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Vr Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

XR - Principal Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$143K - $192K/yr

Preferred Qualifications • Experience with AR/VR/MR, smart glasses, wearable devices, or XR ... years of Software Engineering or related work experience. OR Master's degree in Engineering ...

THE JOB Unity Developer Prisms seeks a developer with professional experience to build immersive ... object-oriented software, with deep experience in C# scripting * Deep understanding of VR or ...

Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering General Summary: We are ... Analyze AR/VR use cases, data flows, and HW/SW partitioning to develop scalable and efficient ...

New

XR Software Engineer Location: Reston/Chantilly, VA / Hybrid as program requirements permit Travel ... Experience with XR/VR/AR, interactive 3D, simulation, gaming, or visualization applications.

Preferred Qualifications • Experience with AR/VR/MR, smart glasses, wearable devices, or XR ... years of Software Engineering or related work experience.ORMaster's degree in Engineering ...

New

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120 - $160/hr

Drive end-to-end development for video-heavy annotation platforms, VR teleoperation interfaces, and ... programming fundamentals * Have experience operating software at the intersection of physical ...

Drive end-to-end development for video-heavy annotation platforms, VR teleoperation interfaces, and ... programming fundamentals * Have experience operating software at the intersection of physical ...

Drive end-to-end development for video-heavy annotation platforms, VR teleoperation interfaces, and ... programming fundamentals * Have experience operating software at the intersection of physical ...

Unity Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$110 - $170/hr

THE JOB Unity Developer Prisms seeks a developer with professional experience to build immersive ... software, with deep experience in C# scripting. * Deep understanding of VR or equivalent ...

New

... Software Development Engineer to build the software for intelligent eyewear. The role involves ... AR/VR, mobile, or embedded systems. • Proficiency in state-of-the-art AI/ML technologies ...

Senior Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · Hybrid

$193K - $289K/yr

Senior Software Engineer San Mateo, CA Role Overview Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC seeks a ... VR/AR headset hardware; utilizing modern computer graphics pipelines and frameworks, including ...

Showing results 21-40

VR Software Engineer information

See salary details

$63.5K

$147.5K

$205.5K

How much do vr software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for vr software engineer in the United States is $147,524.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a VR software engineer?

VR Software Engineers are technology professionals who design, develop, and maintain software applications for virtual reality (VR) platforms. They use programming languages and VR development tools to create immersive experiences that can be used in gaming, training, education, and more. Their work often involves 3D modeling, computer graphics, and integrating hardware like VR headsets and motion controllers. Collaboration with designers, artists, and other engineers is common to ensure the final product is interactive and user-friendly.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a VR software engineer?

To thrive as a VR Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (especially in C#/C++), a solid grasp of 3D graphics, and experience with VR frameworks like Unity or Unreal Engine, usually supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with VR SDKs (such as Oculus or SteamVR), version control systems, and performance profiling tools is typically required. Creativity, problem-solving, and effective teamwork are standout soft skills in this role. These skills are crucial for building immersive, high-performance VR experiences that meet both technical and user experience standards.

What are some unique challenges VR software engineers face when developing immersive applications?

VR Software Engineers often encounter challenges related to optimizing performance and ensuring a smooth user experience, as virtual reality applications require high frame rates and low latency to minimize motion sickness. They must also design intuitive user interfaces that work in a 3D space, which is different from traditional 2D interfaces. Collaboration with designers, artists, and UX specialists is common to create lifelike environments and interactive elements. Additionally, VR engineers need to stay updated with rapidly evolving hardware and software platforms to ensure compatibility and leverage new capabilities.

What is the difference between Vr Software Engineer vs AR Software Engineer?

AspectVr Software EngineerAR Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, relevant VR development certificationsBachelor's in Computer Science, AR development certifications
Work EnvironmentVR hardware labs, simulation studiosAR hardware labs, mobile app development environments
Industry UsageGaming, training simulations, virtual experiencesRetail, navigation, industrial maintenance
Common Search IntentVR development, VR app creationAR app development, AR experiences

While both roles involve immersive technology development, Vr Software Engineers focus on creating virtual reality experiences primarily for gaming and training, whereas AR Software Engineers develop augmented reality applications that overlay digital content onto the real world. The skills and tools overlap but are tailored to different hardware and user interactions.

More about VR Software Engineer jobs

What states have the most Vr Software Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Vr Software Engineer jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Vr Software Engineer jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Vr Software Engineer jobs are:

Infographic showing various Vr Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 87% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,524 per year, or $70.9 per hour.

XR - Principal Software Engineer

Qualcomm

San Diego, CA • On-site

$143K - $192K/yr

Full-time

Posted 11 days ago


Qualcomm rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 11 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

48th of 245 rated software companies


Job description

Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering
General Summary:
We are looking for a highly experienced Principal Engineer, XR Software to join our XR Software organization and help drive the next generation of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and wearable computing platforms. This role involves working across system architecture, embedded software, graphics, AI/ML, computer vision, and customer enablement to deliver innovative XR experiences on Snapdragon platforms.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead architecture, design, and development of XR platform software including operating systems, middleware, frameworks, and customer-facing solutions.
• Work closely with product management, customers, hardware teams, and software organizations to define platform requirements and technical roadmaps.
• Analyze AR/VR use cases, data flows, and HW/SW partitioning to develop scalable and efficient system architectures.
• Translate product requirements into implementation specifications and software designs.
• Drive architectural trade-offs involving performance, latency, power, thermal efficiency, and overall user experience.
• Lead debugging, performance optimization, design reviews, code reviews, and system validation activities.
• Collaborate with experts in computer vision, machine learning, graphics, camera systems, DSPs, and embedded software to deliver commercial XR products.
• Provide technical leadership and influence architecture decisions across multiple teams and product areas.
Required Qualifications
• BS/MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Extensive experience developing complex software systems and platform software.
• Strong proficiency in modern C++ (C++11/14/17/20).
• Experience developing software on heterogeneous computing systems including CPUs, GPUs, DSPs, and AI accelerators.
• Strong system-level debugging, profiling, and performance optimization skills.
• Experience with Android and/or Linux-based embedded platforms.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with AR/VR/MR, smart glasses, wearable devices, or XR platforms.
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas: Computer Vision, AI/ML, Camera Software, Graphics/Rendering, SLAM, Sensor Fusion, or XR Frameworks.
• Experience conducting architecture trade-off analysis involving power, performance, latency, and scalability.
• Experience bringing commercial products from concept through customer deployment.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
• 4+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.
Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.
EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.
Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.
Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:
$192,600.00 - $289,000.00
The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer - and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.
If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.

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About Qualcomm

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. You interact with products and technologies made possible by Qualcomm every day, including 5G-enabled smartphones that double as pro-level cameras and gaming devices, smarter vehicles and cities, and the technology behind the smart, connected factories that manufactured your latest purchase. Our powerful connectivity solutions keep you connected—even in remote areas. Qualcomm 5G and AI innovations are the power behind the connected intelligent edge. You’ll find our technologies behind and inside the innovations that deliver significant value across multiple industries and to billions of people every day.

Industry

Technology, communication and media

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Diego, CA, US

Year founded

1985