Side-by-side distribution
Backend Engineer
$185,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.5%
- Live roles
- 2,797
Embedded Engineer
$158,150
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46%
- Live roles
- 1,081
Highest-paying jobs
Senior/Staff Backend Engineer, Applied AI
Expert Backend Engineer
Software Engineer, Backend
Senior Backend Engineer, Perpetuals
Senior Staff Software Engineer, API
Staff/Principal Backend Software Engineer
Staff/Principal Backend Software Engineer
Software Engineer, API Agents
Backend Software Engineer, GTM Innovation
Software Engineer, API Safety
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Software Engineer - Embedded (RIS)
Principal Software Engineer - Embedded Platform Software Development
Principal Software Engineer, Embedded (RIS)
Principal Embedded Software Engineer
Senior Embedded Engineer - Command Connector
Principal Embedded Software Engineer
Embedded Software Engineer, Power, Level 5
Embedded SW Engineer
Principal BIOS Embedded Software Engineer
Senior Embedded Software Engineer - Connectivity
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Affirm
|
$158,000 | 50 |
Air Apps
|
$65,555 | 33 |
|
OpenAI
|
$355,500 | 17 |
Databricks
|
$195,500 | 14 |
Grafana Labs
|
$148,144 | 14 |
|
Verkada
|
$225,000 | 11 |
| KA Kalepa | $219,000 | 11 |
Robinhood
|
$180,500 | 9 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$142,500 | 60 |
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 26 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$181,117 | 17 |
SpaceX
|
$145,000 | 15 |
Leidos
|
$122,275 | 14 |
|
Verkada
|
$220,000 | 12 |
Motorola Solutions
|
$121,750 | 11 |
Silvus Technologies
|
$170,000 | 10 |
Backend Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $215,000 | 148 |
| New York | $205,000 | 173 |
| Seattle | $200,000 | 52 |
| Los Angeles | $196,000 | 17 |
| Boston | $191,500 | 19 |
| Denver | $167,950 | 11 |
| Austin | $160,625 | 14 |
| Chicago | $150,350 | 10 |
| Singapore | $143,718 | 6 |
| Toronto | $139,976 | 42 |
Embedded Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | $191,700 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $186,250 | 20 |
| Seattle | $183,300 | 25 |
| Denver | $181,117 | 11 |
| Boston | $180,650 | 6 |
| New York | $178,800 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $170,000 | 34 |
| Austin | $137,919 | 7 |
Backend Engineer vs Embedded Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Backend Engineer is $185,000 per year (typically $140,342–$219,213), versus $158,150 for Embedded Engineer ($127,875–$194,250). That puts Backend Engineer about 17% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Backend Engineer and Embedded Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.