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Firmware Test Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Antares

Firmware Engineer I-II

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$120K - $160K/yr

Design, develop, test, and maintain firmware for reactor instrumentation, control, monitoring, and ... Collaborate with electrical engineers on schematics, board design reviews, signal integrity ...

1X Technologies AS

Test Engineer

San Carlos, CA · On-site

$119K - $179K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Operating across hardware, firmware, software, and systems engineering, this team plays a critical ... As a Robotics Test Engineer, your work will directly influence product quality, reliability, and ...

Fellow

Automation Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Design test cases and firmware validation plans for each product, following the framework and ... Collaborate with firmware and electrical engineers to validate embedded systems and connected ...

Aspinity

Senior Firmware Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150 - $210/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • PTO

Senior Firmware Engineer Somewear's software platform and satellite‑powered hardware enable ... Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, automated test frameworks, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL ...

Fellow

Automation Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Design test cases and firmware validation plans for each product, following the framework and ... Collaborate with firmware and electrical engineers to validate embedded systems and connected ...

Monks

Battery Test Engineer

Cupertino, CA

Battery Test Engineer The Role We are seeking a hands-on Battery Test Engineer with a proactive ... You will work with the Battery Software Qualification team to develop battery firmware, algorithm ...

Vertex Sigma Software

Test Engineer

Foster City, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Radar Test Engineer Onsite in Foster City, CA 5 days in office Responsibilities: Schedule vehicle ... Radar Firmware validation Next Generation Radar evaluation Follow up on the logistics and ...

Vertex Sigma Software

Test Engineer

Foster City, CA

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Radar Test Engineer Onsite in Foster City, CA | 5 days in office Responsibilities: Schedule vehicle ... Radar Firmware validation Next Generation Radar evaluation Follow up on the logistics and ...

Vertex Sigma Software

Test Engineer

Foster City, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Radar Test Engineer Onsite in Foster City, CA 5 days in office Responsibilities: Schedule vehicle ... Radar Firmware validation Next Generation Radar evaluation Follow up on the logistics and ...

Vertex Sigma Software

Test Engineer

Foster City, CA

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Radar Test Engineer Onsite in Foster City, CA | 5 days in office Responsibilities: Schedule vehicle ... Radar Firmware validation Next Generation Radar evaluation Follow up on the logistics and ...

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All JobsFirmware Test Engineer JobsFirmware Test Engineer Jobs in California

Firmware Test Engineer information

See California salary details

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How much do firmware test engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for firmware test engineer in California is $58.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $42.45 and $75.43 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a firmware test engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Firmware Test Engineer, you need strong skills in embedded systems, programming languages like C/C++, and a solid understanding of hardware-software integration, often supported by a degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field. Familiarity with test automation tools, version control systems (e.g., Git), and debugging equipment such as oscilloscopes is typically required. Analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication help distinguish top performers in this role. These skills ensure accurate testing, efficient troubleshooting, and high-quality firmware delivery in complex technical environments.

What are the typical challenges a firmware test engineer faces when validating new hardware products?

Firmware Test Engineers often encounter challenges related to limited documentation, rapidly evolving hardware prototypes, and integration issues between firmware and physical components. Testing often requires developing custom test setups and automation tools to simulate real-world scenarios, which can be time-consuming but crucial for identifying hidden bugs. Collaboration with hardware and software teams is essential to troubleshoot issues quickly, and adaptability is key as project priorities and specifications may shift throughout the development cycle.

What is a firmware test engineer?

A Firmware Test Engineer is a professional responsible for designing, developing, and executing tests to ensure the quality and reliability of firmware, which is low-level software that controls hardware devices. They work closely with development teams to identify bugs, verify functionality, and validate performance across various hardware platforms. Their role is critical in preventing defects, improving product stability, and ensuring that firmware meets customer and regulatory standards.

What is the difference between Firmware Test Engineer vs Hardware Test Engineer?

AspectFirmware Test EngineerHardware Test Engineer
Primary FocusTesting firmware/software components embedded in devicesTesting physical hardware and electronic components
Required SkillsEmbedded systems, coding, debugging firmwareElectronics, circuit analysis, hardware troubleshooting
Work EnvironmentDevelopment labs, software testing environmentsHardware labs, electronic testing facilities
Common CertificationsEmbedded systems certifications, ISTQBElectronics certifications, IPC certifications

Firmware Test Engineers focus on validating embedded software within devices, while Hardware Test Engineers concentrate on physical hardware components. Both roles often collaborate in product development but require different technical skills and testing environments.

What are popular job titles related to Firmware Test Engineer jobs in California?

For Firmware Test Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Firmware Test Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Firmware Test Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Firmware Test Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Firmware Test Engineer job openings:

What are popular job titles related to Firmware Test Engineer jobs in CA?

For Firmware Test Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Firmware Test Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Firmware Test Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 11% Part Time, 2% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 93% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $120,630 per year, or $58 per hour.

