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Virtual Reality Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Meta

DFX Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$144K - $204K/yr

You will work closely with teams focused on Virtual Reality, Wearables, and Smart Glasses to ... Engineering Requirements Specification (ERS) documents and review/approve all proposals from ...

Meta

Computer Vision Engineer

Burlingame, CA

$183K/yr

... and Virtual reality (AR/VR) products. RL has global departments dedicated to research and ... Computer Vision Engineer Responsibilities: * Lead the productization of CVML models for Surface ...

Meta

Computer Vision Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$183K/yr

... and Virtual reality (AR/VR) products. RL has global departments dedicated to research and ... Computer Vision Engineer Responsibilities: * Lead the productization of CVML models for Surface ...

Meta

DFX Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$144K/yr

You will work closely with teams focused on Virtual Reality, Wearables, and Smart Glasses to ... DFX Engineer Responsibilities: * Provide technical leadership and coaching on manufacturing best ...

Meta

Emerging Channels Lead, Reality Labs

Burlingame, CA · On-site +1

$152K/yr

Reality Labs is building the future of human connection through augmented reality, virtual reality ... Collaborative history with Product and Engineering teams to enhance tracking, attribution, and ...

Meta

Finance Manager, Reality Labs

Menlo Park, CA · On-site +1

$120K/yr

Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration ... Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual ...

Meta

Finance Manager, Reality Labs

Burlingame, CA · On-site +1

$120K/yr

Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration ... Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual ...

PSRTEK

Voice to Face Avatar expert

San Jose, CA · On-site

Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, C++, or Java. * Experience with machine ... Previous experience in the gaming or virtual reality industry is a plus

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Virtual Reality Engineer information

See California salary details

$19.1K

$93.3K

$196.8K

How much do virtual reality engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for virtual reality engineer in California is $93,272.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $53,857.00 and $117,507.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges Virtual Reality Engineers face when developing immersive experiences?

Virtual Reality Engineers often encounter challenges related to optimizing performance for real-time rendering, ensuring user comfort to prevent motion sickness, and creating intuitive interactions within the virtual environment. Balancing visual fidelity with hardware limitations and maintaining low latency for a seamless experience can be demanding. Collaboration with designers, artists, and UX specialists is crucial to address these issues and achieve engaging, user-friendly VR applications.

How much do VR engineers make?

Virtual Reality engineers typically earn between $70,000 and $130,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and skill level. Senior roles or those with specialized skills in 3D modeling, programming, or hardware integration can earn higher salaries. Compensation may also include benefits such as bonuses or stock options in tech companies.

What tech jobs pay 400,000 a year?

Virtual Reality Engineers and other specialized tech roles such as senior software engineers, data scientists, and AI specialists can reach or exceed a $400,000 annual salary, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and working in high-demand industries or companies. These positions often require expertise in programming, 3D modeling, and experience with VR hardware and software development tools.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior engineers in specialized fields such as software engineering, data engineering, or systems architecture can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and working in high-demand industries or companies. Executive or lead engineering roles often have compensation packages that reach or exceed this level, including bonuses and stock options.

What does a virtual reality engineer do?

A virtual reality engineer designs and develops immersive VR experiences and applications, often working with 3D modeling, programming, and hardware integration. They use tools like Unity or Unreal Engine and may need knowledge of programming languages such as C++ or Python to create realistic simulations and interactive environments.

What are Virtual Reality Engineers?

Virtual Reality Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and implement immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences and applications. They use a combination of software development, 3D modeling, and hardware integration to create interactive environments that can be used in gaming, education, training, healthcare, and other industries. VR engineers work with tools like Unity or Unreal Engine, and often collaborate with designers, artists, and hardware specialists to deliver realistic and engaging virtual experiences.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Virtual Reality Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Virtual Reality Engineer, you need strong programming skills (such as C#, C++, or Unity), a solid understanding of 3D graphics, and a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with VR development platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine, as well as experience with VR hardware SDKs (e.g., Oculus, HTC Vive), are typically required. Creativity, problem-solving, and effective teamwork are standout soft skills in this role. These competencies are crucial to developing immersive and technically sound VR experiences that meet user needs and push technological boundaries.
What are popular job titles related to Virtual Reality Engineer jobs in California? For Virtual Reality Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Virtual Reality Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Virtual Reality Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Virtual Reality Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Virtual Reality Engineer job openings:
Virtual Reality Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Virtual Reality Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 72% Full Time, 6% Part Time, 7% Temporary, and 15% Contract. Highlights an 80% In-person, 10% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $93,272 per year, or $44.8 per hour.

Lead Unreal 4 programmer - Virtual Reality

Immersive Entertainment

Irvine, CA

Contractor

Re-posted 16 days ago

Job description

Company Description

We create next-generation Virtual Reality Content that represents a new form of entertainment. We bridge the gap between video games and movies, providing a level of immersion, emotional engagement and realism never before seen.

Job Description
  • Be the in-house expert on the Unreal Engine 4 including blueprints.
  • Implement practical and timely solutions that meet the game design and technical requirements.
  • Implement code /blueprints that is modular self-contained and defensive and observes the technical constraints on the system.
  • Work closely together with the CCO.
  • Ensure coding standards are followed and help to enforce good programming practices within the engineering team.
  • Maintain technical documentation for the engineering team as well as other disciplines.
  • Optimise code and data for memory usage and performance as required.
  • Keep abreast of new advances in virtual reality hardware, rendering technology and algorithms.
  • Sharing knowledge and techniques across the studio
  • Mentoring programmers 
Qualifications
  •  5+ years of experience in game development
  • Expert knowledge of working with UDK, Unreal Engine 3, Unreal Engine 4.
  • Excellent Unreal Engine blueprint skills.
  • Excellent C/C++ programming skills with good knowledge of object oriented development.
  • Expert knowledge of mathematics ability and a familiarity with common 3d graphics principles and rendering algorithms.
  • Expert knowledge Good working knowledge of current GPU architecture and rendering APIs experience with DirectX 11 /12 
  • Experience with commonly used development tools such as Visual Studio and Perforce.
  • Solid commercial software development experience with significant involvement in 1 published AAA game in a 3d environment
  • Knowledge of common algorithms data structures and patterns and the ability to apply them to problems while keeping constraints and performance in mind.
  • Able to analyse unfamiliar code of a reasonable complexity to understand and extend the functionality of an existing module.
  • Proven ability to debug defects of a reasonable complexity.
  • Good eye for details
  • English language
  • A strong team player and leader by example
Additional Information

Pluses

  • Shipped AAA PC or console titles as a Senior 3D Programmer
  • Work experience with Unreal Engine 4
  • Understanding the difference between developing for VR compared to traditional game development.
  • A passion for developing and playing virtual reality experiences


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