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Video Codec Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Streaming Media Engineer - Java

Austin, TX · On-site

$51.25 - $70.50/hr

The Streaming Media Engineer will be responsible for developing real-time streaming services and ... and video codec standards • Experience with multimedia container formats • Knowledge and ...

$150K - $300K/yr

Why This Role We're looking for infrastructure engineers who want to work at peta-to-exabyte scale ... Video: ffmpeg, PyAV, codec fundamentals What We're Looking For * Built and operated data pipelines ...

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Video Codec Engineer information

See salary details

$30.5K

$88.3K

$139.5K

How much do video codec engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for video codec engineer in the United States is $88,303.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,000.00 and $108,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Video Codec Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Video Codec Engineer, you need a strong background in computer science, digital signal processing, and video/audio compression standards, often supported by a relevant bachelor's or master's degree. Familiarity with programming languages such as C/C++, codec libraries (like H.264/HEVC/AV1), and tools like FFmpeg or GStreamer is essential. Strong problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills help you collaborate effectively and adapt to evolving technical requirements. These skills ensure you can design, optimize, and maintain efficient codec solutions that meet industry performance and compatibility standards.

What does a Video Codec Engineer do?

A Video Codec Engineer specializes in developing, optimizing, and implementing video compression and decompression algorithms. They work with codecs like H.264, H.265, AV1, and VP9 to improve video quality, reduce file sizes, and enhance streaming efficiency. Their responsibilities include performance tuning, codec integration, and hardware/software acceleration. They often collaborate with software developers, researchers, and hardware engineers to ensure efficient video delivery across different platforms and devices.

What are typical daily responsibilities for a Video Codec Engineer?

As a Video Codec Engineer, your daily responsibilities typically include designing and optimizing video compression algorithms, integrating codec solutions into multimedia applications, and troubleshooting encoding/decoding issues. You may work closely with software developers, QA engineers, and hardware teams to ensure smooth performance and compatibility across platforms. Regular tasks also involve analyzing video quality, conducting performance benchmarks, and keeping up to date with the latest codec standards. This collaborative and technical environment offers opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects and contribute to innovations in streaming technology.

What cities are hiring for Video Codec Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Video Codec Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Video Codec Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Video Codec Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Video Codec Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Video Codec Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Video Codec Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Video Codec Engineer jobs are:
Infographic showing various Video Codec Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 89% In-person, 4% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,303 per year, or $42.5 per hour.
SoC Digital Design Engineer, Multimedia Lab

SoC Digital Design Engineer, Multimedia Lab

TikTok

San Jose, CA • On-site

$156K - $316K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 9 days ago


TikTok rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 12 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

87th of 209 rated software companies


Job description

Responsibilities
About the team: Our team is building industry-leading, highly efficient, and scalable video codec hardware solutions (FPGA and ASIC) from the ground up to better serve billions of users. We are looking for strong video codec design engineers to design hardware accelerators for advanced video encoding and processing. The successful candidate will be part of a fast-growing team that includes algorithm, architecture, software, firmware, and hardware design and verification experts with a dedication to technical excellence and a passion to build large-scale and high-performing video platforms and services. Responsibilities - Architecture Design: Participate in defining the architecture of SoC top or subsystems (NoC/CPU/NPU/ISP/Codec), and conduct PPA (Power, Performance, Area) evaluation during the early design phase. - RTL Implementation: Write high-quality, well-structured RTL code (Verilog/SystemVerilog) and maintain related design documentation. - Front-End Quality Control: Perform Lint, CDC (Clock Domain Crossing), and RDC (Reset Domain Crossing) checks to ensure code standard compliance and design robustness. - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Verification team for debugging and achieving Coverage closure; collaborate with the Backend/Mid-end teams to support Synthesis, SDC (Synopsys Design Constraints) generation, STA (Static Timing Analysis), and power optimization. - Low Power Design: Participate in the formulation of chip low-power strategies, proficiently apply Clock Gating and Power Gating techniques, and support the UPF (Unified Power Format) flow.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree or higher in Microelectronics, Integrated Circuits, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. - 1+ years of experience in digital front-end design (open to highly promising candidates with less experience). - Mastery of Verilog/SystemVerilog and a solid foundation in digital circuits. - Proficiency with mainstream front-end EDA tools (e.g., Spyglass, Design Compiler, PrimeTime). - Fluent in at least one scripting language (Python, Perl, Tcl, Makefile) for workflow automation. Preferred Qualifications: - Deep understanding of NPU architecture, HW/SW co-design and AI hardware acceleration. - Proven experience in SoC-level performance profiling and bottleneck analysis. - Hands-on experience in the integration of complex SoC core subsystems (e.g., CPU/NPU clusters, Memory subsystems). - Successful tape-out experience in advanced process nodes (7nm/5nm/3nm)
Job Information
[For Pay Transparency]Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $156000 - $316800 annually.
Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect - and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at

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