Engineering Tech 4
MKS Instruments · Irvine, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Preferred
- Experience asked
- 4+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Yesterday
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at MKS Instruments (industrial) in Irvine, CA. , you will report to the Manager of Test Engineering.
- They ask for
- 4+ years · degree preferred
- Tools it names
- Tooling
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $115k–$169k.
Median of the low and high ends of 150 live postings that list pay, out of 397 manufacturing 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 396 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (4+ vs 5+)
Typical $110k–$159k, from 130 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 52%
- New product launch 46%
- Root cause 38%
- Automation 34%
- Machining 28%
- CATIA / NX 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at MKS Instruments
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 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.
- 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 does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 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
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: MKS Instruments in Irvine
1 other open role at this site.
- Equipment Maintenance Technician · Reliability · Technician
Engineering Tech 4 at MKS Instruments in other locations
MKS Instruments lists this title in 3 places. Pick the plant you can get to.
Full description from MKS InstrumentsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
qualifications
and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.
If applying for a specific job, please include the requisition number (ex: RXXXX), the title and location of the role
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
A Day in Your Life at MKS
As an Engineering Tech at MKS, you will partner with Internal Engineering Teams to design, develop, build, test, & validate prototype engineering assemblies & custom test fixtures.
In this role, you will report to the Manager of Test Engineering.
You Will Make an Impact By
- •Support ad hoc assembly of mechanical and electrical prototyping and assemblies.
- •Work with a multi-disciplined team to deliver robust, repeatable fixturing and tooling used to manufacture high precision optics and optical assemblies.
- •Prepare and debug mechanical and electrical assemblies for tooling and fixturing to facilitate manufacturing
- •Follow written procedures or drawings developed by engineers and suggest improvements
- •Solder components including PCBAs
- •Create wire harnesses
Skills You Bring
- •Associate degree or equivalent technician experience preferred
- •Minimum of 4+ years of related experience
- •The ability to read engineering drawings and bill of materials
- •Analytical mind
- •Ability to generate creative solutions
- •Demonstrate an attention to detail
- •Accomplish daily tasks with minimal oversight
- •Identify and fix problems quickly