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Embedded Firmware Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Embedded Firmware Engineer

Pasadena, CA ยท On-site

$112K - $153K/yr

Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer (Avionics / Platform Interface) Level: Engineer IV Location: In Person We are seeking a Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer to develop and integrate flight-critical ...

Experience with developing firmware applications on ARM processors ... Expertise in ARM embedded architecture. * Expertise in C programming. * Experience working with ...

Embedded Firmware Engineer

Greenwood Village, CO ยท On-site

$101K - $139K/yr

We are seeking a highly skilled Embedded Firmware Engineer to design, develop, and optimize low-level software for advanced embedded systems. This role involves working across the full firmware stack ...

New

Must have experience as strong developer in C for embedded systems Experience Required: Experience required on developing code for the micro controller peripherals such as RS485, SPI, I2C, Ethernet ...

Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer

Austin, TX ยท On-site +1

$118K - $156K/yr

Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer Location: Austin, TX Experience: 10+ Years Employment Type: Contract Position Overview We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer to join ...

Sr. Engineer, Embedded Firmware

San Jose, CA ยท On-site

$160K - $192K/yr

Sr. Engineer, Embedded Firmware Location: San Jose, CA (on-site 3-4 days per week) Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics ...

Sr. Engineer, Embedded Firmware

San Jose, CA ยท On-site

$160K - $192K/hr

Sr. Engineer, Embedded Firmware Location: San Jose, CA (on-site 3-4 days per week) Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics ...

Firmware Developer

Willmar, MN ยท On-site

$75K - $110K/yr

Firmware Developer Pay Range: $75,000 - $110,000/Year Who is Nova-Tech Engineering? Headquartered ... Program and debug embedded systems (C preferred), including drivers, device communication, and ...

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Embedded Firmware Developer information

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How much do embedded firmware developer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average hourly pay for embedded firmware developer in the United States is $52.56, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $51.20 and $54.09 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges an embedded firmware developer faces when integrating new hardware components into existing systems?

Integrating new hardware components often requires Embedded Firmware Developers to adapt existing code to support different communication protocols or hardware interfaces. This process can be challenging due to limited documentation, real-time resource constraints, and the need to ensure compatibility with legacy systems. Developers must also rigorously test the firmware to catch timing and synchronization issues, which are crucial in embedded environments. Close collaboration with hardware engineers and thorough debugging are essential to successfully overcome these integration challenges.

What is an embedded firmware developer?

Embedded Firmware Developers are engineers who design, write, and test the low-level software (firmware) that runs on embedded systems. These systems are specialized computing devices found in products like cars, medical devices, appliances, and industrial machines. Firmware developers work closely with hardware engineers to ensure the software efficiently controls and interacts with hardware components, often using programming languages like C or C++. Their work is crucial for the reliable operation and functionality of devices that rely on embedded technology.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an embedded firmware developer?

To thrive as an Embedded Firmware Developer, you need a solid background in computer science or electrical engineering, strong programming skills in C/C++, and experience with microcontroller architectures. Familiarity with development tools like debuggers, oscilloscopes, version control systems (e.g., Git), and real-time operating systems (RTOS) is typically required. Analytical problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective teamwork distinguish top performers in this role. These competencies are crucial for designing reliable, efficient firmware that integrates seamlessly with hardware and meets project requirements.

What is the difference between Embedded Firmware Developer vs Embedded Software Engineer?

AspectEmbedded Firmware DeveloperEmbedded Software Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields; knowledge of C/C++Bachelor's in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related; proficiency in C/C++, RTOS
Work EnvironmentHardware-focused, working closely with microcontrollers and embedded systemsSoftware-focused, developing applications for embedded platforms
Industry UsageConsumer electronics, automotive, medical devicesIndustrial automation, IoT devices, consumer electronics
Search & Comparison IntentYesYes

Embedded Firmware Developers primarily focus on programming microcontrollers and firmware directly interacting with hardware. Embedded Software Engineers develop higher-level software for embedded systems, often working on applications running on embedded OS or platforms. Both roles require similar technical skills but differ in hardware interaction depth and scope.

More about Embedded Firmware Developer jobs
What cities are hiring for Embedded Firmware Developer jobs? Cities with the most Embedded Firmware Developer job openings:
What states have the most Embedded Firmware Developer jobs? States with the most job openings for Embedded Firmware Developer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Embedded Firmware Developer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 17% Contract. Highlights an 80% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,333 per year, or $52.6 per hour.

