Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$157,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46%
- Live roles
- 1,081
Full-Stack
$160,950
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 26.6%
- Live roles
- 4,485
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Software Engineer, Embedded (RIS)
Principal Software Engineer - Embedded (RIS)
Principal Software Engineer - Embedded Platform Software Development
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
Embedded Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles (Federal)
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Staff Full Stack Engineer ($500k - $1.5m salary)
Senior/Staff Full Stack Engineer, Applied AI
Fullstack Software Engineer, Agent Platform
Founding Engineer - Full Stack
Full Stack Engineer, Fleet Scheduling
Full-Stack Engineer, ChatGPT Education & Learning
Staff+ Software Engineer, Enterprise (Full Stack)
Staff+ Fullstack Software Engineer, Safeguards Engineering
Staff+ Software Engineer, Full-stack
Lead / Staff Full-Stack Software Engineer - Console Experience
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 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$142,400 | 44 |
|
OpenAI
|
$355,500 | 26 |
CACI
|
$143,125 | 26 |
Accenture Federal Services
|
$135,200 | 23 |
GDIT
|
$168,000 | 19 |
Affirm
|
$183,000 | 15 |
|
Leidos
|
$151,475 | 15 |
|
SpaceX
|
$142,500 | 15 |
Embedded Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | $191,700 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $186,250 | 20 |
| Seattle | $182,209 | 26 |
| Denver | $181,117 | 11 |
| Boston | $180,650 | 6 |
| New York | $178,800 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $170,000 | 34 |
| Austin | $137,919 | 7 |
Full-Stack salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $207,500 | 154 |
| Seattle | $200,041 | 36 |
| New York | $195,000 | 169 |
| Boston | $171,450 | 39 |
| Los Angeles | $165,000 | 27 |
| London | $156,168 | 14 |
| Austin | $155,000 | 24 |
| Chicago | $152,500 | 20 |
| Denver | $150,000 | 15 |
| Atlanta | $145,450 | 14 |
Embedded Engineer vs Full-Stack: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $157,250 per year (typically $127,875–$193,849), versus $160,950 for Full-Stack ($126,455–$200,000). That puts Full-Stack about 2% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Embedded Engineer and Full-Stack 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.