How much does Embedded Software Engineer make?

The average pay of an embedded software engineer is $172,750.91 per year. Individual pay varies widely and ranges from $117,323.97 to $260,318.71, depending on education, industry, location, and experience. An embedded software engineer can be promoted to a senior engineer, which often offers higher pay, after years of following the embedded software engineer career path.

To improve your income as an embedded software engineer, focus on increasing your value through formal education, professional certification, and building soft skills. Get an advanced degree in a relevant field, such as an MS in software engineering or a Ph.D. in computer science. Alternatively, studying for a professional certification requires less time commitment. Popular online programs include the Certificate in Embedded & Real-Time Systems Programming from the University of Washington and Embedded Systems Engineering Certificate from UC Irvine. To get promoted to a senior or lead engineer, improve your soft skills, such as communication, leadership, teamwork, networking, and time management. You can take relevant courses or get a career coach.

Arm yourself with information whether you want to negotiate a higher salary for a job offer or your current position. Go to embedded software engineer jobs to find out the market rate for engineers with your experience. Use that as the starting point of your negotiation:

- "Based on my research of other companies' salaries for similar positions, I'm looking for a salary of ..."

You can also increase your leverage by getting competing offers:

- "I got a competing offer with this total compensation. I prefer a comparable package."

If you're negotiating for an established position, emphasize the value you bring:

- "I developed this product which brought in this amount of revenue ..."