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Software Tools Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Lyte

Embedded Software Tools Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$154K - $203K/yr

We are looking for a Senior Embedded Software Tools Engineer to design, build, and maintain the software tools that enable efficient development, testing, manufacturing, and deployment of embedded ...

Grid Aero

Flight Software Tools Engineer

San Leandro, CA · On-site

$150K - $190K/yr

Flight Software Tools Engineer Company: Grid.aero Location: Onsite 4 days/week [San Leandro, CA] About Grid.aero Grid.aero is building the next generation of autonomous aviation systems for defense ...

Grid Aero

Flight Software Tools Engineer

San Leandro, CA · On-site

$150K - $190K/yr

Flight Software Tools Engineer Company: Grid.aero Location: Onsite 4 days/week [San Leandro, CA] About Grid.aero Grid.aero is building the next generation of autonomous aviation systems for defense ...

Grid Aero

Flight Software Tools Engineer

San Leandro, CA · On-site

$150K - $190K/yr

Flight Software Tools Engineer Company: Grid.aero Location: Onsite 4 days/week [San Leandro, CA] About Grid.aero Grid.aero is building the next generation of autonomous aviation systems for defense ...

Medtronic

Senior Software Engineer - Tools

Moundsview, MN · On-site

$129K - $171K/yr

The Sr. Software Tools Engineer will be an integral memberinthe Cardiac Ablation Software Team, working oncutting-edgetechnology in the electrophysiology field. This role offers a rare chance to be ...

Medtronic

Senior Software Engineer - Tools

Moundsview, MN · On-site

$129K - $171K/yr

The Sr. Software Tools Engineer will be an integral memberinthe Cardiac Ablation Software Team, working oncutting-edgetechnology in the electrophysiology field. This role offers a rare chance to be ...

Medtronic

Senior Software Engineer - Tools

Newton, MA · On-site

$134K - $177K/yr

The Sr. Software Tools Engineer will be an integral memberinthe Cardiac Ablation Software Team, working oncutting-edgetechnology in the electrophysiology field. This role offers a rare chance to be ...

Medtronic

Senior Software Engineer - Tools

Newton, MA · On-site

$134K - $177K/yr

The Sr. Software Tools Engineer will be an integral memberinthe Cardiac Ablation Software Team, working oncutting-edgetechnology in the electrophysiology field. This role offers a rare chance to be ...

Medtronic

Senior Software Engineer - Tools

Moundsview, MN · On-site

$129K - $171K/yr

The Sr. Software Tools Engineer will be an integral member in the Cardiac Ablation Software Team, working on cutting-edge technology in the electrophysiology field. This role offers a rare chance to ...

Lucid Motors

Sr. Engineer, Software Tools

Southfield, MI · On-site

$112K - $148K/yr

We are currently seeking a Software Tools Engineer to contribute towards software development tooling projects within our Diagnostic Systems team. In this role you will interface with relevant ...

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Software Tools Engineer information

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$100.5K

$123.1K

$153K

How much do software tools engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for software tools engineer in the United States is $123,139.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $114,500.00 and $128,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Software Tools Engineer vs Software Developer?

AspectSoftware Tools EngineerSoftware Developer
Primary FocusDesigning, developing, and maintaining tools and automation for software development and deploymentWriting, testing, and maintaining application code for end-user or business solutions
Required SkillsProgramming, scripting, automation, familiarity with CI/CD, debugging toolsProgramming, problem-solving, application architecture, UI/UX design
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, DevOps, infrastructure environmentsApplication development teams, product teams
Common UsageUsed by organizations to streamline development processesUsed to create software products or services

While both roles require strong programming skills, Software Tools Engineers focus on creating tools that support development workflows, whereas Software Developers build the actual software applications. Both roles are essential in the software industry and often collaborate closely.

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

To thrive as a Software Tools Engineer, you need strong programming skills (often in languages like Python, C++, or Java), a solid understanding of software development workflows, and a relevant degree in computer science or engineering. Familiarity with build automation tools, version control systems (such as Git), and CI/CD pipelines is typically required, along with experience using various IDEs and debugging tools. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills help you understand user requirements and work effectively with development teams. These skills and qualities are crucial for building efficient, reliable tools that streamline development processes and improve productivity across engineering teams.

How does a Software Tools Engineer typically collaborate with development and QA teams?

A Software Tools Engineer plays a crucial role in bridging gaps between development and quality assurance (QA) teams by creating, maintaining, and optimizing tools that streamline workflows. They regularly interact with developers to understand pain points in the build, integration, or deployment process and work closely with QA to automate testing and reporting. This collaborative environment ensures that the tools developed are practical, efficient, and tailored to the team's needs, ultimately enhancing productivity and product quality. Effective communication and a proactive approach to gathering feedback are key to success in this role.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

Senior software engineers, especially those working at large tech companies or in specialized fields like machine learning or cloud infrastructure, can earn $500,000 or more annually. High compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and stock options, and typically requires extensive experience, advanced skills, and sometimes leadership roles.

Can I make 200k a year as a software engineer?

Software engineers can earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with experience, specialized skills, and working in high-paying industries or locations. Senior roles, expertise in areas like machine learning or cloud computing, and working at large tech companies often contribute to reaching this salary level.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior software engineers, especially those with expertise in high-demand areas like machine learning, cloud computing, or cybersecurity, can earn $300,000 or more annually. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and stock options, particularly at large tech companies or startups with significant funding.

What is a Software Tools Engineer?

