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Principal Firmware Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Cadence

Principal Firmware Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

Be part of the Cadence DDR PHY IP Front End Design team responsible for - Develop firmware for DDR5 PHY using microcontrollers Developing firmware in C typically involving bare-metal programming and ...

TeraSignal Corporation

Be Seen First

Principal Firmware Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$140K - $200K/yr

An experienced firmware engineer who can architect, develop and debug firmware running on various Arm processors.

Avive

Principal Firmware Engineer - Medical

Brisbane, CA · On-site

$200K - $230K/yr

We are seeking a Principal Firmware Engineer for a critical role within Avive's R&D organization. This role is a player-coach that will develop and lead new embedded firmware systems from early ...

Coherent Corp.

Principal Firmware Engineer

Horsham, PA · On-site

Coaching junior engineers on firmware developing. Drive coding reviews and practices across team * Customer, NPI and Manufacturing support * Responsible for resolving sustaining issues, fixing bugs ...

Coherent

Principal Firmware Engineer

Horsham, PA

Coaching junior engineers on firmware developing. Drive coding reviews and practices across team * Customer, NPI and Manufacturing support * Responsible for resolving sustaining issues, fixing bugs ...

Motorola

Principal Firmware Engineer

Culver City, CA · On-site

$130K - $180K/yr

Work cross functionally with mobile, backend, hardware and firmware teams to develop new products ... Bachelors Degree * 5+ years of experience programming in C or C++ * Legal authorization to work in ...

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Principal Firmware Engineer information

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$75K

$167.4K

$205K

How much do principal firmware engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal 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 is the difference between Principal Firmware Engineer vs Firmware Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Firmware EngineerFirmware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science; extensive experienceBachelor's in related field; entry to mid-level experience
Work EnvironmentDesigning complex firmware, leading projects, mentoringDeveloping and testing firmware, implementing features
Industry UsageUsed in advanced product development, embedded systemsCommon in consumer electronics, IoT, embedded devices

The Principal Firmware Engineer typically has more experience, leadership responsibilities, and oversees complex projects, while Firmware Engineers focus on developing and testing firmware at an individual contributor level. Both roles require similar technical skills but differ in scope and seniority.

How does a Principal Firmware Engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during product development?

As a Principal Firmware Engineer, you will frequently work alongside hardware engineers, software developers, and product managers to ensure seamless integration of firmware with hardware components. You'll be expected to lead technical discussions, provide architectural guidance, and review code or design documents from junior engineers. Collaboration often involves participating in design reviews, troubleshooting system-level issues, and translating product requirements into robust firmware solutions. This cross-functional teamwork is essential to delivering reliable, high-quality products on schedule.

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

To thrive as a Principal Firmware Engineer, you need deep expertise in embedded systems, strong programming skills in C/C++, and a degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with hardware debugging tools, real-time operating systems (RTOS), and experience with version control systems like Git are typically required. Leadership, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities are crucial soft skills for collaborating across engineering teams and guiding technical direction. These skills ensure the successful development, integration, and optimization of complex firmware solutions within multidisciplinary projects.

What are Principal Firmware Engineers?

Principal Firmware Engineers are senior technical leaders responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing the software that directly controls hardware devices. They play a key role in architecting embedded systems, setting technical direction, and mentoring other engineers on firmware best practices. In addition to coding, they collaborate with cross-functional teams, troubleshoot complex hardware-software integration issues, and ensure firmware reliability and performance. Their expertise is vital to the successful development and launch of electronic products.
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Principal Firmware Engineer jobs near you
Principal Firmware Engineer

Principal Firmware Engineer

Cadence Design Systems Inc.

Austin, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

Job Description

Be part of the Cadence DDR PHY IP Front End Design team responsible for -

Develop firmware for DDR5 PHY using microcontrollers

Developing firmware in C typically involving bare-metal programming and developing low-level APIs on Microcontrollers.

Responsible for collaborating with hardware designers and memory subsystem architects to derive training algorithms and implement them.

Responsible for collaborating with the verification team to deduce firmware-hardware co-verification plan.

Develop and Debug firmware in RTL based hardware simulations (C +Verilog simulations)

Develop and Debug on Silicon bring-up boards.

Required Skills:

Good Knowledge of DDR5 JEDEC spec, knowledge of different DIMM configurations and specifications.

Relevant experience in developing bare-metal firmware for High-speed SerDes or Memory interface Physical Layer blocks.

Good Knowledge of C programming language for embedded software development and use of relevant IDE.

Comfortable debugging RTL simulations involving firmware and microcontroller subsystem.

Good knowledge of Shell/Perl/Python/TCL scripting

Good experience on Verification EDA Tools like simulators and waveform viewers

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