"VLSI Design Engineer Openings: Browse All IC Design Roles"
VLSI design engineer openings cover the widest slice of IC engineering you'll find on any specialized job board. Front-end roles span digital RTL and analog circuits; back-end roles cover physical implementation, floorplanning, and signoff. VLSI, as a search term, catches all of them.
What the day-to-day looks like depends on which part of the stack you own. RTL engineers write synthesizable Verilog or SystemVerilog and hand off lint- and CDC-clean code to synthesis. Analog engineers design circuits in schematic and iterate in SPICE. Physical design engineers place and route in Cadence Innovus or Synopsys ICC2. Verification engineers close coverage goals in Synopsys VCS or Cadence Xcelium. DFT engineers build scan chains and BIST structures.
ASIC design engineer and physical design engineer are the two most-searched sub-categories within VLSI openings on semidesignjobs.com. Both have dedicated filtered pages if you want a narrower search.
Postings on the site range from 28nm automotive designs to 3nm AI accelerators. Filter by technology node if that matters to your next move.
Fabless companies such as Qualcomm, Apple Silicon, Nvidia, AMD, and MediaTek hire across the full VLSI stack. Hyperscaler in-house chip teams have become major employers too: Google TPU, Amazon Trainium, and Microsoft Azure Maia are all actively building. IDMs like Intel and Renesas hire for both digital and analog roles. AI chip startups are hiring fast right now.
Salary ranges vary by discipline. Digital RTL engineers at mid-career see $130K to $170K base; senior physical design at advanced nodes can reach $160K to $210K. Analog IC designers with advanced-node tapeout experience often clear $200K at staff level. The salary guide has a full breakdown by role and seniority.
Browse VLSI design jobs on semidesignjobs.com and set up an alert for your filters, whether you're looking for your first role or your next senior position.
FAQ
What is VLSI design and what does a VLSI engineer do?
VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) design is the process of creating integrated circuits with millions to billions of transistors. VLSI engineers work across disciplines including digital logic design, analog circuit design, physical implementation, and verification, all aimed at producing functional, manufacturable silicon.
Is VLSI design a good career in the current semiconductor market?
It is a strong career choice right now. Semiconductor revenue has grown substantially, driven by AI, automotive, and cloud compute demand. VLSI engineers consistently rank among the highest-paid professionals in technology, and a global talent shortage means qualified engineers have real negotiating leverage.
What educational background is needed for VLSI design engineer openings?
A BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with coursework in digital design, analog circuits, VLSI design, and computer architecture is standard. Strong candidates supplement formal education with RTL or layout projects and open-source IC contributions.