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Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern Jobs in Irvine, CA

Fluxergy

Firmware Engineer Intern

Irvine, CA · On-site

$20/hr

About the Role We are seeking a motivated Firmware Engineering Intern to support embedded systems and firmware development efforts for MK14 daughter board platforms in a collaborative engineering ...

Brelle

Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer

Los Alamitos, CA · On-site

$165K - $225K/yr

About the Role As a Senior Firmware / Software Engineer, you will be a core technical owner of Brelle's embedded platform, building the software foundation that powers a vehicle embedded architecture ...

Traka (Assa Abloy)

Firmware Engineer

Lake Forest, CA · On-site

$81.81 - $128.57/hr

Industry experience in embedded firmware/software development for microcontrollers.* Design experience in C/C++ for embedded applications.* Experience with chip-to-chip communication protocols or ...

Anduril Industries

Firmware Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

Take full ownership of design, implementation and completion of embedded firmware projects * Mentor other firmware engineers and help teach best practices in design engineering * Contribute to team ...

Assa Abloy

Firmware Engineer

Lake Forest, CA · On-site

Industry experience in embedded firmware/software development for microcontrollers. * Design experience in C/C++ for embedded applications. * Experience with chip-to-chip communication protocols or ...

Assa Abloy

Sr. Firmware Engineer II

Lake Forest, CA · On-site

$189K - $195K/yr

Sr. Firmware Engineer II Job Summary Research, evaluate, and prototype emerging wireless and ... Design, develop, and architect embedded systems and firmware solutions for smart locks and access ...

ASSA ABLOY

Firmware Engineer

Lake Forest, CA · Hybrid

Industry experience in embedded firmware/software development for microcontrollers. * Design experience in C/C++ for embedded applications. * Experience with chip-to-chip communication protocols or ...

ASSA ABLOY

Sr. Firmware Engineer II

Lake Forest, CA · On-site

$189K - $195K/yr

Sr. Firmware Engineer II Job Summary Research, evaluate, and prototype emerging wireless and ... Design, develop, and architect embedded systems and firmware solutions for smart locks and access ...

Slope

Firmware Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$166 - $220/hr

Take full ownership of design, implementation and completion of embedded firmware projects * Mentor other firmware engineers and help teach best practices in design engineering * Contribute to team ...

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All JobsEmbedded Firmware Engineer Intern JobsEmbedded Firmware Engineer Intern Jobs in Irvine, CA

Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern information

See Irvine, CA salary details

$78.9K

$131K

$176K

How much do embedded firmware engineer intern jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for embedded firmware engineer intern in Irvine, CA is $130,962.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $110,600.00 and $151,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an embedded firmware engineer intern do?

An Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern assists in developing, testing, and debugging software that runs on hardware devices, such as microcontrollers and embedded systems. Their responsibilities may include writing code in languages like C or C++, working with circuit boards, and collaborating with hardware and software teams to ensure system functionality. Interns often participate in troubleshooting hardware-software integration issues and supporting the development process from concept to prototype. This role provides valuable hands-on experience in both software development and electronics.

What types of projects and responsibilities can an embedded firmware engineer intern expect during their internship?

As an Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern, you can expect to work on tasks such as writing and debugging code for microcontrollers, assisting with hardware-software integration, and performing tests to validate firmware functionality. You may collaborate closely with hardware engineers, participate in code reviews, and help develop or update documentation. Interns are often given opportunities to contribute to real-world product development, which provides valuable hands-on experience and exposure to the full engineering lifecycle. This role is a great way to build technical skills and learn how cross-functional engineering teams operate in practice.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an embedded firmware engineer intern, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern, you need a solid understanding of C/C++ programming, microcontroller architectures, and basic electronics, often supported by coursework in electrical or computer engineering. Familiarity with IDEs, version control systems (like Git), and debugging tools such as oscilloscopes or logic analyzers is typically expected. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication are important soft skills for this position. These skills and qualities ensure you can contribute to reliable firmware development, collaborate with hardware teams, and adapt to the fast-paced demands of embedded systems projects.

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

AspectEmbedded Firmware Engineer InternEmbedded Software Developer Intern
CredentialsTypically pursuing or holding a degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fieldsUsually pursuing or holding a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related fields
Work EnvironmentHardware-focused, working closely with microcontrollers, embedded systems, and firmware developmentSoftware-focused, working on embedded OS, application software, and system integration
Industry UsageCommon in electronics, IoT, automotive, and consumer device industriesCommon in consumer electronics, IoT, and software development companies

The Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern primarily focuses on developing low-level firmware for hardware devices, working closely with microcontrollers and embedded systems. In contrast, the Embedded Software Developer Intern works more on higher-level software components, often involving embedded operating systems and application development. Both roles require knowledge of programming languages like C/C++, but their focus areas differ, aligning with hardware versus software development within embedded systems.

How much do embedded firmware engineer interns make?

Embedded firmware engineer interns typically earn between $15 and $25 per hour, depending on location, company size, and level of experience. Interns often work part-time during the school year or full-time in the summer, gaining skills in C/C++ programming, debugging, and working with microcontrollers and embedded systems.

How to get an internship in embedded firmware engineering?

