1

System Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

System Software Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site +1

$175K - $362.50K/yr

MatX is seeking System Software Engineer to join our team as we create best-in-class silicon for high-performance and sustainable GenAI. Successful candidates for these roles will be responsible for ...

System Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$171.60K - $258.10K/yr

Description The Cloud OS System Software Team is looking for an exceptional software engineer to build and integrate software to orchestrate workloads across highly performant and energy efficient ...

System Software Engineer

Hanover, MD · Hybrid

$186.58K - $252.43K/yr

Yes SYSTEM SOFTWARE DEVELOPER SME Transform technology into opportunity as a System Software Developer SME at GDIT. Shape what's next for mission-critical government projects while shaping what ...

System Software Engineer

San Jose, CA

$203.30K - $240.90K/yr

Role Credo is seeking a System Software Engineer to join the Applications team to help develop our SDK. The position will require developing software to control our diverse chip and IP products and ...

System Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$90K - $130K/yr

Role Credo is seeking a System Software Engineer to join the Applications team to help develop our SDK. The position will require developing software to control our diverse chip and IP products and ...

System Software Engineer - Tegra

Santa Clara, CA

$203.20K - $240.80K/yr

We are now hiring a System Software Engineer to join the NVIDIA's System Software group focusing on Data Center Server Platform Diagnostics. You will join a dynamic crew that builds and maintains ...

System Software Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$205.80K - $243.90K/yr

System Software Engineer This role has been designed as ''Onsite' with an expectation that you will primarily work from an HPE office. Who We Are: Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to ...

System Software Engineer - Tegra

Santa Clara, CA

$201.60K - $238.90K/yr

We are now hiring a System Software Engineer to join the NVIDIA's System Software group focusing on Data Center Server Platform Diagnostics. You will join a dynamic crew that builds and maintains ...

System Software Engineer - GPU

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$203.20K - $240.80K/yr

We are seeking a System Software Engineer to work on next-generation computing and graphics products. Our charter is to build the most stressful set of applications a GPU or high performance ...

System Software Engineer - GPU

Santa Clara, CA

$203.20K - $240.80K/yr

As a system software engineer, you will extensively use your knowledge of operating systems, algorithms, and computer architecture to provide robust and efficient solutions to validate and test next ...

System Software Engineer - GPU

Santa Clara, CA

$203.20K - $240.80K/yr

We are seeking a System Software Engineer to work on next-generation computing and graphics products. Our charter is to build the most stressful set of applications a GPU or high performance ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

System Software Engineer information

See salary details

$83K

$177.7K

$206K

How much do system software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for system software engineer in the United States is $177,719.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $173,000.00 and $205,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a System Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills in languages like C, C++, or Rust, a deep understanding of operating systems, and typically a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with low-level debugging tools, version control systems (such as Git), and kernel development environments is essential. Analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, and effective teamwork are standout soft skills in this role. These competencies are crucial for building reliable, high-performance system software that underpins critical applications and infrastructure.

What are some common challenges System Software Engineers face when working on large-scale projects?

System Software Engineers working on large-scale projects often encounter challenges such as maintaining system stability while integrating new features, ensuring compatibility across diverse hardware platforms, and optimizing performance under heavy workloads. Coordinating with cross-functional teams, such as hardware engineers and application developers, is essential to address these complexities. Additionally, they must stay updated with evolving technologies and adhere to rigorous testing and debugging practices to prevent system failures.

What does a System Software Engineer do?

A System Software Engineer designs, develops, tests, and maintains the core software that enables computer hardware and system applications to function. This includes operating systems, device drivers, firmware, and other low-level software that interacts closely with hardware components. Their work ensures that systems run efficiently, securely, and reliably. They often collaborate with hardware engineers and application developers to optimize performance and troubleshoot complex technical issues.

What is the difference between System Software Engineer vs Software Developer?

AspectSystem Software EngineerSoftware Developer
CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science or related field; often some experience with systems programmingBachelor's in Computer Science or related field; focus on application development
Work EnvironmentDesigning and maintaining operating systems, firmware, or system-level applicationsCreating user-facing applications, websites, or mobile apps
Industry UsageTech companies, hardware firms, embedded systemsSoftware firms, startups, enterprise applications
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles related to system-level programmingLooking for application or web development roles

System Software Engineers focus on developing and maintaining system-level software like operating systems and firmware, requiring knowledge of hardware and low-level programming. Software Developers typically create applications and user-facing software, emphasizing higher-level programming skills. Both roles often share similar educational backgrounds but differ in their work focus and environment.

