Apple has posted a job opening for a 6G Cellular Modem Systems Engineer, with base pay between $175,000 and $308,500 per year. The role sits on Apple’s cellular systems engineering team and covers features for its next generation of cellular modems.
Apple published the listing on its careers site on October 19. San Diego is the main work location, with Sunnyvale, California as a second option, and stock awards and possible bonuses come on top of the base salary.
Apple Wants One Engineer to Own the Modem From Concept to Silicon
The listing describes full ownership of a modem system, from defining features and capabilities through algorithm design, silicon bring-up and productization. The hire would work with Apple’s SoC, PHY, firmware and low-level software teams to meet system requirements across the stack.
Day to day, that means designing physical layer algorithms, modeling them in MATLAB, C/C++ or Python, and checking the results against link-level simulations and data from real deployments. Apple frames the goal as better throughput, latency, battery life and connectivity reliability, and it pitches the job as “a rare opportunity to shape the future of wireless communication.”
The Minimum Qualifications Include Experience With Generative AI Tools
Apple asks for a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering or a related field, plus 10 or more years of industry experience. The rest of the minimum qualifications are technical:
- Strong knowledge of 6G (emerging), 5G NR and 4G LTE, particularly RAN1 in 3GPP
- Proficiency in MATLAB, C/C++ or Python for algorithm development and link-level simulation
- Experience using generative AI and LLM-based tools for work such as algorithm prototyping, code generation, simulation analysis or technical documentation
The preferred qualifications go deeper into 6G research. Apple names AI and machine learning for the air interface, joint communication and sensing, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces as emerging study items, along with low-power algorithm design and familiarity with 3GPP standardization. A record of published research or patents in wireless communications counts in a candidate’s favor.
Apple has been hiring for 6G for a while. Its 6G job postings from late 2023 covered a Cellular Platform Architect and a Modem Systems Software Architect, both tied to 6G reference architecture work.
6G Networks Are Still Expected Around 2030
Apple’s current C2 modem is a 5G design found in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo worldwide, and in the iPhone 18 Pro Max everywhere except the US, where the phone still uses a Qualcomm modem.
The International Telecommunication Union calls 6G IMT-2030 and lists targets of peak data rates from 50 to 200 Gbps depending on the scenario, radio latency of 0.1 to 1 millisecond, and positioning accuracy of 1 to 10 centimeters. It is accepting candidate radio interface technology submissions between February 2027 and February 2029.
The standards body 3GPP plans to write the first 6G specifications in Release 21, which is scheduled to finish between the end of 2028 and early 2029. Commercial 6G networks are expected around 2030.