To secure an internship as an embedded firmware engineer, candidates should have a strong understanding of embedded systems, experience with programming languages like C or C++, and familiarity with microcontrollers and development tools such as IDEs and debuggers. Building a portfolio of personal or academic projects and obtaining relevant certifications can also improve chances. Applying to companies with internship programs and demonstrating practical skills during interviews are key steps.

Is embedded firmware engineering a good career?

Embedded firmware engineering is a growing field with strong demand in industries such as consumer electronics, automotive, and healthcare. It involves developing low-level software for hardware devices, requiring skills in programming languages like C and knowledge of hardware interfaces. The role offers opportunities for specialization, innovation, and stable employment, making it a viable career choice for those interested in embedded systems development.

What are popular job titles related to Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern jobs in Irvine, CA?

For Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern jobs in Irvine, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern jobs in Irvine, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern jobs in Irvine, CA are:

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Cities near Irvine, CA with the most Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern job openings:

Embedded Firmware Engineer Intern jobs near you

Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer

Hire Ventures, Inc.

Los Alamitos, CA • On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Posted 15 days ago

Job description

Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer - Rust and Connected Devices
About CI Solutions
CI Solutions develops secure identity and credentialing technology for schools and other organizations. Our products support student identification, card issuance, RFID and NFC credentials, connected readers, and integrations with the systems our clients use every day.
CR-One is our networked NFC/RFID reader platform. It supports student-ID, transportation, food service, access, attendance, and other credential-based programs. The first generation of CR-One readers is moving into customer and partner environments, and we are hiring an experienced firmware engineer to take technical ownership of the platform.
The role
We are looking for a Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer to own the CR-One firmware platform and the tools used to build, provision, release, update, and support it.
You will take ownership of an in-production system, develop a deep understanding of its architecture, keep the deployed fleet healthy, and extend it for future products and use cases. You will work closely with hardware, backend, product, manufacturing, technical services, and external engineering partners.
What you will work on
  • Embedded Rust device architecture
  • NFC RFID
  • Cellular, BLE, USB, and GNSS
  • Security and device lifecycle
  • Protocols and fleet tooling

Responsibilities
  • Take technical ownership of the CR-One firmware platform and its build, flash, provisioning, release, and update pipelines.
  • Safely extend and improve firmware running on devices in customer and partner environments.
  • Own the OTA release lifecycle, including signing, staged deployment, rollback, health validation, and incident response.
  • Diagnose firmware and hardware problems using logs, telemetry, serial traces, and controlled reproduction.
  • Improve reproducible builds, release documentation, and operational visibility.
  • Maintain backward compatibility across firmware versions, device configurations, and shared wire protocols.
  • Support factory programming, provisioning, production testing, hardware revisions, and manufacturing failure analysis.
  • Partner with backend and dashboard engineers on device configuration, telemetry, fleet health, and remote support.
  • Help define the firmware architecture for future CR-One generations.
  • Improve the system incrementally while continuing to deliver customer and partner capabilities.

Required qualifications
  • Strong professional in embedded systems, infrastructure, performance-sensitive, or similarly demanding software.
  • Substantial hands-on microcontroller firmware experience.
  • Experience with RTOS-based systems, interrupts, peripheral drivers, persistent state, and resource-constrained devices.
  • Ability to bring up and debug hardware directly from datasheets, register maps, and protocol specifications.
  • Experience supporting embedded product through production and after deployment.
  • Understanding of firmware release safety, OTA updates, device recovery, and field-failure investigation.
  • Strong bench-debugging skills.
  • Experience taking ownership of a large, evolving codebase and improving it without stopping delivery.
  • Sound engineering judgment and the ability to communicate clearly across firmware, hardware, backend, product, and operations teams.

Preferred experience
Experience in some of the following areas is valuable, but we do not expect candidates to have worked with every technology:
  • Embedded Rust or Rust on ESP-IDF.
  • ESP32, ESP-IDF, FreeRTOS, or comparable embedded platforms.
  • LTE-M, NB-IoT, Quectel, u-blox, or other cellular modem integrations.
  • MQTT, TLS, mutual TLS, PKI, X.509, and certificate enrollment.
  • NFC & RFID protocols, including ISO 14443, ISO 15693, MIFARE, DESFire, or NFC-V.
  • USB device stacks, HID, CDC, TinyUSB, BLE, and GNSS.
  • Secure boot, flash encryption, hardware provisioning, and protected key storage.
  • Differential or delta OTA systems.
  • Binary and JSON serialization formats.
  • Python, Bash, firmware release tooling, cross-compilation, and build automation.
  • MQTT-broker, or fleet-management experience.

Why Join CI Solutions
For more than 30 years, we have built our business by earning the trust of our customers, partners, and employees. We value long-term relationships, we approach our work with integrity and take pride in delivering solutions that customers rely on every day.
We are a small, agile, and fast-paced company that offers employees the opportunity to take ownership, drive improvements, work collaboratively across departments, and make a meaningful impact without layers of bureaucracy.
In this role, you will own the CR-One firmware platform and the decisions you make will directly shape how current and future devices are built, deployed and supported. This role is a strong fit for an engineer who enjoys ambitious embedded work, wants meaningful technical ownership, and is motivated by seeing hardware operate successfully in real customer environments.
* This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship *

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