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Vulkan Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Qualcomm

GPU Systems Driver Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

As a member of team, you will develop Vulkan/D3D12 driver for prototyping, exploration, and verification of next generation GPU. you will work closely with architect, system, hardware, verification ...

Figure

Sr/Staff Graphics Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$164K - $202K/yr

... Vulkan and OpenGL ES rendering pipelines to achieve smooth, high-framerate output. • Collaborate closely with the Design team and Head of HMI to implement and iterate on UI/UX designs, ensuring ...

Figure

Sr/Staff Graphics Engineer

San Jose, CA

$150K - $275K/yr

Implement and optimize Vulkan and OpenGL ES rendering pipelines to achieve smooth, high-framerate output. * Collaborate closely with the Design team and Head of HMI to implement and iterate on UI/UX ...

Bolt Graphics

GPU Standards Development Lead

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$175K - $250K/yr

Lead the development of a high-performance host-side driver stack layering industry standard graphics and compute APIs such as Vulkan, OpenGL, OpenCL, & SYCL on top of our proprietary API for our ...

PlayStation Global

Sr Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$139K - $183K/yr

Experience with GPU programming (HLSL, Vulkan, CUDA) with proven skills in profiling, debugging, and optimizations across CPU and GPU. * AI/ML modeling and training experience * Embedded system ...

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Vulkan information

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$51.8K

$140.1K

$177.1K

How much do vulkan jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for vulkan in California is $140,082.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,400.00 and $164,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To excel in a Vulkan role, you need a strong background in computer graphics programming, C/C++ development, and a deep understanding of 3D rendering pipelines, typically with a degree in computer science or engineering. Experience with the Vulkan graphics API, shader programming (GLSL or SPIR-V), and knowledge of GPU architectures are also important, with certifications in graphics programming considered a plus. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams are essential soft skills. These competencies ensure the efficient development of high-performance graphics applications and smooth collaboration within technical project teams.

What types of projects do professionals working with Vulkan typically work on?

Professionals skilled in Vulkan often contribute to a variety of projects, such as real-time 3D engines, gaming applications, simulation software, and high-performance visualization tools. They collaborate closely with game designers, graphics artists, and other developers to implement cutting-edge visual effects and optimize rendering efficiency. The role may also involve troubleshooting complex graphical issues and keeping up with advances in GPU technology. These projects are generally fast-paced and require a balance of technical expertise and creative problem-solving, making the work both challenging and rewarding with strong opportunities for growth.

What is a Vulkan job?

A Vulkan job typically refers to a position involving the Vulkan graphics and compute API, which is used for high-performance 3D rendering and GPU computation. Professionals in this field often work as graphics programmers, game developers, or software engineers specializing in GPU optimization. They develop or optimize graphics applications, such as video games, simulations, and professional visualization tools, using Vulkan. Knowledge of C++, GPU architectures, and shader programming is usually required.

What are the most commonly searched types of Vulkan jobs in California? The most popular types of Vulkan jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Vulkan jobs in California? For Vulkan jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Vulkan jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Vulkan jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Vulkan jobs? Cities in California with the most Vulkan job openings:
Vulkan jobs near you
Infographic showing various Vulkan job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 70% Full Time, and 30% Part Time. Highlights an 86% In-person, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $140,082 per year, or $67.3 per hour.
Senior Software Engineer, Real-Time AI and Rendering - Holoscan SDK