More about System Software Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for System Software Engineer jobs? Cities with the most System Software Engineer job openings:
Who are the top companies hiring for System Software Engineer jobs? The top employers for System Software Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most System Software Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for System Software Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various System Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 1% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 6% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $177,719 per year, or $85.4 per hour.

System Software Engineer

MatX

Mountain View, CA • On-site, Remote

$175K - $362.50K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago


Job description

What MatX Is Building

MatX's mission is to make the world's best AI models run as efficiently as allowed by physics, bringing the world years ahead in AI quality and availability. MatX is seeking System Software Engineer to join our team as we create best-in-class silicon for high-performance and sustainable GenAI. Successful candidates for these roles will be responsible for delivering performant and functionally accurate silicon for MatX products across compute, memory management. High-speed connectivity and other key technologies.

As an System Software Engineer reporting to our Systems Software Lead, you'll contribute to the System Software Team. You'll join a talented group of engineers helping us to create best-in-class silicon for high-performance and sustainable GenAI. As part of a small team, you'll help see your ideas come to life and see the impacts of your work.

What You'll Do Here

  • Work closely with the architecture teams, silicon design teams and other software/firmware teams to architect, design, and implement scalable and high-performance system software components, including device drivers in Linux, low-level libraries and daemons
  • Deliver unit-tests for all software components being developed, including kernel level softwares
  • CPU/memory subsystem optimization for the host system stack
  • Write debug and performance monitoring utilities
  • Performance profiling, look for opportunities to reduce operating system overheads
  • Influence the design of next generations of accelerators, and the host system software stack
  • Design system software components to improve system observability, improve resiliency
  • Design and implement cluster management solutions and failover algorithms to minimize downtime
  • Bring up and help debug issues during new chip bring-up in close collaboration with hardware engineers
  • Productize system software stack across various CPU ISAs and operating system versions

Who You Are

  • BS or higher in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science, with 8+ years of experience in the following areas
  • Strong hands-on development experience in Linux, both in low-level userspace libraries as well as device drivers in the Linux kernel
  • Ability to read hardware data sheets, register definitions etc. to program hardware devices
  • Experience in user-facing software bring-up on new custom silicon
  • Strong C programming skills
  • In-depth knowledge of computer hardware and system architecture
  • Good understanding of low-level operating systems interfaces - threads, process management, memory management etc
  • Experience debugging issues related to complex hardware-software interaction
  • This is a hybrid role that will require you to work from our Mountain View, CA office 3 days a week on Tuesday through Thursday

Bonus Points If You Have

  • Experience in hardware bring-up, simulation and emulation environments
  • Good understanding of system level architecture, interrupts, memory mapped IO, direct memory access, computer systems interconnect, memory hierarchy etc
  • Performance tuning and optimization in kernel drivers and modules, low-level libraries

Compensation

The US base salary for this full-time position is determined based on a variety of factors including role, experience, location, job related skills, and relevant education and training. Career length is only a guideline for compensation.

  • Early Career - $120,000 - $250,000 + equity
  • Mid Career - $175,000 - $362,500 + equity
  • Senior Career - $250,000 - $475,000 + equity

What We Offer

  • A Stake in our success A cash/equity mix that fits your needs and option to do early exercise
  • Heath & Wellness Company subsidized Health, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance; Pre-tax Health Savings Accounts with generous company contribution (even if you don't)
  • Time To Recharge 4 weeks paid time off (accrued), 12 company holidays, and 3 weeks remote/flexible work per year
  • Support to Parents Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, regardless of your path to parenthood
  • Learning & Development $1,500 yearly towards your professional development e.g. conferences, courses, and other learning opportunities
  • Team Connection Team Lunches, quarterly off-sites, and regular town halls
  • Financial Wellbeing 401K and/or Roth IRA, with 5% company contribution, even if you don't!
  • Flexible Spending Accounts Pre-tax spend accounts for medical, dental/vision, dependent care, parking, and transit expenses
  • Commute On Us For those commuting up to 1 hour, put your rideshare cost on our company card and reclaim the drive-time to get work done!
  • MatX E[x]tras $50 per month to use on the perks you care about most 
  • Remote Perks We work remotely Monday & Friday, supported by home-tech setup, and remote wifi expense reimbursement

As part of our dedication to the diversity of our team and our focus on creating an inviting and inclusive work experience, MatX is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, genetic information or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and work from our offices in Mountain View Tuesdays-Thursdays.

This position requires access to information that is subject to U.S. export controls. This offer of employment is contingent upon the applicants capacity to perform job functions in compliance with U.S. export control laws without obtaining a license from U.S. export control authorities.

MatX does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies in response to job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers or People team and any resumes submitted are deemed to be the property of MatX.