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Wireless Phy Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Apple

Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

Apple's Wireless SoC team is seeking an exceptional Wireless PHY Systems Engineer to help define the future of wireless technology in Apple products. Our team sits at the forefront of modem ...

Apple

Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

San Diego, CA

$171K - $302K/yr

Apple's Wireless SoC team is seeking an exceptional Wireless PHY Systems Engineer to help define the future of wireless technology in Apple products. Our team sits at the forefront of modem ...

Apple

Wireless PHY Design Verification Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$144K - $176K/yr

As a Wireless PHY Design Verification Engineer, you'll ensure first-time-right silicon success through sophisticated testbenches, comprehensive scenarios, and cutting-edge verification methodologies ...

Apple

Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

As a Wireless PHY Systems Engineer, you will play a central role in building end-to-end simulation frameworks for sophisticated wireless systems. Your work will span the full signal chain from ...

Apple

Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

San Diego, CA

$120K - $210K/yr

As a Wireless PHY Systems Engineer, you will play a central role in building end-to-end simulation frameworks for sophisticated wireless systems. Your work will span the full signal chain from ...

Apple

Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$181K - $318K/yr

Expertise in DSP, wireless communications, and wireless chip development. Strong software programming skills for RF/PHY modeling and MAC protocol simulation. Proficiency in Matlab, C, and C++. Pay ...

Apple

Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$126K - $220K/yr

Strong software programming skills for RF/PHY modeling and MAC protocol simulation. Proficiency in Matlab, C, and C++. Wireless standards organization or industry consortia participation. Experience ...

Apple

PHY Design Verification Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $195K/yr

Our wireless SoC organization is responsible for all aspects of wireless silicon development with a particular emphasis on highly energy-efficient design and new technologies that transform the user ...

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How much do wireless phy engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for wireless phy engineer in the United States is $129,511.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $103,000.00 and $134,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Wireless PHY Engineers?

Wireless PHY Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and optimize the physical layer (PHY) of wireless communication systems. The PHY layer is responsible for the transmission and reception of raw data bits over a physical medium, such as radio waves. These engineers work on signal processing algorithms, modulation schemes, coding, and hardware interfaces to ensure reliable and efficient wireless communication. They often collaborate with hardware and protocol engineers to implement standards like 5G, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. Their work is crucial for enabling high-speed, robust wireless connectivity in devices and networks.

What are some common challenges Wireless PHY Engineers face when working on new wireless standards?

Wireless PHY Engineers often encounter challenges related to rapidly evolving wireless standards and the need to ensure interoperability across various devices and networks. Staying updated with the latest specifications, such as those from 3GPP or IEEE, and translating them into efficient, robust PHY layer designs can be demanding. Additionally, balancing performance goals with hardware limitations and optimizing for power consumption, latency, and throughput requires strong problem-solving and collaboration skills, often working closely with RF, MAC, and firmware teams.

What is the difference between Wireless Phy Engineer vs RF Engineer?

AspectWireless Phy EngineerRF Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Wireless CommunicationsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, RF or Microwave Engineering
Work EnvironmentDesigning physical layer protocols, signal processing, chip-level developmentTesting, measuring, and optimizing RF circuits and systems
Industry UsageWireless device development, 5G, Wi-Fi, BluetoothRF component manufacturing, testing labs, telecom infrastructure

Wireless Phy Engineers focus on the physical layer design and signal processing for wireless communication systems, while RF Engineers specialize in RF circuit design, testing, and optimization. Both roles require similar technical backgrounds but differ in their specific focus areas within wireless technology development.

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

To excel as a Wireless PHY Engineer, you need a solid background in wireless communications, digital signal processing, and a degree in electrical engineering or a related field. Experience with MATLAB, C/C++, RF test equipment, and familiarity with wireless standards (such as LTE, 5G NR, or Wi-Fi) are typically required, along with relevant industry certifications. Strong analytical skills, teamwork, and effective problem-solving abilities distinguish top performers in this role. These competencies are essential for designing, testing, and optimizing wireless physical layer solutions that ensure robust and efficient communication systems.
Infographic showing various Wireless Phy Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 78% Full Time, and 22% Part Time. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,511 per year, or $62.3 per hour.
Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

Wireless PHY Systems Engineer

Apple

San Diego, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted yesterday

Apple rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 661 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 30 rated technology retailers

Job description

Apple's Wireless SoC team is seeking an exceptional Wireless PHY Systems Engineer to help define the future of wireless technology in Apple products. Our team sits at the forefront of modem architecture, physical-layer algorithm research, and embedded DSP innovation - delivering the wireless capabilities that make AirPods, Apple Watch, iPhone, and other Apple products extraordinary...In this role, you will drive end-to-end simulation and algorithm development for complex wireless systems, spanning Bluetooth and UWB protocol stacks, propagation channel modeling, RF/antenna behavior and PHY & MAC protocols. You will bring deep technical expertise, scientific rigor, and a forward-looking perspective - including the application of AI/ML methods - to solve some of the hardest wireless systems challenges in the industry...This role is ideal for those who thrive at the boundary of theory and silicon, and who wants their work to reach hundreds of millions of people through world-class consumer products.
As a Wireless PHY Systems Engineer, you will lead the research, modeling, and simulation of sophisticated wireless systems across the full signal chain. You will work at the intersection of algorithm invention, system-level analysis, and hardware realization - collaborating with PHY/algorithm engineers, analog and digital designers, and firmware/software teams to develop physical-layer features for next-generation SoC designs.You will apply AI/ML-driven approaches alongside classical signal processing methods to push the boundaries of simulation fidelity, algorithm performance, and system understanding. Your work will directly influence chip architecture decisions and the wireless capabilities of future Apple products.
Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of relevant experience. Strong systems-level mastery of complex wireless architectures, including the ability to reason rigorously about cross-layer dependencies between RF, PHY, MAC, and higher protocol layers.Extensive hands-on software programming skills for system modeling and simulation, with required proficiency in MATLAB and C/C++.Experience with fixed-point design and RTL vector generation.Experience collecting, processing, and visualizing large-scale field and simulation datasets, including performance metrics such as measurement accuracy, latency, and throughput.Familiarity with analog/RF impairments common in wireless systems (e.g., phase noise, IQ imbalance, nonlinearity).Experience with or knowledge of wireless standards such as Bluetooth, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), or other wireless protocols.Experience in lab FPGA/silicon bring-up, PHY/RF/MAC testing, and use of RF lab equipment.
MSEE/Ph.D. in electrical engineering, Digital Communications, Signal Processing, or equivalent with 10+ years of relevant experience.Demonstrated experience applying AI/ML methods to wireless systems - such as learned channel estimation, AI-driven receiver design, neural network-based signal detection, or ML-assisted simulation data analysis.Proficiency with Python and data science/ML libraries (e.g., NumPy, PyTorch, scikit-learn) for simulation automation and AI-assisted analysis workflows.Experience with High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools for algorithm-to-hardware translation.Prior engagement with wireless standards organizations or industry consortia (e.g., IEEE 802.15, Bluetooth SIG, FiRa Consortium).Experience with simulation automation, regression frameworks, or CI/CD pipelines for large-scale system simulation.Track record of technical publications, patents, or contributions to the broader wireless research community.Exceptional communication skills with the ability to present complex research findings and system trade-offs to diverse technical and non-technical audiences.

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About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976

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