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Vehicle Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Outpost

Chief Engineer, Vehicle

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$275K - $325K/yr

Chief Engineer, Vehicle Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week) About Outpost The return lane isn't going to build itself. Come build it with us. Outpost is an orbital ...

Outpost

Chief Engineer, Vehicle

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$275K - $325K/yr

Chief Engineer, Vehicle Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week) About Outpost The return lane isn't going to build itself. Come build it with us. Outpost is an orbital ...

Outpost

Chief Engineer, Vehicle

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$275K - $325K/yr

Chief Engineer, Vehicle Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week) About Outpost The return lane isn't going to build itself. Come build it with us. Outpost is an orbital ...

Outpost

VP Vehicle Engineering

Los Angeles, CA

$275K - $325K/yr

VP Vehicle Engineering Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week) About Outpost Launch has changed the economics of space. Now it is time to return. Outpost is building the ...

Outpost

VP Vehicle Engineering

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$275K - $325K/yr

VP Vehicle Engineering Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week) About Outpost Launch has changed the economics of space. Now it is time to return. Outpost is building the ...

Outpost

VP Vehicle Engineering

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$275K - $325K/yr

VP Vehicle Engineering Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week) About Outpost Launch has changed the economics of space. Now it is time to return. Outpost is building the ...

Wealth Recruitment, LLC

Vehicle Operator/ Driver

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$24.75 - $31/hr

Why You'll Love This Role: ✔ Be a Key Player - Work directly with teams across computer vision, infrastructure, strategy, vehicle engineering, and ride operations. ✔ Hands-On Experience - Operate ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsVehicle Engineer JobsVehicle Engineer Jobs in California

Vehicle Engineer information

See California salary details

$38.5K

$100.4K

$135.7K

How much do vehicle engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for vehicle engineer in California is $100,420.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,900.00 and $115,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Vehicle Engineer, you need a solid background in mechanical or automotive engineering, often supported by a relevant degree and experience in vehicle design or manufacturing. Familiarity with CAD software, simulation tools, and industry-specific standards or certifications like ISO/TS 16949 is vital. Strong problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills help you collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary environments. These competencies are essential to ensure innovative, safe, and efficient vehicle development that meets regulatory and market demands.

What is the difference between Vehicle Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectVehicle EngineerMechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Mechanical, Automotive, or Vehicle Engineering; certifications like SAE or ASEBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering; optional certifications in specialized fields
Work EnvironmentAutomotive manufacturing plants, R&D labs, testing facilitiesFactories, design firms, research labs across various industries
Employer & Industry UsageAutomotive companies, vehicle manufacturers, transportation firmsBroad industry use including aerospace, manufacturing, energy, and automotive

Vehicle Engineers focus specifically on designing, developing, and testing vehicles, often working within automotive companies. Mechanical Engineers have a broader scope, working across multiple industries on various mechanical systems. While both roles require similar foundational skills, Vehicle Engineers specialize in vehicle-specific technologies and standards.

What are some common challenges vehicle engineers face when working on new automotive projects?

Vehicle Engineers often encounter challenges such as meeting strict safety and emission standards, integrating new technologies, and balancing cost with performance during the design and development process. They must collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams, including designers, manufacturing specialists, and suppliers, to ensure all components fit together seamlessly. Additionally, tight project timelines and the need for rapid prototyping can add pressure, requiring strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
What are popular job titles related to Vehicle Engineer jobs in California? For Vehicle Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Vehicle Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Vehicle Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Vehicle Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Vehicle Engineer job openings:
Vehicle Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Vehicle Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 53% Full Time, 43% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $100,420 per year, or $48.3 per hour.

ML Engineer, Surrogate Modeling (Vehicle Engineering)

SpaceX

Hawthorne, CA • On-site

$145K - $175K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 19 days ago

SpaceX rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 147 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

15th of 72 rated aerospace companies

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
ML ENGINEER, SURROGATE MODELING (VEHICLE ENGINEERING)
Be a member of the AI for Vehicle Engineering team, focusing on developing high-performance surrogate models to solve complex physics and engineering problems for our launch vehicles and spacecraft.
Our team builds AI systems that accelerate engineering analysis, simulation, development, testing, avionics design, flight data review, logistics, and mission operations. Your work will directly support the world's largest communication and AI satellite constellations, accelerate rapid reuse of the Falcon launch vehicle, and contribute to the development of the world's largest rocket capable of sending humans to Mars.
In this role, you will develop, train, tune, and deploy AI surrogate models to dramatically accelerate engineering simulations, including but not limited to FEA, CFD, thermal, and structural analysis. You will work closely with hardware, simulation, and domain engineers to build these systems from the ground up. You will leverage state-of-the-art surrogate modeling techniques and create novel methodologies that push the frontier of what is possible in ML for physics while tackling real-world problems.
Aerospace experience is not required. We are looking for smart, motivated, collaborative engineers who love applying machine learning to hard scientific problems and want to make a direct impact on SpaceX's mission.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Develop, train, evaluate, and deploy production-grade AI surrogate models that accelerate critical engineering simulation workflows
  • Design and implement State-of-the-Art (SOTA) neural architectures and training strategies tailored to complex engineering problem domains
  • Build scalable data pipelines to preprocess, manage, and utilize tens of thousands of high-fidelity simulation results
  • Stay current with the latest research in neural operators, physics-informed ML, and surrogate modeling, implementing new techniques when needed
  • Collaborate with peers on architecture, design, and code reviews
  • Deep dive into engineering problems to identify where AI can deliver the highest leverage and most reliable solutions
  • Develop and apply techniques for uncertainty quantification, active learning, and inverse problems (e.g., geometry and shape optimization)
  • Ensure all AI systems are rigorously validated and vetted for accuracy, robustness, and reliability in engineering use

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, engineering, math, physics, or a related technical discipline; OR 4+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree
  • 1+ years of software development experience in Python for machine learning, AI, or data science applications

PREFERRED SKILLS:
  • Master's or PhD in computer science, machine learning, engineering, or a related field with a focus on surrogate modeling or AI for scientific/engineering simulation
  • Demonstrated experience training, tuning, and deploying production-grade ML surrogate models in real engineering workflows
  • Expert-level understanding of at least one modern architecture class such as Fourier Neural Operators (FNO), neural operators, MeshGraphNet, Transolver, graph neural networks, physics-informed neural networks, or other surrogate model architecture
  • Experience solving inverse problems such as geometry optimization or design under uncertainty
  • Strong understanding of traditional simulation and numerical methods (CFD, FEA, thermal analysis, etc) and how to integrate them with surrogate models
  • Experience with uncertainty quantification techniques for surrogate models
  • Hands-on experience building active learning or adaptive sampling pipelines
  • Proficiency with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX
  • Experience with surrogate modeling libraries such as NVIDIA PhysicsNemo or similar
  • Experience developing on Linux systems with GPU accelerators
  • Strong understanding of software engineering best practices including version control, testing, and continuous integration
  • Solid foundation in statistics, numerical methods, and core machine learning algorithms

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
AI Software Engineer/Level I: $125,000.00 - $145,000.00/per year
AI Software Engineer/Level II: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00/per year
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX's Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.

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About SpaceX

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Industry

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing, data services, guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing and satellite telecommunications

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Hawthorne, CA, US

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