Qualcomm

Computer Hardware Development

Apt Insight

They offer deep technical learning and solid benefits across the globe, though project pressures and team experiences can vary quite a bit. Based in San Diego, California, they operate as a giant publicly traded leader in computer hardware and semiconductor development. The organization maintains a vast international footprint with tens of thousands of staff across major tech hubs in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. While their foundation remains in wireless and mobile processing, they are aggressively diversifying into automotive platforms and edge AI infrastructure.

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About

Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. You interact with products and technologies made possible by Qualcomm every day, including 5G-enabled smartphones that double as pro-level cameras and gaming devices, smarter vehicles and cities, and the technology behind the smart, connected factories that manufactured your latest purchase. Our powerful connectivity solutions keep you connected—even in remote areas. Qualcomm 5G and AI innovations are the power behind the connected intelligent edge. You’ll find our technologies behind and inside the innovations that deliver significant value across multiple industries and to billions of people every day.

Founded1985

HeadquartersSan Diego, US

IndustryComputer Hardware Development

Websitewww.qualcomm.com

Employees57.5K

Total Funding$572M

Posted base pay at Qualcomm

Posted base pay ranges from 1,889 job listings posted in the US, Feb 2026 – Nov 2026. Bonus and equity are not included.

Software Engineer$110K–$165K/yr

30 listings · spread $94K–$225K/yr

Senior Software Engineer$124K–$186K/yr

23 listings · spread $111K–$211K/yr

Staff Software Engineer$143K–$214K/yr

21 listings · spread $135K–$238K/yr

Staff Product Manager$179K–$269K/yr

17 listings · spread $179K–$287K/yr

Physical Design Engineer$153K–$243K/yr

16 listings · spread $100K–$266K/yr

Director, Product Management$230K–$345K/yr

14 listings · spread $197K–$345K/yr

#Embedded Software Engineer$105K–$158K/yr

12 listings · spread $94K–$182K/yr

Senior Engineer$115K–$173K/yr

12 listings · spread $111K–$210K/yr

Each range is the median posted minimum and maximum for the role. Pay changes by location, so the spread shows the 10th to 90th percentile of all listings for the role.

Open roles at Qualcomm

The 10 newest of 738 open roles.

Package Design Engineer – Principal EngineerSan Diego, California · Onsite

Technical Support Engineer, AssociateSan Diego, California · Onsite

CPU Performance Analysis Engineer (Multiple Locations- San Diego, Santa Clara, Austin)Santa Clara, California · Onsite

Calibration Engineer, AssociateSan Diego, California · Onsite

Senior Manager of FinanceSan Diego, California · Onsite

FY27 Intern - Digital Design Engineering Internship - Canada (16 months)Toronto, Ontario · Onsite

Staff Program ManagerSan Jose, California · Onsite

EngineerToronto, Ontario · Onsite

FY27 Intern - Qualcomm SoC Engineering Internship - Canada (16 months)Markham, Ontario · Onsite

Physical Design EngineerSan Diego, California · Onsite

Why people join & leave

Why join

Strong employee benefits and campus facilitiesWork on complex, industry-scale semiconductor hardwareExpansion into automotive and edge AI platforms

Why leave

Long hours driven by tight production deadlinesCompensation lagging behind top-tier software peersTeam-dependent management culture and cross-geo friction

Company Pulse

Raised

$572Mtotal

In the News

Documentsec.gov

Qualcomm (QCOM) earnings report Q3 2026cnbc.com · Jul 29, 2026

Qualcomm’s $3.1bn Modular deal puts AI software at centre of data centrebusiness-news-today.com · Aug 4, 2026

Qualcomm Completes Acquisition of Modularprnewswire.com · Jul 29, 2026

Press Announcements and News Releasesqualcomm.com

Employee Experience

3.8/5

Career Opportunities

3.8

Compensation & Benefits

4.0

Culture & Values

3.6

Diversity & Inclusion

3.8

Senior Management

3.3

Work-Life Balance

3.2

Quick Take

Strengths

Automotive segment surgeAutomotive revenues climbed 61% year-over-year to $1.59B alongside a decade-long BMW compute deal.

Modular AI acquisitionCompleted a $3.1 billion acquisition of Modular Inc. to unify software across silicon platforms.

Watch out

Lower handset intensityHandset revenue dropped 19.6% year-over-year to $5.09B amid shifting mobile market dynamics.

Note

Revenue diversification pivotNon-handset QCT revenue reached 40.2% of chip sales, targeting $40B in non-handset revenue by FY2029.

Things to consider

Uneven work-life balance — Employees report a 64 out of 100 rating for work-life balance, frequently citing tight deadlines and cross-timezone meetings.

Handset market pressure — Core handset chip revenues contracted nearly 20 percent year-over-year as the broader smartphone market softens.

What They Build

They design systems-on-a-chip, connectivity modems, and edge AI hardware platforms spanning mobile devices, automotive systems, and IoT infrastructure. Engineering teams tackle hard problems across low-level firmware, system verification, silicon architecture, and neural processing runtimes. The culture emphasizes deep systems programming, rigorous chip validation, and multi-platform heterogeneous compute architectures.

Semiconductor Design

Automotive Platforms

Edge AI

5G & Connectivity

Embedded Systems

Domains

Hardware Engineering

Embedded Systems

Machine Learning

Firmware Development

DevOps

Tech Stack

C++

Python

Linux Kernel

Verilog

SystemVerilog

CUDA

TensorFlow