Qualcomm, San Diego’s Fortune 500 tech giant, is laying off 66 local employees. The global semiconductor firm, which is San Diego’s largest public company and a major employer in the region, reported the layoffs April 2, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. The job cuts will take effect May 26.

The majority of the layoffs are concentrated in IT, engineering and cybersecurity — with the elimination of about 50 positions, accounting for 80% of the layoffs. A smaller share of jobs were lost in management, marketing and customer service, according to the WARN notice.

The types of jobs eliminated in IT and engineering pay an average salary of $95,000, up to almost $300,000 for senior engineer positions, according to industry salary data.

Almost half of the layoffs — 48% — were senior roles. Nine of those were principal-level positions — including directors and one vice president.

The layoffs affect employees at 11 San Diego facilities, including its headquarters, but no plants will be closed, according to the WARN notice.

The last time Qualcomm filed notable layoffs was in September 2024, saying the reduction in headcount was part of its “diversification strategy” for the business.

Qualcomm did not respond to a request for comment.

Qualcomm isn’t the only tech behemoth reducing its headcount in California. This month, Oracle shed more than 700 jobs. and Meta laid off 200.

Nationally, more than 52,000 U.S. tech employees were laid off in the first three months of 2026, according to an analysis by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a firm that specializes in helping companies manage layoffs. Companies are increasingly replacing human positions with artificial intelligence, the analysis found.

Qualcomm’s most recent quarterly earnings, reported Feb. 4, showed an overall uptick in revenue year over year, though profit lagged.

Revenue increased about 5% over the same period last year to $12.25 billion. First-quarter profits fell about 6% year over year to $3 billion.

A major revenue segment for Qualcomm is its handset business, which includes sales of modems and processors for smartphones. Handset revenue grew 3% year over year to $7.8 billion. Though that revenue stream is expected to slow, the company is leaning more heavily on growth from its automotive sector, which grew 15% year over year, and its Internet of Things sector, which grew 5% year over year.

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