A Software Tools Engineer is a professional who designs, develops, and maintains software tools that help other engineers or teams to build, test, and deploy applications more efficiently. These tools may include build systems, automation scripts, testing frameworks, and development environments. The main goal of a Software Tools Engineer is to improve productivity, streamline workflows, and ensure that software development processes run smoothly. This role often requires strong programming skills, problem-solving abilities, and a good understanding of the software development lifecycle.

What does a tools engineer do?

A tools engineer develops, maintains, and improves software tools used by development teams to increase efficiency and automate tasks. They often work with scripting languages, version control systems, and continuous integration tools to streamline workflows and support software development processes.
More about Software Tools Engineer jobs
What job categories do people searching Software Tools Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Software Tools Engineer jobs are:
What are popular job titles related to Software Tools Engineer jobs? For Software Tools Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Software Tools Engineer jobs near you
Embedded Software Tools Engineer

Embedded Software Tools Engineer

Lyte

Sunnyvale, CA • On-site

$154K - $203K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 13 days ago

Job description

About the role
  • We are looking for a Senior Embedded Software Tools Engineer to design, build, and maintain the software tools that enable efficient development, testing, manufacturing, and deployment of embedded systems at scale. This role focuses on creating robust internal tools, workflows, and infrastructure that support firmware, driver, and system engineers across development, validation, factory, and production environments.
    You will work closely with embedded, firmware, silicon, systems, test, and manufacturing teams to understand workflows and pain points, then design tools that improve developer productivity, software quality, test coverage, and system reliability, from early bring-up through factory and field deployment.

What you'll do
  • Design, develop, and maintain embedded software development and test tools used across the organization
  • Build tooling to support:
    • Chip, SoC, and board bring-up
    • Firmware and driver development
    • Characterization of RTOS- and Linux-based embedded systems
  • Develop tools for flashing, provisioning, configuration, calibration, and recovery of embedded devices
  • Create debugging, tracing, and diagnostics tools that interface with:
    • JTAG/SWD and other hardware debug interfaces
    • Target-side firmware, bootloaders, kernels, and drivers
  • Build automation for:
    • Build, test, and deployment pipelines
    • Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and system-level testing
    • Factory and manufacturing test systems
  • Design and maintain tooling for factory use cases, including:
    • Board and system-level test automation
    • Production flashing and configuration
    • Validation, calibration, and pass/fail reporting
  • Develop simulation, emulation, and test harnesses to enable faster iteration without physical hardware
  • Integrate toolchains across heterogeneous targets (MCUs, CPUs, DSPs, NPUs, GPUs, custom ASICs)
  • Improve observability of embedded systems through logging, metrics, tracing, and crash analysis
  • Ensure tools are reliable, scalable, secure, and easy for engineers and factory operators to use
  • Collaborate closely with firmware, driver, hardware, test, manufacturing, and systems teams to define requirements and interfaces
  • Support production, manufacturing, and field-debug workflows with robust tooling and root-cause analysis

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
  • 7+ years of experience developing software tools for embedded or systems environments
  • Strong software engineering skills in:
    • Python
    • C and/or C++
    • Shell scripting (Bash or similar)
  • Solid understanding of embedded systems fundamentals:
    • Boot flows, memory, interrupts, and concurrency
    • RTOS- and Linux-based embedded systems
  • Experience working with embedded build systems, cross-compilation toolchains, and flashing workflows
  • Familiarity with firmware and driver development and bring-up processes
  • Experience designing developer- and operator-facing tools with a focus on usability, reliability, and automation
  • Strong debugging and problem-solving skills across hardware and software boundaries
  • Ability to collaborate effectively across hardware, firmware, software, test, and manufacturing teams

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with embedded Linux environments:
    • Yocto, Buildroot, cross-compilation toolchains
    • Kernel build and configuration workflows
  • Experience with RTOS-based systems (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr, QNX, ThreadX)
  • Familiarity with hardware debug and trace tools:
    • JTAG/SWD, OpenOCD, GDB, Trace32, Lauterbach
  • Experience building HIL, SIL, and automated factory test frameworks
  • Experience with emulation and simulation tools (QEMU, virtual platforms)
  • Experience with CI/CD systems for embedded software
  • Experience supporting manufacturing, factory, and production test environments
  • Experience working across multiple processor architectures:
    • ARM Cortex-M/R/A, DSPs, NPUs, GPUs, custom accelerators
  • Knowledge of CUDA and GPU programming for tooling, testing, simulation, or acceleration use cases
  • Background in robotics, autonomous systems, or other complex embedded products
Tools, Practices, and Documentation
  • Modern development workflows:
    • Git-based version control, code reviews, CI pipelines
  • Build systems and tooling:
    • CMake, Make, Bazel, or similar
  • Debugging, profiling, and tracing tools for embedded and Linux systems
  • Automation frameworks for development, test, and factory workflows
  • Strong documentation practices:
    • Tool usage guides, onboarding docs, factory procedures, and troubleshooting manuals
  • Embedded software best practices:
    • Reproducible builds
    • Deterministic tooling and test results
    • Robust error handling and diagnostics
    • Long-term maintainability and scalability of tooling and infrastructure

Benefits (subject to location and local regulations)
  • Competitive salary and equity
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • Flexible vacation and time-off policy
  • Collaborative, fast-paced, and inclusive work environment
  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies with a highly cross-functional team

About Lyte
Lyte builds perception systems for Physical AI operating in complex environments. The company combines custom silicon, integrated sensors, and software into a unified platform for robotics, mobility, and next-generation automation. Lyte is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a global presence. For more information, visit www.lyte.ai
If you're excited about building impactful technology in a dynamic, hands-on environment, we'd love to hear from you!

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