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Staff Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Geico

Staff Engineer

Palo Alto, CA

$110K - $230K/yr

Our Staff Engineer is a lead member of the engineering staff working across the PaaS Serverless organization to deliver a friction-free experience for our PaaS customers. You will partner with ...

Loop AI

Staff Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

They are seeking a Staff Engineer to lead the development of system architecture and manage cross-functional relationships as they expand their engineering team and product offerings.

Loop AI

Staff Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

They are seeking a Staff Engineer to play a leadership role in developing system architecture and managing cross-functional relationships as they expand their engineering team. Responsibilities : • ...

NV5

Staff Engineer

Chico, CA

$35 - $45/hr

As a Staff Engineer, you'll develop your skills in a supportive, team-oriented environment while contributing to the successful delivery of high-quality, sustainable projects. Why Join Us? * Be part ...

NV5

Staff Engineer

Nevada City, CA

$35 - $45/hr

As a Staff Engineer, you'll develop your skills in a supportive, team-oriented environment while contributing to the successful delivery of high-quality, sustainable projects. Why Join Us? * Be part ...

NV5

Staff Engineer

Nevada City, CA

$35 - $45/hr

As a Staff Engineer, you'll develop your skills in a supportive, team-oriented environment while contributing to the successful delivery of high-quality, sustainable projects. Why Join Us? * Be part ...

NV5

Staff Engineer

Nevada City, CA · On-site

$35 - $45/hr

As a Staff Engineer, you'll develop your skills in a supportive, team-oriented environment while contributing to the successful delivery of high-quality, sustainable projects. Why Join Us? * Be part ...

Salas O'Brien, Inc.

Staff Engineer

Oakland, CA · Hybrid

$90K - $105K/yr

Structural Staff Engineer At Salas O'Brien we tell our clients that we're engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That ...

Kastle (YC S24)

Staff Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

The Staff Engineer will architect and own core systems that power real-time AI workflows, ensuring high performance and scalability in production environments. Responsibilities : • Architect and ...

Salas O'Brien

Staff Engineer

Oakland, CA · On-site

$90K - $105K/yr

Structural Staff Engineer At Salas O'Brien we tell our clients that we're engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That ...

Adobe Associates Inc

Staff Engineer

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

Starting to Mid-Level Engineer position to assist project managers with design, reporting, coordination, and management of tasks at the staff level here in our wastewater & septic engineering ...

Adobe Associates Inc

Staff Engineer

Santa Rosa, CA

Starting to Mid-Level Engineer position to assist project managers with design, reporting, coordination, and management of tasks at the staff level here in our wastewater & septic engineering ...

Loop AI

Staff Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

... Dog Staff Engineer / Tech Lead / Senior Software Engineer / Founding Engineer / Principle Engineer We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as ...

Geico

Staff Engineer - PKI

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$115K - $230K/yr

Position Description Our Staff Engineer works with our Distinguished Engineers, Sr. Staff Engineer's, and Sr. Engineers to innovate and build new systems, improve, and enhance existing systems as ...

Loop AI

Staff Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

... Dog Staff Engineer / Tech Lead / Senior Software Engineer / Founding Engineer / Principle Engineer We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as ...

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All JobsStaff Engineer JobsStaff Engineer Jobs in California

Staff Engineer information

See California salary details

$22.7K

$98K

$190K

How much do staff engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for staff engineer in California is $98,029.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $68,100.00 and $123,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Staff Engineer, you need deep expertise in software engineering principles, system architecture, and problem-solving, typically supported by a relevant degree and extensive industry experience. Proficiency with programming languages, cloud platforms, CI/CD tools, and familiarity with agile methodologies are commonly required, along with experience in technical leadership. Exceptional communication, mentorship, and collaboration skills set top performers apart as they guide teams and influence technical direction. These skills ensure effective delivery of complex projects, foster innovation, and drive organizational technical excellence.

How does a staff engineer typically balance hands-on technical work with mentoring and guiding other engineers?

As a Staff Engineer, you'll often find yourself splitting time between solving complex technical challenges and supporting the growth of your team. While you will still engage in deep technical work, a significant part of your role involves mentoring less experienced engineers, setting technical direction, and reviewing designs or code. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong time management and communication skills, as you need to ensure project progress while enabling team members to learn and excel. Many organizations expect Staff Engineers to lead by example, champion best practices, and foster a collaborative environment.

What is a staff engineer?

A staff engineer is a general title for an on-staff engineer in any number of industries. You can find these positions in fields including software development, the aerospace industry, civil engineering, and medical science. In this career, your job duties vary significantly depending on your industry. Generally, you work with a number of other developers and engineers to develop new systems or products or improve existing materials or processes. The qualifications needed for a career as a staff engineer include a bachelor’s degree in an engineering field relevant to your industry. Common degrees include electrical and mechanical engineering. While some employers prefer staff engineers with experience, you can secure an entry-level position with just the skills learned in your degree program.

What is a staff engineer?

A Staff Engineer is a senior technical role within engineering teams, often responsible for leading complex projects, setting technical direction, and mentoring other engineers. Unlike managerial roles, Staff Engineers typically remain deeply involved in hands-on technical work and architecture decisions. They play a critical role in bridging the gap between engineering execution and organizational strategy, ensuring that technical standards are maintained and innovations are implemented effectively. Staff Engineers may also collaborate with cross-functional teams to solve high-impact problems and drive the company's technical vision forward.
More about Staff Engineer jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Staff Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Staff Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Staff Engineer jobs in California? For Staff Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Staff Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Staff Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Staff Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Staff Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Staff Engineer jobs in CA? For Staff Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Staff Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Staff Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 67% Full Time, 25% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $98,029 per year, or $47.1 per hour.

