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Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Plume

Senior Wireless Firmware Engineer

Washington, DC · Remote

$135K - $179K/yr

About the Role Plume's Core Engineering team is looking for a Senior Wireless Firmware Engineer ... Published ranges are provided in good faith at the time of posting. #LI-Remote, #RemoteJobs, #Wo ...

Cornelis Networks

Senior Firmware Security Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site +1

$118K - $156K/yr

S. states and six countries, and we continue to expand with exceptional talent in onsite, hybrid, and fully remote roles. As a Senior Firmware Security Engineer, you will design and deliver security ...

Samsara

Engineering Manager II

You will lead a team of firmware engineers and build the operating cadence, relationships, and technical strategy needed to ship high-quality hardware programs at scale. This is a remote position ...

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Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer information

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$75K

$167.4K

$205K

How much do freelance remote firmware engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for freelance remote firmware engineer in the United States is $167,438.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $143,000.00 and $205,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by freelance remote firmware engineers, and how can they be addressed?

Freelance remote firmware engineers often encounter challenges such as limited access to specialized hardware for testing, coordinating effectively with distributed teams, and managing project scope independently. To address these, it's important to invest in simulation tools or remote lab access for testing, establish clear communication channels (like regular video stand-ups and detailed documentation), and use project management tools to track milestones and deliverables. Building strong client relationships and setting clear expectations upfront also help ensure smoother project execution and long-term success.

What does a Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer do?

A Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer designs, develops, tests, and maintains the low-level software (firmware) that controls hardware devices, such as embedded systems, IoT devices, or consumer electronics, while working independently and remotely. They collaborate with clients or teams virtually to understand device requirements, write and debug code, and ensure seamless integration between hardware and software. Their work often involves using languages like C or C++, and tools for hardware debugging, all while managing their own schedules and client communications.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer, you need expertise in embedded systems programming, microcontroller architectures, and proficiency in languages like C/C++, often supported by a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with hardware debugging tools, version control systems (such as Git), and platforms like RTOS or IoT development environments is typically expected. Strong problem-solving abilities, self-motivation, and effective communication skills distinguish top freelancers in this field. These competencies are essential for delivering reliable firmware solutions independently, collaborating with remote teams, and meeting diverse client requirements.
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Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Freelance Remote Firmware Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $167,438 per year, or $80.5 per hour.
Senior Wireless Firmware Engineer

Senior Wireless Firmware Engineer

Plume

Washington, DC • Remote

$135K - $179K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

Life at Plume

At Plume, we believe that technology isn't about moving faster, it's about making life's moments better. Which is why we've built the world's first, and only, open and hardware-independent service delivery platform for smart homes, small businesses, enterprises, and beyond. Our SaaS platform uses WiFi, advanced AI, and machine learning to create the future of connected spaces—and human experiences—at massive scale.

We now deliver services to over 60 million locations globally and have managed over 3 billion devices on our platform. We're expanding rapidly, pioneering a new category, and we achieved our Series F funding in just four years. Our customers include many of the world's largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who look to Plume to help them evolve their smart home offerings while gleaning insights from their own data.

With a bias for action and a love for being trailblazers, the team at Plume embodies a combination of relentless curiosity and imaginative innovation. We challenge ourselves to think in ways that other companies don't, work to do what should be done (rather than what can), and if we can't do it exceptionally well, we don't do it. It's how we've assembled a team of world-class builders, thinkers, and doers. And it's how we're reinventing what's possible every day.

About the Role

Plume's Core Engineering team is looking for a Senior Wireless Firmware Engineer with deep expertise in WiFi driver development to lead innovation for large-scale WiFi and broadband solutions.

You will work across embedded firmware, wireless drivers, and system-level software to enable high-performance, scalable, and reliable WiFi experiences. This is a high-impact senior role where you will lead complex initiatives in wireless networking, performance optimization, and large-scale deployments, while mentoring other engineers and influencing system architecture.

What You'll Do

- Lead design and development of WiFi firmware and driver architecture for next-generation wireless platforms

- Own critical components of the WiFi stack and drive technical direction across projects

- Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance across firmware and driver domains

- Design, develop, and optimize WiFi firmware and low-level wireless drivers

- Work on IEEE 802.11 stack (WiFi 4/5/6/6E/7), including MAC/PHY layers

- Debug and optimize WiFi drivers with chipset/SoC vendors

- Analyze network behavior and improve performance (throughput, latency, reliability)

- Participate in full software lifecycle: design, development, testing, deployment, and support

- Troubleshoot complex system-level issues across firmware, drivers, and networking stacks

Required Qualifications

- BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field

- 8+ years of experience in embedded systems, firmware, or driver development

- Proven experience leading complex technical projects end-to-end

- Strong expertise in C/C++

- Deep experience with WiFi driver development at chipset/SoC level

- Strong understanding of Linux kernel and networking stack

- Deep knowledge of IEEE 802.11 MAC and PHY layers

- Experience with OpenWRT, RDK, or OpenSync

- Strong debugging and performance optimization skills

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with Broadcom, Qualcomm, or MediaTek WiFi chipsets

- Experience with mesh networking and large-scale deployments

- Knowledge of MU-MIMO, OFDMA, beamforming, WiFi 7

- Python or scripting for automation

- Familiarity with cloud-managed networking systems

What You Bring

- Strong ownership and leadership mindset

- Ability to solve complex, ambiguous problems

- Experience mentoring engineers

- Excellent communication and collaboration skills

- Passion for building high-performance wireless systems

This role is fully remote but requires someone to reside in EST. Unfortunately, we are not offering sponsorship at this time.

The total compensation package would include an anticipated compensation range of $140,000.00 - $150,000.00, plus bonus, equity, and benefits. Benefits include: a 401 (k) plan and a company match, basic life insurance, plus unparalleled health, dental, vision, and other benefits and perks. An employee's base salary and its position within the range may depend on several factors, including job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, and other business-related considerations. Published ranges are provided in good faith at the time of posting.

#LI-Remote, #RemoteJobs, #WorkFromHome, #RemoteWork, #WFH

About Plume

As the creator of the only open, hardware-independent, cloud-controlled experience platform for ISPs and their subscribers, Plume partners with over 400 ISP customers, including some of the world's largest such as Comcast, Charter, Liberty Global, and J:COM.

Using OpenSync, the most widely supported open-source, silicon-to-cloud framework for smart spaces, Plume's software-defined network allows ISPs to decouple their service offerings from hardware and rapidly curate and deliver new services over a multi-vendor, open-platform architecture.

Plume is an equal opportunity workplace that maintains a continuing policy of nondiscrimination in all employment practices and decisions, ensuring equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related individual conditions, medical conditions (as defined by state law), military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.