Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$185,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 52.9%
- Live roles
- 450
QA Engineer
$136,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.8%
- Live roles
- 2,129
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Engineer, Embedded Linux Developer
Helix AI Engineer, Embedded Android Systems
Principal Embedded Security Engineer
Sr. Software Engineer, Embedded Agentic AI
Staff Embedded Firmware Engineer
Principal Embedded Software Engineer
Embedded Software Test Engineer, Onboard Test Automation
Embedded SW Engineer
Staff Embedded Linux Engineer
Embedded Systems Engineer-Federal
Highest-paying jobs
Senior QA Engineer
Senior Quality Assurance Engineer
Senior Associate - Test Automation & Tools Development Engineer
Senior/Staff Design for Test Engineer
Principal Electrical Engineer, Integration & Test
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Staff SDET)
Embedded Software Test Engineer, Onboard Test Automation
Principal Software Engineer in Test (SDET)
Manufacturing Software Test Engineer
Software Engineer, Manufacturing Test Systems
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$199,500 | 25 |
Silvus Technologies
|
$170,000 | 10 |
SpaceX
|
$142,500 | 9 |
| AX Axon | $183,300 | 7 |
Verkada
|
$245,000 | 6 |
Applied Intuition
|
$202,000 | 6 |
TP-Link Systems Inc.
|
$140,000 | 6 |
STR
|
$130,500 | 6 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$164,500 | 101 |
Air Apps
|
$61,692 | 43 |
Relativity Space
|
$153,375 | 30 |
|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 18 |
|
PlayStation Global
|
$209,700 | 15 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$117,500 | 15 |
Vast
|
$166,656 | 11 |
Archer
|
$162,000 | 11 |
Embedded Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | $200,750 | 4 |
| Seattle | $193,000 | 13 |
| Austin | $186,975 | 6 |
| Boston | $183,300 | 11 |
| San Francisco | $180,000 | 19 |
| Los Angeles | $180,000 | 15 |
| Denver | $177,500 | 3 |
| New York | $167,500 | 6 |
QA Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Bangalore | $194,838 | 3 |
| Seattle | $162,500 | 9 |
| San Francisco | $161,000 | 39 |
| Austin | $155,000 | 7 |
| Atlanta | $152,750 | 10 |
| Los Angeles | $152,500 | 25 |
| Boston | $136,400 | 12 |
| New York | $134,750 | 12 |
| Denver | $115,000 | 4 |
| Toronto | $106,250 | 20 |
Embedded Engineer vs QA Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $185,000 per year (typically $155,000–$208,938), versus $136,000 for QA Engineer ($107,500–$170,000). That puts Embedded Engineer about 36% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Embedded Engineer and QA 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.