Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$157,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46%
- Live roles
- 1,081
Software Engineer
$174,050
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33.3%
- Live roles
- 32,648
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 Software Engineer, Machine Learning (Audio)
Senior Software Engineer
Software Engineer - AI
Senior Software Engineer - Database team
Staff Software Engineer, Kubernetes Platform
Staff Software Engineer, Node Infra
Software Engineer, Research Productivity
Staff+ Software Engineer, Developer Productivity
Staff Software Engineer, Code RL
Staff Software Engineer, Claude Code
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 354 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$129,500 | 273 |
|
Leidos
|
$151,475 | 176 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$142,400 | 169 |
|
SpaceX
|
$142,500 | 167 |
OpenAI
|
$355,500 | 150 |
Speechify
|
$170,000 | 144 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$197,582 | 138 |
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 |
Software Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $226,000 | 1,569 |
| New York | $212,500 | 1,393 |
| Sydney | $212,347 | 4 |
| Seattle | $203,500 | 686 |
| Los Angeles | $190,000 | 239 |
| Austin | $187,000 | 197 |
| Boston | $186,050 | 285 |
| Denver | $180,158 | 212 |
| London | $177,094 | 128 |
| Atlanta | $167,500 | 125 |
Embedded Engineer vs Software Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $157,250 per year (typically $127,875–$193,849), versus $174,050 for Software Engineer ($133,404–$216,000). That puts Software Engineer about 11% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Embedded Engineer and Software 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.