Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$182,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 48.6%
- Live roles
- 473
Firmware Engineer
$192,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.9%
- Live roles
- 204
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Engineer, Embedded Vehicle Software
Principal Embedded Software Engineer
Staff Embedded Security Engineer
Embedded SW Engineer
Firmware/ Embedded Systems Engineer
Senior Embedded Linux Engineer - Connectivity
Embedded Software Engineer - Access Control
Embedded Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles - Federal
Senior Embedded Systems Engineer
Embedded Security Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Networking Operating System Firmware Engineer
Firmware Engineer, Robotics
ASIC Firmware Engineer, Modeling
Firmware Engineer, RTOS, Consumer Devices
Senior Staff Firmware Engineer
Firmware Engineer, Robotics and Surgery Engineering
Staff Embedded Software Engineer - Camera Firmware
Founding Firmware Engineer
Firmware/ Embedded Systems Engineer
Staff Firmware Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$201,250 | 22 |
SpaceX
|
$145,000 | 13 |
Silvus Technologies
|
$170,000 | 9 |
|
Verkada
|
$232,500 | 8 |
Applied Intuition
|
$196,000 | 7 |
TP-Link Systems Inc.
|
$152,500 | 6 |
Latitude AI
|
$200,000 | 5 |
| AX Axon | $183,300 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 21 |
Lunar Energy
|
$195,000 | 5 |
SK hynix memory solutions America Inc.
|
$135,000 | 5 |
|
OpenAI
|
$360,750 | 4 |
Neros Technologies
|
$174,750 | 4 |
ALSO
|
$220,000 | 3 |
CoreWeave
|
$212,000 | 3 |
OnLogic
|
$110,000 | 3 |
Embedded Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $193,050 | 11 |
| San Francisco | $188,750 | 20 |
| Los Angeles | $181,500 | 16 |
| New York | $178,800 | 5 |
| Boston | $178,750 | 4 |
| Austin | $173,950 | 5 |
| Denver | $157,500 | 4 |
Firmware Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $212,000 | 5 |
| San Francisco | $207,500 | 17 |
| Seattle | $183,300 | 3 |
Embedded Engineer vs Firmware Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $182,500 per year (typically $152,500–$205,000), versus $192,000 for Firmware Engineer ($160,125–$220,000). That puts Firmware Engineer about 5% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Embedded Engineer and Firmware 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.