Embedded Firmware Engineer

Sophia Space

Pasadena, CA โ€ข On-site

$112K - $153K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 26 days ago


Job description

Sophia Space is a venture-backed deep technology company building high-performance, energy-efficient computing systems designed to operate in orbit. Our work sits at the intersection of aerospace systems, advanced computing, and applied physics, supporting early customers and partners across defense, intelligence, and commercial space markets.
We are currently at the Seed stage, scaling our engineering organization and lab infrastructure as we move from technical validation into early commercial deployments. The company is headquartered in California, with primary engineering and lab operations based in Southern California. Over the coming year, Sophia will continue expanding its team, maturing internal systems, and relocating to a new lab facility during the summer.
Team: Tile Development Team
Hiring Authority: VP of Engineering
Role / Title: Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer (Avionics / Platform Interface)
Level: Engineer IV
Location: In Person
Job Description
We are seeking a Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer to develop and integrate flight-critical embedded software for Sophia Space's avionics systems and Tile platform. This role requires deep hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, low-level firmware development, and close collaboration across avionics hardware, systems, and software teams.
This is a highly technical, execution-driven role in a fast-moving startup environment. You will be responsible for bringing new avionics hardware boards from first power-on through stable, flight-ready operation, while ensuring firmware interfaces and drivers integrate cleanly with Jetson-based compute nodes and higher-level platform software. The ideal candidate has extensive hands-on experience writing bootloaders, BSPs, and HALs; reading schematics; probing signals on the bench; and designing resilient embedded software that operates autonomously in constrained, mission-critical environments
Location & Eligibility
This position is primarily in-person in Pasadena, California, with occasional hybrid flexibility based on business needs.
This position requires access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control laws. To comply with applicable ITAR and EAR regulations, applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person, as defined under those regulations. U.S. Persons generally include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and certain protected individuals as defined by applicable law.
Primary Responsibilities
  • Design and implement bootloaders, BSPs, HALs, and low-level device drivers tightly coupled to custom avionics hardware.
  • Bring up new ARM-based flight boards from first power-on through stable firmware operation, working directly from schematics and hardware documentation
  • Build firmware using bare-metal and/or RTOS architectures with deterministic timing and fault tolerance.
  • Develop low-level flight firmware as part of system fault tolerance to, including command and telemetry handling, health monitoring, FDIR, safe-mode behavior, and autonomous recovery.
  • Customize and integrate Jetson Linux platforms, including boot chain, device tree, kernel bring-up, and MCU to Jetson interfaces.
  • Debug and resolve hardware-software integration issues, collaborating closely with avionics and systems engineers through test and flight readiness.
  • Implement and validate power sequencing, reset handling, watchdogs, interrupt
  • handling, DMA, and linker configurations.
  • Customize and integrate Jetson Linux platforms, including boot chain configuration, device tree updates, kernel bring-up, and MCU-to-Jetson interfaces.
  • Debug and resolve hardware-software integration issues using JTAG/SWD, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and other bench tools.
  • Collaborate closely with avionics hardware, systems, and mission teams through integration testing, protoflight activities, and flight readiness reviews.
  • Develop and maintain MCU-side firmware supporting power, thermal, communications, and telemetry functions.
  • Support and evolve redundant communication paths (e.g., dual CAN) for coordination, monitoring, and fault tolerance. Define, document, and maintain stable firmware interfaces consumed by higher-level platform software.
  • Partner with software engineers to ensure firmware behavior aligns with system-level requirements and operational constraints.
  • Contribute to embedded build automation, reproducibility, and test infrastructure where appropriate.

Required Skills
  • 7+ years of hands-on embedded firmware development experience in the aerospace, robotics, automotive, or other safety- or mission-critical systems environments.
  • Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems.
  • Strong experience with ARM Cortex-M (M4/M5/M7 or similar) architectures.
  • Proven experience developing bootloaders, BSPs, HALs, and hardware-facing device drivers.
  • Demonstrated ability to bring up new hardware from schematics to working firmware.
  • Strong understanding of power sequencing, resets, watchdogs, interrupts, DMA, and linker scripts.
  • Hands-on debugging experience with JTAG/SWD, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.
  • Experience working with embedded Linux systems (Jetson or similar platforms)
  • Ability to operate independently and take full ownership in a startup environment

Desired Skills
  • Familiarity with flight software architectures and fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) concepts.
  • Experience with RTOS environments such as FreeRTOS, RTEMS, RTLinux, or Embassy
  • Experience with radiation-tolerant or space-grade MCUs
  • Familiarity with embedded communication protocols such as CAN, RS485, SPI, I2C, UART, SpaceWire, or CCSDS telemetry systems
  • Experience with secure boot, image signing, and in-field firmware update strategies
  • Experience to CI/CD pipeline or automated build environments for embedded systems
  • Experience with supporting protoflight or flight hardware and design reviews