Lead Embedded Software Engineer

Lead Embedded Software Engineer Salary

$14.5K

$137K

$182K

$133,293

/year

$64.08

/hour

Lead Embedded Software Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$133,293

Columbus

Ohio

$128,748

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    How much does a Lead Embedded Software Engineer make?

    As of Jun 12, 2026, the average annual pay for a Lead Embedded Software Engineer in the United States is $133,293 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $64.08 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,563/week or $11,107/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $182,000 and as low as $14,500, the majority of Lead Embedded Software Engineer salaries currently range between $113,500 (25th percentile) to $155,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $171,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Lead Embedded Software Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 41500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Lead Embedded Software Engineer in your area makes on average $128,748 per year, or $4,545 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $133,293. Ohio ranks number 42 out of 50 states nationwide for Lead Embedded Software Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Lead Embedded Software Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Lead Embedded Software Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Lead Embedded Software Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Lead Embedded Software Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Lake Forest, CA, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $32,057 (24.1%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $42,389 (31.8%) above the $133,293 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Lead Embedded Software Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 8% between Pennington County, SD, and Sitka, AK, , 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 a Lead Embedded Software Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Pennington County, SD

    $175,682

    $84.46

    Lake Forest, CA

    $167,825

    $80.69

    Nome, AK

    $165,350

    $79.50

    Cupertino, CA

    $164,450

    $79.06

    Maple Grove, MN

    $163,450

    $78.58

    Gibbstown, NJ

    $163,357

    $78.54

    Berkeley, CA

    $163,210

    $78.47

    San Carlos, CA

    $160,950

    $77.38

    Hermiston, OR

    $160,718

    $77.27

    Sitka, AK

    $160,576

    $77.20

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Lead Embedded Software Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Lead Embedded Software Engineer category.

    For example Embedded Software Manager jobs pay as much as $62,707 (47.0%) more than the average Lead Embedded Software Engineer salary of $133,293. If you're qualified, finding work as a Embedded Software Manager may help you make more money than that of the average Lead Embedded Software Engineer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Embedded Software Manager

    $196,000

    $94.23

    Senior Embedded Systems Engineer

    $137,274

    $66.00

    Flight Software Engineer

    $111,711

    $53.71

    Embedded Firmware Developer

    $109,333

    $52.56

    Embedded Systems Programmer

    $65,660

    $31.57

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Lead Embedded Software Engineer salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $133,293 per year or $64.08 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.