Process Engineer 4

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Process Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $120k–$171k. This one lists $104k–$231k.

Median of the low and high ends of 59 live postings that list pay, out of 94 process engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 93 other live process postings in California.

Base pay

About 15% above similar roles

Typical $120k–$171k, from 56 postings that list pay.

Experience asked

Not stated

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

• Root cause 46%
• DOE 31%
• SPC 29%
• Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 22%
• New product launch 22%
• Team leadership 21%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1. 1

   Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at Lam Research

   We found 9 people at this company and state: 9 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓

2. 2

   Send a short, curious note

   One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.

   Write to Quinton → (free)
3. 3

   Turn a reply into a short call

   Questions worth asking about this team:

   • What does a normal week look like on your team?
   • Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
   • How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
   • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4. 4

   Apply with someone vouching for you

   If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.

5. 5

   Bring proof to the interview

   One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: Lam Research in Fremont

18 other open roles at this site · 9 people we found in process roles at Lam Research.

• Process Engineer 5 · Process
• Process Engineer 3 · Process
• Process Technician 3 · Process · Technician
• Facilities Engineer 4 · Reliability
• Engineering Technician 3 · Manufacturing
• Global Product Support Engineering Manager · Manufacturing · Manager