Firmware Engineer I-II

Antares

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$120K - $160K/yr

Full-time

Posted 23 days ago

Job description

About Us
At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We're fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we're building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.
The Antares team hails from SpaceX, the White House, the Pentagon, the Department of Energy, MIT, Rigetti Computing, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Idaho, Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Savannah River. Antares has raised over $600M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has hundreds of million-dollars on contract with the military services, NASA, and the Department of Energy.
About the Role
Antares is seeking a Firmware Engineer to build the embedded software that enables our first-of-a-kind microreactor hardware to operate reliably in real time. This firmware sits at the interface between custom electronics and reactor control infrastructure, translating sensor signals, device commands, timing requirements, diagnostics, and fault responses into dependable behavior at the hardware level.
In this role, you will develop firmware for embedded controllers, instrumentation electronics, data acquisition systems, and test hardware. You will help define how reactor hardware is initialized, monitored, commanded, diagnosed, and protected across development, integration, and qualification environments.
You will work closely with electrical, controls, reactor software, safety, and test teams to design, implement, bring up, and validate firmware that interacts directly with sensors, actuators, custom electronics, communication buses, control algorithms, and hardware-in-the-loop systems. Your work will be central to ensuring Antares' reactor hardware can be safely operated, tested, diagnosed, qualified, and eventually deployed.
Key Responsibilities
  • Design, develop, test, and maintain firmware for reactor instrumentation, control, monitoring, and electrical support systems.
  • Develop embedded software in C/C++ for microcontrollers, embedded processors, and real-time hardware platforms.
  • Bring up new hardware, debug board-level issues, and validate firmware behavior using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, power supplies, and other lab equipment.
  • Implement communication interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, RS-485, or similar protocols.
  • Develop firmware for sensor acquisition, actuator control, telemetry, diagnostics, fault detection, and system health monitoring.
  • Collaborate with electrical engineers on schematics, board design reviews, signal integrity concerns, interface definitions, and hardware/software requirements.
  • Collaborate with systems, software, test, and licensing teams to ensure firmware supports safety, reliability, and regulatory requirements.
  • Participate in design reviews and ensure firmware designs are technically sound, testable, and traceable.
  • Support hardware-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, automated test frameworks, data acquisition systems, and integration campaigns.
  • Develop firmware test plans, verification procedures, and documentation for configuration-controlled hardware and software releases.
  • Analyze failure modes, define safe states, and implement fault-handling logic for embedded systems.
  • Drive root-cause investigations for firmware, electrical, and integration issues through bench testing and system-level debugging.

Basic Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
  • 2+ years of experience developing production software in C, C++, Python, Rust, or similar languages for hardware-integrated, distributed, embedded, robotics, aerospace, automotive, industrial, or mission-critical systems.
  • Experience building multi-threaded or multi-process software systems, including IPC, networking, message passing, or publish/subscribe architectures.
  • Experience integrating software with sensors, controllers, DAQs, power supplies, embedded systems, or other hardware-facing interfaces.
  • Strong debugging skills across software, hardware, and system-integration boundaries.
  • Ability to design clear software interfaces, data models, state machines, and testable system behaviors.
  • Comfortable working in an environment where requirements evolve through prototype testing, hardware bring-up, and cross-functional design tradeoffs.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, especially when working across software, electrical, controls, test, and systems engineering teams.

Preferred Skills & Experience
  • Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, and 1+ years of experience developing production software
  • Experience working in regulated or safety-critical environments such as nuclear, aerospace, defense, automotive, maritime, medical devices, industrial controls, or robotics.
  • Experience with real-time systems, RTOS-based development, bare-metal firmware, or safety-critical embedded software.
  • Experience with hardware bring-up, board-level debugging, root-cause analysis, and firmware validation.
  • Experience developing firmware for sensors, actuators, power electronics, control systems, data acquisition, or telemetry systems.
  • Exposure to Hardware in the Loop testing, automated test frameworks, simulation environments, or continuous integration for embedded systems.
  • Familiarity with bootloaders, firmware update mechanisms, device drivers, low-level peripherals, and embedded communication stacks.
  • Familiarity with software or firmware development processes for configuration-controlled systems.
  • Familiarity with relevant standards, guidance, or development practices in safety-critical systems, including IEEE, IEC, DO-178C, DO-254, IEC 61508, ISO 26262, DOE nuclear standards, or similar.
  • Experience contributing to formal design reviews, hazard analyses, verification plans, or qualification documentation.
  • Demonstrated ability to take ownership of ambiguous embedded systems problems and drive them to closure.

Compensation
  • Firmware Engineer I: $120,000-$135,000
  • Firmware Engineer II: $135,000-$160,000

Culture
At Antares, we like to specifically tie each role to our founding document's set of values-here are the top five cultural values we think you should believe at your core to be successful:
  • Think in Systems - Energy and Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path-dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. "If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete." Over-optimizing the components often degrades the system
  • Obsess over the End User - The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycle
  • Be Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's "how it's always been done"
  • Go Where the Work Is - Never miss a chance to meet a customer, user, or stakeholder face to face, even if that means hopping on a plane. If you can't make it, find a teammate who can channel your intentions and go in your place. Deep work can be done from anywhere, but we believe teams are built in person, and aim to maximize our time together
  • Operate in the Grey - Embrace nuance in pursuit of truth. Question every fundamental assumption

Equal Opportunity
Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

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