comfort/fatigue).
  • User Testing & Listening Studies: Design and execute subjective evaluations (ABX, preference tests, rating studies), including stimulus generation, panel guidance, statistical analysis, and repeatability.
  • AI/ML-Enabled Evaluation: Where beneficial, develop ML-based quality prediction or artifact detection that supports rapid iteration (embedded-viable where relevant; cloud-viable for batch evaluation).
  • Perception-to-Product Gatekeeping: Define acceptance criteria and regression tests so OneUX productization can enforce "no perceptual regressions" in CI-style workflows.
  • Data & Experiment Discipline: Build and maintain clean datasets, labeling strategies, metadata, and experiment tracking so results are trustworthy and reusable.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with DSP, acoustics, ML, and system testing roles to ensure metrics reflect real user value and cover edge cases.
  • AI Tools: Use AI tools to accelerate analysis and reporting while maintaining rigorous validation and traceability.

What You Need to Be Successful
  • Education: MS or PhD in EE/CS/Acoustics/Psychoacoustics/Statistics (or equivalent experience).
  • Experience: 5+ years in perceptual audio, audio quality evaluation, or related applied research/engineering.
  • Perception + Statistics: Strong understanding of psychoacoustics and statistical analysis for human-subject experiments. Experience in using and developing perceptual models.
  • Programming: Python and/or MATLAB for analysis and tooling; familiarity working with ML frameworks and basic DSP concepts.
  • AI Tools: Experience using AI-assisted tools for data analysis, scripting, and documentation in a reproducible workflow.

Bonus Points if You Have
  • Experience with perceptual evaluation for spatial audio, headphone tuning, or automotive cabin audio.
  • Experience creating objective metrics that become organizational standards and materially change decision-making speed/quality.
  • Familiarity with embedded deployment constraints for ML-based metrics.
  • Patents/publications in perceptual audio or audio quality evaluation.

What Makes You Eligible
  • Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment (post-offer).

What We Offer
  • Flexible work environment, allowing for full-time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location
  • Access to employee discounts on world-class products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and more)
  • Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
  • Competitive wellness benefits
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • "Be Brilliant" employee recognition and rewards program

An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development
#LI-DPWHITE1
#LI-hybrid
Salary Ranges:
$ 134,250 - $ 196,900
HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Apply