Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$158,800
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46%
- Live roles
- 1,083
QA Automation
$137,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 22.8%
- Live roles
- 990
Highest-paying jobs
Architect/Staff Embedded Software Engineer
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
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Connectors)
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Graph Database)
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Infrastructure)
Senior Principal, Solution Test & Automation Engineer
Lead Automation QA Engineer (Calypso)
Lead Automation QA Engineer (Calypso)
Lead Automation QA Engineer (Calypso)
Principal Test Automation Engineer
Senior SDET – Data [Remote-US]
Senior SDET, Back End [Remote-US]
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 |
|---|---|---|
Air Apps
|
$59,402 | 11 |
PlayStation Global
|
$145,600 | 7 |
CACI
|
$134,200 | 7 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$161,953 | 6 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 5 |
Fiserv
|
$132,400 | 5 |
Accenture Federal Services
|
$125,500 | 5 |
Lightmatter
|
$190,250 | 4 |
Embedded Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| London | $279,940 | 3 |
| 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 |
QA Automation salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 4 |
| Seattle | $161,953 | 10 |
| New York | $145,000 | 7 |
| Denver | $142,888 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $141,500 | 10 |
| Boston | $140,750 | 6 |
| Atlanta | $137,500 | 5 |
| Chicago | $128,503 | 10 |
| Toronto | $106,497 | 12 |
Embedded Engineer vs QA Automation: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $158,800 per year (typically $128,000–$194,000), versus $137,500 for QA Automation ($105,000–$167,500). That puts Embedded Engineer about 15% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Embedded Engineer and QA Automation 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.