Software Engineer
- Pay
- $125,700 – $176,600 per year
- Location
- San Jose, CA
- Listed
- 4 days ago
About the role
The application window is expected to close on: 12/17/2026
Meet the Team
Cisco's Wireless Networking Group is the industry leader in enterprise WLAN, recognized globally for building innovative, simple, and scalable solutions across both on-prem and cloud architectures. We serve as a hub for world-class engineering talent, working together to push the boundaries of what is possible in modern wireless connectivity.
Our environment is fast-paced, highly collaborative, and deeply technical, fostering a culture of shared ownership and professional growth. What makes us truly exciting is the direct influence our software has on the global connectivity landscape, powering the networks that businesses rely on every day.
Your Impact
Join our team as a Software Engineer to design, develop, and sustain the core software that powers Cisco's Wireless Access Point product line. Your focus will be on partnering with team leaders to help them deliver on their commitments. Your contributions directly influence the user experience for millions of enterprise customers, ensuring our solutions remain the standard for high-performance connectivity.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field with 2+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 1+ years of experience.
- Experience in C, C++ programming for embedded systems.
- Expertise in Python scripting for development and automation support.
- Knowledge of network - L2 Switching, IP Routing, TCP/IP, Wireless
- Experience with Linux-based development environments
Preferred Qualifications
- Interpersonal and communication skills to facilitate cross-functional collaboration.
- Sense of ownership and proactive drive to take tasks to closure with quality.
- Commitment to continuous learning and ongoing professional development to adapt to emerging technologies.
- Strong team-oriented mindset with the ability to work effectively within a highly technical, diverse group.
Why Cisco?
- At Cisco, we're revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond.
- We've been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds.
- These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.
- Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions.
- Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you'll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless.
- We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale.
- Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.
We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.
Pay and benefits
The starting salary range posted for this position is $125,700.00 to $176,600.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.
Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.
U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco's policies:
- 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
- 1 paid day off for employee's birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
- Non-exempt employees receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees
- Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)
- 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
- Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members
- Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:
- .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;
- 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;
- 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and
- Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.
For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.
The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:
Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $111,700.00 - $180,800.00
- For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.
- Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.
From Cisco Systems's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on November 5, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.
How Rolev.ai helps with this application
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Common questions
What is the salary for the Software Engineer role at Cisco Systems?
The Software Engineer posting at Cisco Systems states compensation of $125,700 – $176,600 per year. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on Cisco Systems's official career site.
Where is the Software Engineer job at Cisco Systems located?
This Software Engineer position at Cisco Systems is located in San Jose, CA. Always check Cisco Systems's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.
How do I apply for the Software Engineer position at Cisco Systems?
This listing links directly to Cisco Systems's Workday application page. You can apply directly on Cisco Systems's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Workday application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.