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Staff Frontend Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Senior/Staff Frontend Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA ยท On-site

$143K - $196K/yr

They are seeking a founding front-end engineer to lead the development of their core experience, including the editor UI and creative tooling, while collaborating closely with the founding team.

Showing results 21-40

Staff Frontend Engineer information

See California salary details

$60.2K

$137.1K

$195.4K

How much do staff frontend engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for staff frontend engineer in California is $137,113.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $111,500.00 and $159,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a staff frontend engineer?

Staff Frontend Engineers are senior-level software engineers who specialize in designing, building, and maintaining the user-facing parts of web applications. They often lead technical initiatives, mentor junior developers, and help set coding standards within their teams or organizations. In addition to writing high-quality code, they collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and backend engineers to deliver seamless user experiences. Their role typically involves solving complex technical problems, driving architectural decisions, and ensuring best practices are followed across frontend projects.

How does a staff frontend engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams on large-scale projects?

As a Staff Frontend Engineer, you'll often serve as a technical leader, working closely with product managers, designers, and backend engineers to ensure seamless project execution. You'll be responsible for translating product requirements into scalable frontend solutions and guiding junior engineers on best practices. Collaboration frequently involves code reviews, architecture discussions, and aligning on technical direction to deliver high-quality user experiences. Effective communication skills and the ability to advocate for frontend considerations are crucial in this highly collaborative role.

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

To thrive as a Staff Frontend Engineer, you need advanced proficiency in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and modern frameworks like React or Angular, typically supported by a degree in computer science or equivalent experience. Expertise with build tools, version control systems (such as Git), and familiarity with testing frameworks and performance optimization tools are commonly required. Exceptional collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving skills help you mentor teams and drive architectural decisions. These abilities are crucial for delivering high-quality, scalable user interfaces and influencing technical direction within engineering organizations.

What is the difference between Staff Frontend Engineer vs Senior Frontend Engineer?

AspectStaff Frontend EngineerSenior Frontend Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field, extensive experienceBachelor's or higher, 5+ years experience
Work EnvironmentLeads complex projects, mentors teams, influences technical strategyDevelops features, mentors junior staff, implements best practices
Industry UsageUsed in large tech companies, startups, and agencies for senior technical leadershipCommon across all tech companies for experienced developers

The Staff Frontend Engineer typically has more leadership responsibilities, influences technical direction, and mentors teams, whereas the Senior Frontend Engineer focuses on developing features and guiding junior developers. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Staff level emphasizes strategic impact and mentorship.

What are the most commonly searched types of Staff Frontend Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Staff Frontend Engineer jobs in California are:

What job categories do people searching Staff Frontend Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Staff Frontend Engineer jobs in California are:

Infographic showing various Staff Frontend Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 76% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $137,113 per year, or $65.9 per hour.

Senior/Staff Frontend Engineer

Embedding VC

San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site

$100K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 9 days ago


Job description

About Flick
Flick is defining the future interface for AI-native filmmaking. Think Figma and Cursor, but for creating AI films. Founded by Ray Wang (engineer who built Instagram Stories) and Zoey Zhang (award-winning filmmaker). Well-funded by top VCs including Y Combinator, Google Ventures, True Ventures, and Lightspeed.
The Role
Founding front-end engineer. Lead the development of the core experience of Flick - the canvas, timeline, and creative tooling. Work directly with founders and shape the future interface for AI visual storytelling.
Responsibilities
โ€ข Lead the architecture and development of editor UI from the ground up (canvas, timeline, node graph, playback)
โ€ข Rapidly prototype and iterate on new creative workflows to validate ideas and user experience
โ€ข Establish best practices for code quality, performance, testing, and maintainability
โ€ข Collaborate closely with design, product, and AI backend teams to shape end-to-end user experience
โ€ข Drive key technical and product decisions as part of the founding engineering team
Required Qualifications
โ€ข 3+ years of experience
โ€ข Experience owning and leading technical initiatives on high-performance web applications
โ€ข Strong expertise with modern front-end tooling (React, TypeScript, build systems, CI/CD)
โ€ข Deep experience optimizing complex UX interactions, especially in editors, canvases, visual builders, or multimedia tools
โ€ข Ability to design scalable UI architectures and manage large, dynamic client-side state
โ€ข Passion for creating fast, intuitive, and beautiful creative interfaces
โ€ข Startup mindset: thrive in fast-moving environments, take ownership, solve ambiguous problems at scale
Nice-to-Have Qualifications
โ€ข Experience with video editors, creative canvas, animation/keyframe systems, design tools, node-graph editors, or similar
โ€ข Love films and art
โ€ข Open-source contributions and personal coding projects outside regular work
Compensation
โ€ข $100,000 - $200,000 / year + 0.10% - 1.00% equity
โ€ข Visa sponsorship available