Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$182,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 48.6%
- Live roles
- 473
QA Automation
$142,125
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.1%
- Live roles
- 487
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
Principal Software Engineer in Test (SDET)
Senior Software Development Engineer in Test
Sr Software Development Engineer in Test, ML
Sr. Software Development Engineer in Test, AI/ML
Embedded Software Engineer, Onboard Test Automation
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test
Staff RF Test Automation Engineer, Electronic Warfare
Software Development Engineer in Test, AI Platform
Test Automation Engineer
Sr. Test Automation Engineer (SIL/HIL Infrastructure)
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
PlayStation Global
|
$175,600 | 11 |
Air Apps
|
$61,135 | 11 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$178,750 | 4 |
Housecall Pro
|
$76,800 | 4 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$141,025 | 3 |
Accenture Federal Services
|
$125,500 | 3 |
Dialpad
|
$117,006 | 3 |
Forge Global
|
$190,000 | 2 |
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 |
QA Automation salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $180,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $162,500 | 4 |
| Atlanta | $157,500 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $156,250 | 8 |
| Toronto | $107,500 | 3 |
Embedded Engineer vs QA Automation: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $182,500 per year (typically $152,500–$205,000), versus $142,125 for QA Automation ($113,750–$175,150). That puts Embedded Engineer about 28% 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.