Side-by-side distribution
Embedded Engineer
$159,050
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.8%
- Live roles
- 1,079
Tech Lead
$164,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 28.2%
- Live roles
- 8,613
Highest-paying jobs
Architect/Staff Embedded Software Engineer
Lead Research Scientist/Engineer (Embedded Evaluations)
Principal Software Engineer, Embedded (RIS)
Principal Software Engineer - Embedded (RIS)
Principal Software Engineer - Embedded Platform Software Development
Principal Embedded Engineer, EW
Principal Embedded Software Engineer
Staff Embedded Software Engineer
Senior Embedded Engineer - Command Connector
Principal Embedded Software Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Team Lead Platform Engineering
Engineering Team Lead
Tech Lead, Systems & Platform Applied AI
Technical Lead Manager - Training Runtime, Data(set) Movement
Sr. Staff Engineer, RTL Physical Implementation Lead
RISC-V AI / HPC & Agentic Software Engineering Lead
Lead / Staff Full-Stack Software Engineer - Console Experience
Tech Lead Manager, Core Apps Data Scientist
Data Science Tech Lead Manager, Model Experience
Tech Lead, Deployment & Operations — Custom Infrastructure
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$147,700 | 54 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 27 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$197,582 | 19 |
Motorola Solutions
|
$157,500 | 16 |
SpaceX
|
$145,000 | 16 |
Leidos
|
$151,475 | 13 |
|
Verkada
|
$220,000 | 12 |
Silvus Technologies
|
$170,000 | 10 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$191,100 | 102 |
|
Leidos
|
$151,475 | 79 |
| GV GE Vernova | $123,500 | 78 |
| BO Boeing | $159,000 | 63 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$171,500 | 49 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$162,000 | 46 |
STR
|
$199,500 | 42 |
| SA Salesforce | $242,950 | 27 |
Embedded Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| London | $288,076 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $195,000 | 18 |
| Toronto | $191,700 | 4 |
| Seattle | $185,000 | 25 |
| Boston | $183,300 | 11 |
| New York | $178,800 | 3 |
| Denver | $177,500 | 11 |
| Los Angeles | $170,000 | 39 |
| Austin | $135,125 | 7 |
Tech Lead salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $228,225 | 178 |
| Seattle | $213,250 | 68 |
| New York | $197,971 | 215 |
| Los Angeles | $185,500 | 52 |
| Austin | $180,350 | 72 |
| Denver | $175,850 | 55 |
| Boston | $175,000 | 89 |
| Atlanta | $167,250 | 80 |
| Chicago | $161,800 | 125 |
| Berlin | $151,115 | 10 |
Embedded Engineer vs Tech Lead: which pays more?
The median for Embedded Engineer is $159,050 per year (typically $129,738–$195,000), versus $164,500 for Tech Lead ($132,500–$198,365). That puts Tech Lead about 3% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Embedded Engineer and Tech Lead 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.