Embedded Systems Developer Salary in California
$138.2K - $154K
25% of jobs
$154.2K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$154K - $169.7K
24% of jobs
The median wage is $170.7K / yr.
$169.7K - $185.5K
14% of jobs
$185.5K - $201.3K
0% of jobs
$201.3K - $217.1K
0% of jobs
$217.1K - $232.9K
0% of jobs
$232.9K - $248.7K
0% of jobs
$248.7K - $264.5K
0% of jobs
$264.5K - $280.3K
10% of jobs
$282.2K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$280.3K - $296.1K
13% of jobs
$296.1K - $311.9K
14% of jobs
$138.2K
$171.2K
$309.4K
$211,197
/year
$101.54
/hour
Embedded Systems Developer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$214,000
California
California
$211,197
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How much does an Embedded Systems Developer make in California?
As of Aug 10, 2026, the average annual pay for an Embedded Systems Developer in California is $211,197 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $101.54 an hour. This is the equivalent of $4,061/week or $17,599/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $309,394 and as low as $138,167, the majority of Embedded Systems Developer salaries currently range between $154,400 (25th percentile) to $284,700 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $303,473 annually in California. The average pay range for an Embedded Systems Developer varies greatly (by as much as 130300), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Embedded Systems Developer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Embedded Systems Developer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as an Embedded Systems Developer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Embedded Systems Developer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Embedded Systems Developer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Palo Alto, , with Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale, close behind in the second and third positions. Sunnyvale, beats the average in California by $39,964 (18.9%), and Palo Alto, furthers that trend with another $40,999 (19.4%) above the $211,197 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Embedded Systems Developer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 3% between Palo Alto, and Antioch, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Embedded Systems Developer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Palo Alto | $252,196 | $121.25 |
Santa Clara | $251,248 | $120.79 |
Sunnyvale | $251,161 | $120.75 |
San Jose | $250,805 | $120.58 |
San Francisco | $250,006 | $120.20 |
Santa Cruz | $247,097 | $118.80 |
Oakland | $245,773 | $118.16 |
Ashland | $245,330 | $117.95 |
San Mateo | $243,745 | $117.19 |
Antioch | $243,311 | $116.98 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Embedded Systems Developer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Embedded Systems Developer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $211197 state average for Embedded Systems Developer jobs.
Nevertheless Formal Verification Engineer, Linux Kernel Engineer, or System Developer may still be interesting positions to explore.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Formal Verification Engineer | $140,752 | $67.67 |
Linux Kernel Engineer | $113,000 | $54.33 |
System Developer | $100,298 | $48.22 |
Motorola Engineer | $92,928 | $44.68 |
Ci Analyst | $72,302 | $34.76 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
