Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$158,900
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.5%
- Live roles
- 1,071
QA Engineer
$130,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 37.4%
- Live roles
- 5,094
Highest-paying jobs
Architect/Staff Embedded Software Engineer
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
Highest-paying jobs
Senior QA Engineer
ATE Test Development Engineer
Test Engineer, System-Level Test (SLT)
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Infrastructure)
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Connectors)
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Graph Database)
Mechanical Engineer, PCBA Test Infrastructure, Robotics
Senior Principal, Solution Test & Automation Engineer
Principal Software Test Engineer - Solution Engineering – Customer Solution Validation
Senior/Staff Design for Test Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$142,500 | 61 |
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 26 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$181,117 | 17 |
SpaceX
|
$145,000 | 15 |
Leidos
|
$122,275 | 13 |
|
Verkada
|
$220,000 | 12 |
Silvus Technologies
|
$170,000 | 10 |
Motorola Solutions
|
$132,503 | 10 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$123,000 | 158 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 147 |
|
Leidos
|
$122,275 | 89 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$145,228 | 80 |
CACI
|
$116,650 | 43 |
Air Apps
|
$59,402 | 43 |
Relativity Space
|
$155,000 | 33 |
|
SpaceX
|
$117,500 | 33 |
Embedded Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| London | $279,940 | 3 |
| Toronto | $191,700 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $186,250 | 18 |
| Seattle | $182,209 | 26 |
| Denver | $181,117 | 11 |
| Boston | $180,650 | 6 |
| New York | $178,800 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $170,000 | 34 |
| Austin | $135,125 | 7 |
QA Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 53 |
| San Francisco | $162,500 | 60 |
| Austin | $156,000 | 18 |
| Denver | $146,614 | 30 |
| Atlanta | $146,500 | 21 |
| Seattle | $145,228 | 87 |
| New York | $145,000 | 21 |
| Boston | $136,100 | 16 |
| Chicago | $129,000 | 17 |
| Toronto | $98,510 | 31 |
Embedded Engineer vs QA Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $158,900 per year (typically $127,500–$193,950), versus $130,750 for QA Engineer ($105,225–$161,953). That puts Embedded Engineer about 22% 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.