Apple is scaling out its 6G operations with an assortment of job postings across the US and Europe.

The tech giant is currently hiring multiple wireless systems engineers to work on 6G cellular modem development. Job postings across San Diego and Sunnyvale see Apple looking to expand its cellular systems as it “transitions towards 6G.”

The roles and responsibilities span 3GPP standards, algorithm design, hardware architecture, and silicon validation. Candidates are expected to hold 20 years’ relevant industry experience, with salaries ranging between $201,300 and $367,400.

In addition to the engineer roles, Apple is also advertising for a cellular radio frequency (RF) systems architect in Munich, Germany. Also posted this month, the position calls for a “passionate engineer to design the intelligent control algorithms that orchestrate our RF front-end hardware” and help translate “complex 5G and 6G use cases into optimized RF hardware control strategies.” Salaries were not disclosed for the European position.

Apple to lead on 6G

Apple is no stranger to 6G, having begun hiring research-based roles for its 6G ambitions in 2021. In tandem with 6G’s expected arrival at the end of the decade, Apple stepped up its search last year for experts in 5G/post-5G architecture, hardware, and simulation.

Apple’s ambitions solidified at this year’s edition of Mobile World Congress (MWC), which saw the giant team up with Ericsson on a 6G trial deployment. As reported by SDxCentral from the event, the two firms executed a live simulation of multi-radio access technology (RAT) spectrum sharing (MRSS) between 5G and 6G. The demo used proof-of-concept technology running on an Ericsson base station operating in time division duplex (TDD) mid-band, with the aim of validating real-time MRSS interoperability and performance.

Speaking with this title, Marie Hogan, head of 6G portfolio strategy at Ericsson's Business Area Networks, confirmed spectrum sharing will be “very important as a mechanism” as a gradual introduction to 6G, with consensus emerging among Apple and other Ericsson partners that the timing is ripe for 6G specification development. This was confirmed by analysts CCS Insight, who commented that the Ericsson demo showed “Apple’s aim to be at the forefront of cellular technology.”

“If Apple were to fail, it would need to return to licensing modems from another company – similar to how it was forced to switch from Intel to Qualcomm for its mobile phones when 5G launched. Such a switch would lead to an increase in device costs,” claimed researchers.

Elsewhere on the hiring front, Apple recently named John Ternus as its new CEO. Ternus, who currently serves as senior vice president of hardware engineering, will replace the outgoing Tim Cook, who is stepping down from the chief role on September 1, 2026.

SDxCentral has contacted Apple for comment.