Staff Engineer

Geico

Palo Alto, CA

$110K - $230K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 11 days ago

GEICO rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 360 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

164th of 303 rated insurance

Job description

Why Join GEICO?

At GEICO, we offer a rewarding career where your ambitions are met with endless possibilities.

Every day we honor our iconic brand by offering quality coverage to millions of customers and being there when they need us most. We thrive on relentless innovation to exceed our customers' expectations while making a real impact on local communities nationwide.

Founded in 1936, GEICO is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and one of the largest auto insurers in the United States. When you join our company, we want you to feel valued, supported, and proud to work here. That's why we offer the GEICO Pledge: Great Company, Great Culture, Great Rewards, and Great Careers.

Summary:

Are you passionate about building enterpriselevelcloud-native platforms at scale? GEICO's Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)- Serverless team is looking for a Staff Engineer to help design, build, and evolve our Application Container Services (ACS)platform,enabling ourengineering teams to deploy and operate modern cloud workloads with speed, reliability, and confidence.

Description:

Our Staff Engineer is a lead member of the engineering staff working across the PaaS Serverless organization to deliver a friction-free experience for our PaaS customers. You will partner with Managers, Sr. Staff, and Engineers to innovate and build new systems, enhance existing ones, andidentifynew opportunities to solve critical problems at enterprise scale.The ideal candidate brings a deep understanding ofCloudtechnologies, risk analysis, engineering best practices, and strategic planning with the ability to design and implement highly scalable, available, and reliable systems with effective observability.

As a Staff Engineer,you willdo:

  • Influence and build technical vision with engineering teams, product partners, and leadership to solve complex platform challenges

  • Architect scalable, reliable, and secure cloud-native solutions using modern technologies and best practices

  • Lead design sessions and code reviews that elevate engineering quality across the organization

  • Drive platform modernization initiatives, including infrastructure lifecycle management and migration tooling

  • Champion observability, security compliance, and production reliability across all platform services

  • Adopt and promote AI-driven development practices to accelerate delivery and improve developer experience

  • Mentor junior engineers and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement

  • Collaborate cross-functionally to support critical product teams through production readiness and go-live milestones

As a Staff Engineer,you will bring:

  • Deepexpertisein Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies (Knative, KEDA,ArgoCD, Istio/Service mesh)

  • Hands-on experience with AzureCloud services andinfrastructure-as-code

  • Proficiencyin one or moreprogramminglanguages: Go, Python,Java, C#.NET, or PowerShell

  • Solid understanding ofGitOpsworkflows, CI/CD pipelines, and container security best practices

  • A collaborative, ownership-driven mindset with experience leading platform-scale initiatives

Qualifications:

  • 8+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or lead engineering role

  • 4+ years of experience in open-source technologies such as Kubernetes.

  • Proven experience designing andoperatinglarge-scale PaaS or cloud-native platforms in production

  • Deep hands-onexpertisewith Kubernetes and the broader cloud-native ecosystem (Knative, KEDA,ArgoCD, Istio, Service Mesh)

  • Experience with Azure Functions, Azure AppServices, AKS, or serverlesscomputeplatforms.

  • Strongproficiencyin one or more languages: Go, Python, C#.NET, Java or PowerShell

  • Experience withGitOpsandinfrastructure-as-codetools such as Terraform

  • Demonstrated ability to lead technical design, architecture reviews, and cross-team engineering initiatives

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on reliability, scalability, and observability

  • Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor,orCopilot)

  • Experience with FinOps practices and cloud cost optimization strategies

Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, or equivalent education or work experience


Annual Salary

$110,000.00 - $230,000.00

The above annual salary range is a general guideline. Multiple factors are taken into consideration to arrive at the final hourly rate/ annual salary to be offered to the selected candidate. Factors include, but are not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, the selected candidate's work experience, education and training, the work location as well as market and business considerations.


GEICO will consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization for this position.


The GEICO Pledge:

Great Company:Protecting customers through life's twists and turns with innovation and integrity.

Great Careers:Personalized development programs, mentorship, and certification assistance.

Great Culture:Inclusive and collaborative culture rooted in shared success.

Great Rewards:Competitive pay, benefits, and flexibility to support your well-being and future.

The equal employment opportunity policy of the GEICO Companies provides for a fair and equal employment opportunity for all associates and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. GEICO hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.

GEICO reasonably accommodates qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to receive equal employment opportunity and/or perform the essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship to the Company. This applies to all applicants and associates. GEICO also provides a work environment in which each associate is able to be productive and work to the best of their ability. We do not condone or tolerate an atmosphere of intimidation or harassment. We expect and require the cooperation of all associates in maintaining an atmosphere free from discrimination and harassment with mutual respect by and for all associates and applicants.

What GEICO employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

GEICO logo

About GEICO

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

GEICO is built on ingenuity, perseverance, innovation, resilience, and hard, honest work. From its humble beginnings in the midst of the Great Depression to its current place as one of the most successful companies in the nation, GEICO represents a quintessential American success story. At GEICO, we love that our associates are proud goal-seekers, and that's why we believe in celebrating their milestones and rewarding their achievements. Throughout the year we reward performance and accomplishments, host programs that recognize personal successes, and acknowledge innovation, service, and leadership.

Industry

Insurance services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Chevy Chase, MD, US

Year founded

1936

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