Computer Chip Designer Salary in California
$34.9K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$20.7K - $37.5K
30% of jobs
$37.5K - $54.3K
16% of jobs
The median wage is $62.6K / yr.
$54.3K - $71.1K
10% of jobs
$71.1K - $87.8K
14% of jobs
$87.8K - $104.6K
5% of jobs
$107.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$104.6K - $121.4K
7% of jobs
$121.4K - $138.2K
6% of jobs
$138.2K - $154.9K
4% of jobs
$154.9K - $171.7K
3% of jobs
$171.7K - $188.5K
3% of jobs
$188.5K - $205.3K
4% of jobs
$20.7K
$69.1K
$206.8K
$84,781
/year
$40.76
/hour
Computer Chip Designer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$85,906
California
California
$84,781
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How much does a Computer Chip Designer make in California?
As of Sep 6, 2026, the average annual pay for a Computer Chip Designer in California is $84,781 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $40.76 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,630/week or $7,065/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $206,756 and as low as $20,725, the majority of Computer Chip Designer salaries currently range between $36,000 (25th percentile) to $119,900 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $188,498 annually in California. The average pay range for a Computer Chip Designer varies greatly (by as much as 83900), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Computer Chip Designer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Computer Chip Designer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Computer Chip Designer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Computer Chip Designer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Computer Chip Designer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Cupertino, , with Berkeley, and Santa Clara, close behind in the second and third positions. Santa Clara, beats the average in California by $16,673 (19.7%), and Cupertino, furthers that trend with another $21,206 (25.0%) above the $84,781 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Computer Chip Designer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 7% between Cupertino, and Oakland, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Computer Chip Designer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino | $105,987 | $50.96 |
Berkeley | $105,187 | $50.57 |
Santa Clara | $101,454 | $48.78 |
Mountain View | $101,342 | $48.72 |
Palo Alto | $100,985 | $48.55 |
San Jose | $100,949 | $48.53 |
Sunnyvale | $100,824 | $48.47 |
Livermore | $100,767 | $48.45 |
Los Gatos | $100,285 | $48.21 |
Oakland | $98,661 | $47.43 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Computer Chip Designer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Computer Chip Designer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $84781 state average for Computer Chip Designer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Verilog | $154,033 | $74.05 |
Fpga Design Engineer | $145,130 | $69.77 |
Microchip Design Engineer | $126,303 | $60.72 |
Integrated Circuit Design Engineer | $109,344 | $52.57 |
Embedded C Programmer | $64,800 | $31.15 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
