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System Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Nexus Engineering

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Fire Sprinkler Designer & Drafter

Modesto, CA · On-site

$60K - $100K/yr

The Fire Sprinkler System Designer & Drafter will be responsible for designing, drafting, and coordinating fire sprinkler systems that meet NFPA standards, local codes, and client specifications.

Rex Moore Group, Inc.

Senior Systems Designer

Fresno, CA

$97K - $103K/yr

The Senior Systems Designer II, will assume a leadership role within our dynamic design team, bringing extensive experience and advanced expertise to the forefront of our electrical projects. In this ...

RSS, LLC.

Senior Systems Designer

Fresno, CA

$97K - $103K/yr

The Senior Systems Designer II, will assume a leadership role within our dynamic design team, bringing extensive experience and advanced expertise to the forefront of our electrical projects. In this ...

Rex Moore Group, Inc

Senior Systems Designer

Fresno, CA · On-site

$78K - $122K/yr

The Senior Systems Designer II, will assume a leadership role within our dynamic design team, bringing extensive experience and advanced expertise to the forefront of our electrical projects. In this ...

Prime Partners

Security Systems Designer

Brea, CA · On-site

$90K - $115K/yr

Develop complete CCTV and access control system designs for projects of varying size and complexity ... Produce system drawings, including floor plans, riser diagrams, device layouts, and cabling ...

Harvey

Staff Design Systems Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $260K/yr

Role Overview As a Staff Design Systems Designer, you will define the foundations that make Harvey ... The design system is not just a library of components - it is the shared language between design ...

Bergelectric

Designer

Escondido, CA

$75K - $90K/yr

Responsibilities • Produces 2D and 3D low voltage system designs for field installation and coordination with other sub-contractor trades. • Participates in regular coordination and status update ...

Bergelectric

Designer

Escondido, CA · On-site

$75K - $90K/yr

Responsibilities • Produces 2D and 3D low voltage system designs for field installation and coordination with other sub-contractor trades. • Participates in regular coordination and status update ...

RimePro Inc

Plumbing Designer

Corona, CA · On-site

$70K - $90K/yr

The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing detailed plumbing system designs for both commercial and residential projects, ensuring compliance with local codes, standards, and client ...

RimePro Inc

Plumbing Designer

Norco, CA

$70K - $90K/yr

The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing detailed plumbing system designs for both commercial and residential projects, ensuring compliance with local codes, standards, and client ...

RimePro Inc

Plumbing Designer

Mira Loma, CA

$70K - $100K/yr

The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing detailed plumbing system designs for both commercial and residential projects, ensuring compliance with local codes, standards, and client ...

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All JobsSystem Designer JobsSystem Designer Jobs in California

System Designer information

See California salary details

$69.6K

$94K

$115.5K

How much do system designer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for system designer in California is $94,029.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,900.00 and $103,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a System Designer do?

A System Designer is responsible for planning, creating, and specifying the architecture and components of complex systems, often in the fields of IT, engineering, or software development. They analyze requirements, design system structures, and coordinate with stakeholders to ensure the final product meets both technical and business needs. Their work includes creating diagrams, documentation, and models to guide the development team. System Designers play a crucial role in ensuring that systems are efficient, scalable, and reliable.

What is the role of a system designer?

A system designer is responsible for creating and planning the architecture of complex systems, including hardware, software, and network components. They analyze requirements, develop design specifications, and collaborate with engineers to ensure the system functions efficiently and reliably. Strong problem-solving skills and knowledge of design tools are essential in this role.

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

To thrive as a System Designer, you need strong analytical skills, a background in computer science or engineering, and experience with system architecture and requirements analysis. Familiarity with modeling tools like UML, CASE tools, and knowledge of software development methodologies are typically required. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills help System Designers effectively translate complex requirements into practical solutions. These skills are crucial for creating robust, scalable systems that meet organizational needs and ensure project success.

What job makes $10,000 a month without a degree?

A system designer can potentially earn $10,000 or more per month by creating and planning complex systems, often in tech or engineering fields, without requiring a formal degree. Success depends on experience, skills in software architecture, and industry demand, with many professionals earning high salaries through freelance work or consulting. Building a strong portfolio and expertise in relevant tools can help achieve this income level.

Which IT job is the highest paid?

In the IT industry, roles such as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Solutions Architect, and Cloud Engineering Director tend to be among the highest paid, often earning six-figure salaries or more depending on experience and location. These positions typically require advanced skills, certifications, and leadership responsibilities.

