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Embedded System Developer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Lead hardware-in-the-loop and system level testing * Support integration of vehicle software with ... Proficiency in C and C++ for embedded or systems programming * Familiarity with microcontroller or ...

Embedded Systems Engineer

Goleta, CA · On-site

$100K - $200K/yr

Conduct unit testing, integration testing, and system-level testing of embedded software * Participate in technical reviews and collaborate with other engineers to ensure overall system integration

Lead hardware-in-the-loop and system level testing * Support integration of vehicle software with ... Proficiency in C and C++ for embedded or systems programming * Familiarity with microcontroller or ...

Jr Embedded Software Developer

Ventura, CA · On-site

$90K - $100K/yr

Lead hardware-in-the-loop and system level testing * Support integration of vehicle software with ... Proficiency in C and C++ for embedded or systems programming * Familiarity with microcontroller or ...

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Embedded System Developer information

See California salary details

$138.2K

$211.2K

$308.9K

How much do embedded system developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for embedded system developer in California is $211,197.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $154,400.00 and $284,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are embedded system developers?

Embedded system developers are engineers who design, program, and maintain specialized computing systems that are part of larger devices, such as cars, medical equipment, home appliances, and industrial machines. These professionals work with both hardware and software to ensure that the embedded systems are efficient, reliable, and meet specific requirements. Their work often involves programming microcontrollers, integrating sensors and actuators, and optimizing resource-constrained environments. Embedded system developers play a crucial role in creating the technology behind many everyday products.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Embedded System Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Embedded System Developer, you need a solid background in computer science or electrical engineering, with expertise in C/C++ programming, microcontrollers, and real-time operating systems. Familiarity with hardware debugging tools, integrated development environments (IDEs), and version control systems like Git is typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help developers innovate and collaborate in cross-functional teams. These competencies are critical for designing reliable, efficient embedded solutions that power modern devices across industries.

What are some common challenges faced by Embedded System Developers when working on cross-functional teams?

Embedded System Developers often collaborate with hardware engineers, software developers, and product managers. A common challenge is ensuring seamless integration between hardware and software components, as timing and resource constraints can lead to unexpected issues. Clear communication and thorough documentation are crucial for aligning specifications and troubleshooting problems that span both domains. Developers also need to stay adaptable, as project requirements may evolve rapidly based on feedback from other teams or testing results.

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

AspectEmbedded System DeveloperFirmware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Electrical, Computer Engineering, or related fields; certifications like ARM or IoT certifications are commonBachelor's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related; similar certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentDesigning and developing embedded hardware-software systems, often in manufacturing or IoT industriesWriting low-level firmware for microcontrollers and embedded devices, typically in consumer electronics or automotive sectors
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, automotive, industrial automation, IoT firmsConsumer electronics, automotive, medical devices, and embedded hardware manufacturers

Both roles involve working with embedded hardware and software, often requiring similar educational backgrounds and certifications. However, Embedded System Developers focus on designing entire embedded systems, while Firmware Engineers specialize in writing low-level code that runs directly on microcontrollers. The roles are complementary and often overlap in industry applications.

What job categories do people searching Embedded System Developer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Embedded System Developer jobs in California are:
Infographic showing various Embedded System Developer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $211,197 per year, or $101.5 per hour.
Engineer Embedded System Engineering

Engineer Embedded System Engineering

Western Digital

Irvine, CA

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago


Job description

Company Description

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.

As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That's where we come in.

We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.

This isn't theoretical work. It's real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.

We're looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.

Join us and let's shape the future of data.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Embedded System Engineer to provide electronics support to firmware, manufacturing, and customer facing teams for all HDD products:
  • Provide firmware support. Collaborate with firmware development teams to ensure new hardware features are utilized completely and correctly. Work with the FW and HW design team to quickly resolve any electronic issues to ensure product schedules are not gated - includes working with the FW team to come up with a Firmware solution for hardware use cases.
  • Provide Manufacturing Support. Collaborate with manufacturing teams to ensure electronic issues are quickly resolved to not impact yield, quality, or shipments to customers. Develop tools and data mining strategies to monitor and assess failure trends in manufacturing.
  • Provide Customer Support. Collaborate with FAE and WWFA teams to ensure issues do not delay qualification or impact customer satisfaction. Data mining of customer data for failure trends.
  • Embedded System Engineers have broad system level knowledge and some subject matter expertise in one or more areas of the design. They should be aware of technical advances within their area of specialization and may contribute to setting the direction necessary for the group to continuously improve its ability to solve problems and provide support.
  • Embedded System Engineers should utilize methodical problem-solving processes.  They are proficient in using debug tools and techniques. They should own and maintain the tools utilized in their area of expertise. They should be able to independently solve complex problems in their area of expertise.
  • Engineers should meet their goals with some direction and supervision. They should proactively provide status with clear and concise summaries of complex problems.
Qualifications

REQUIRED

  • BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Computer Engineering
  • Experience with failure modes to triage system failures, and use of tools to isolate failure(s) of a particular design area: Blink Codes, error logs (ShowStop/Debug Snapshots), Bus Traces, firmware Event Trace Logging (ETL), debug PCBA design 
  • Experience with high speed signal guidelines of printed circuit boards and ability to identify potential signal integrity problems when reviewing schematics
  • Proficient in Hardware debug using oscilloscopes, signal generators, logic analyzers, bus analyzers, hardware embedded trace, test muxes, GHS Probe, and Serial Debugger.
  • System level knowledge of HDD with understanding of both firmware and hardware.

SKILLS

  • Experience programming using C++ code.
  • Ability to modify code for design-of-experiments.
  • Ability to develop and maintain test scripts written in TCL and Python. 
  • Strong Problem Solving including practical knowledge of A3 and 8D methodologies.
  • Strong communication. Especially the ability to collaborate across engineering organizations, geographies, and cultures. Also, the ability to provide clear and concise summaries of complex problems.
Additional Information

WD is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person's gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal" poster. Our pay transparency policy is available here.

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [email protected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 010/10/2026 (3 months from posting), although we reserve the right to close the application process sooner if we hire an applicant for this position before the application deadline. If we are not able to hire someone from this role before the application deadline, we will update this posting with a new anticipated application deadline.

#LI-TD1

Compensation & Benefits Details

  • An employee's pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
  • The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York.  This range may be modified in the future.
  • If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws.  You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.
  • You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either WD's Short Term Incentive Plan ("STI Plan") or the Sales Incentive Plan ("SIP") which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD's Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.

  • We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program; employee stock purchase plan; and the WD Savings 401(k) Plan.
  • Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company's sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WD and its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately to WD Ethics Helpline or email [email protected].