Senior Software Engineer, Real-Time AI and Rendering - Holoscan SDK

Nvidia Corporation

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

$143K - $189K/yr

Full-time

Posted 10 days ago

Nvidia rating

9.3

Company rating: 9.3 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

15th of 209 rated software companies

Job description

At NVIDIA, we are building the future of real-time AI for sensor-driven applications. Holoscan Platform is our flagship open-source framework for sensor AI, enabling developers to build, optimize, and deploy GPU-accelerated pipelines that process multimodal sensor data in real time. Originally pioneered for healthcare imaging, Holoscan has rapidly evolved into a domain-agnostic platform powering diverse industries-from humanoid robotics and industrial automation to astronomy, earth observation, and beyond. Wherever high-throughput sensor processing, AI inference, and visualization meet, Holoscan provides the foundation. The field of streaming AI and accelerated sensor processing is reshaping how humans interact with machines and how machines perceive the world. By combining advanced GPU computing, Vulkan-based rendering, and flexible software frameworks, Holoscan makes it possible to transform raw, high-bandwidth sensor streams into actionable intelligence and immersive visualization-spanning surgery, robotics, manufacturing, and scientific discovery.
Generative AI is becoming a central force in real-time sensing, simulation, and robotics - and this role will play a pivotal part in bringing those capabilities into Holoscan. Emerging multimodal foundation models (VLMs, video-language models, neural fields) are becoming essential for real-time perception. This role will extend Holoscan's core mission by enabling GPU-resident generative methods that accelerate development, improve simulation fidelity, and unlock new possibilities for real-time perception. As part of this groundbreaking Holoscan SDK team is at the forefront of this transformation! We are designing APIs, building GPU-accelerated software pipelines, and collaborating with research and industry partners to deliver the foundation for tomorrow's real-time AI platforms.
What You'll Be Doing:
  • Architect the next generation of Holoscan SDK by developing intuitive, scalable APIs for real-time sensor, imaging, and multimodal data processing-balancing developer usability with peak GPU performance.
  • Prototype GPU-accelerated algorithms for computer vision, imaging, sensor fusion, and low-latency rendering-translating research into production-grade software.
  • Build and optimize core GPU libraries for accelerated I/O, streaming, decoding, and visualization, employing CUDA, Vulkan, and GPU-resident data paths.
  • Contribute to real-time visualization frameworks for medical, robotic, or industrial applications-integrating Vulkan, OpenGL, or Omniverse/RTX-based rendering back-ends.
  • Benchmark performance rigorously, profiling and optimizing across the full pipeline (Sensor → AI → Render → Display, Sensor → AI → Robotic Control).
  • Combine generative models with the Holoscan Sensor Bridge (HSB), Isaac Sim, ISAAC Lab and Omniverse to create real-time "AI-powered virtual sensors" that behave like real hardware-enabling development and testing long before physical sensors exist.
  • Prototype and optimize neural field (NeRF/SDF/Gaussian) operators for real-time scene reconstruction, view synthesis, and 3D perception-directly within Holoscan's streaming architecture.
  • Integrate and optimize vision-language and multimodal foundation models for real-time, GPU-resident sensor pipelines

What we need to see:
  • A strong communicator and collaborator able to work across multiple domains-from AI and compute to graphics and visualization.
  • Dynamic programming expertise in C++ (modern standards), plus proven Python skills for prototyping and tooling.
  • Deep passion for real-time AI, computer vision, and sensor-driven systems-plus a passion for high-performance visualization and rendering.
  • Familiarity with multimodal or vision-language models and an understanding of how to adapt them to streaming or real-time workloads is a strong plus.
  • Success designing APIs and frameworks that stand the test of scale and that developers love to use!
  • 8+ years of experience building and shipping complex, high-performance imaging, sensor, or rendering software.
  • Familiarity with GPU processing and rendering pipelines, synchronization, GPU memory management, and multi-GPU rendering is a plus.
  • Master's/PhD or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Applied Math, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or related fields.

Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd:
  • Experience adapting VLMs or multimodal foundation models to real-time sensor or video pipelines.
  • Background integrating real-time GPU-accelerated processing and visualization pipelines (e.g., CUDA ↔ Vulkan interop),
  • Hands-on expertise with CUDA C/C++ and deep knowledge of GPU architecture and parallel programming paradigms.
  • Knowledge of Omniverse Kit, or other GPU rendering frameworks for real-time visualization.
  • Acute understanding of low-latency streaming pipelines for multimodal sensor fusion

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 184,000 USD - 287,500 USD for Level 4, and 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5.
You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
Applications for this job will be accepted at least until May 18, 2026.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.
NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

What Nvidia employees say

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

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About Nvidia

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It's a unique legacy of innovation that's fueled by great technology--and amazing people. Today, we're tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brains of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Doing what's never been done before takes vision, innovation, and the world's best talent.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Clara, CA, US

Year founded

1993

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