What are some common challenges System Designers face when working on complex projects?

System Designers often encounter challenges such as ensuring seamless integration between various subsystems, effectively communicating requirements to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and managing changing project specifications. Balancing performance, scalability, and security needs while staying within budget and time constraints can also be demanding. Successfully addressing these challenges requires strong analytical skills, adaptability, and proactive collaboration with cross-functional teams throughout the project lifecycle.

How much do system designers make in the US?

System designers in the US typically earn a median annual salary of around $80,000 to $120,000, depending on experience, location, and industry. Senior or specialized roles can pay higher, especially with expertise in specific tools or systems architecture.

What is the difference between System Designer vs Software Engineer?

AspectSystem DesignerSoftware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science or related field; often certifications in system architectureBachelor's in Computer Science or related field; certifications in programming or development
Work EnvironmentDesigning system architecture, collaborating with stakeholders, planning infrastructureWriting, testing, and maintaining code; implementing features based on designs
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, system integrators, consulting firmsSoftware development firms, tech startups, IT departments

While both roles require a strong technical background, System Designers focus on planning and structuring entire systems, whereas Software Engineers implement and develop software components based on those designs. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

What are popular job titles related to System Designer jobs in California? For System Designer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching System Designer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for System Designer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for System Designer jobs? Cities in California with the most System Designer job openings:
System Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various System Designer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $94,029 per year, or $45.2 per hour.
Senior Digital System Designer

Senior Digital System Designer

PsiQuantum

Palo Alto, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

PsiQuantum's mission is to build the first useful quantum computers-machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016, our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit, fault-tolerant quantum systems.
Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials, and other foundational industries.
Our architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry-including partners like GlobalFoundries-we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons don't feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure.
In 2024, PsiQuantum announced government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining-and that now is the time to scale.
PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software, and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies-including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical-to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact.
Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift-and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real.
Come join us.
Job Summary:
We are looking for a digital-hardware system-designer to join our System-Architecture team. You will work in a multi-technology environment and will contribute to shaping and defining the digital-logic systems which drive our photonic quantum computer.
Responsibilities:
  • Gather and translate high-level abstract requirements into concrete hardware requirements.
  • Devise and implement low-latency algorithms and methods to solve various time-critical tasks that take place in the data-plane of an optical quantum computer.
  • Work with other digital-design experts to integrate algorithms into FPGAs.
  • Collaborate closely with physicists and digital designers to arbitrate design choices and optimize designs to meet algorithmic performance while matching latency, throughput and footprint constraints.
  • Write requirements and documentation.
  • Implement cycle-accurate Python models to be integrated in discrete-time-event simulations.
  • Implement SystemVerilog implementations matching Python models.
  • Write behavioral tests for implementations in Python.

Experience/Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering or related discipline.
  • 5+ years of relevant work in digital design.
  • Knowledge of SystemVerilog (or VHDL) for design and simulation.
  • Experience working with FPGAs (Xilinx preferred) and associated tooling.
  • Strong critical thinking skills to devise creative and analytical approaches to solving novel, loosely-defined complex problems.
  • Team player with an ability to work effectively across departments and time-zones.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage a variety of audiences.
  • Experienced Python programmer who strives to write clear code in the context of a small team of contributors.
  • Pro-active with the ability to work independently with limited direction, in a fast-moving start-up environment nice-to-have:
  • Distributed system experience: involving event correlation from multiple sources, under real-time constraints.
  • Experience with High Level Synthesis tools (e.g. Xilinx Vitis).
  • Experience with Python for verification (Cocotb).
  • Knowledge of photonics and linear optics is a plus.

Note: PsiQuantum will only reach out to you using an official PsiQuantum email address and will never ask you for bank account information as part of the interview process. Please report any suspicious activity to recruiting@psiquantum.com.
We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.
The ranges below reflect the target ranges for a new hire base salary. One is for the Bay Area (within 50 miles of HQ, Palo Alto), the second one (if applicable) is for elsewhere in the US (beyond 50 miles of HQ, Palo Alto). If there is only one range, it is for the specific location of where the position will be located. Actual compensation may vary outside of these ranges and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to a candidate's qualifications including relevant education and training, competencies, experience, geographic location, and business needs. Base pay is only one part of the total compensation package. Full time roles are eligible for equity and benefits. Base pay is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
U.S. Base Pay Range
$145,000-$160,000 USD
Bay Area Pay Range
$175,000-$195,000 USD

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