How to hire an Embedded Software Engineer

How to hire an embedded software engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step embedded software engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an embedded software engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new embedded software engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an Embedded Software Engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the embedded software engineer you need to hire. Certain embedded software engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An embedded software engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, embedded software engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of embedded software engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Embedded Software Engineer	Description	Hourly Rate
   Embedded Software Engineer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show More	$37-64
   Systems Engineering Internship	In a systems engineering internship, an intern is primarily responsible for following a supervising officer or manager's directives. Most of an intern's tasks revolve around assisting engineers in installing and maintaining systems, troubleshooting, and even providing corrective measures... Show More	$12-26
   Systems Engineer Staff	A systems engineer staff is responsible for designing and developing systems and software that optimize business operations, ensuring smooth workflow and client satisfaction. They primarily conduct research and analysis to identify the needs of the company and its clients, examine existing systems to identify areas needing improvements, install applications, and perform regular maintenance checks, providing corrective measures as required... Show More	$45-84

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Python
   • Software Development
   • Linux
   • C
   • C++
   • Embedded Systems
   • Java
   • Firmware
   • GIT
   • MATLAB
   • Debugging
   • RTOS
   • Embedded C
   • Software Design

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Review and manage defects using Jira and SVN.
   • Create script files to automate compilation and linking of source files using compilers commands and Perl on a regular basis.
   • Manage firmware of automate bench top devices that utilize a microprocessor.
   • Create custom domain specific UI controls with JavaScript and CSS.
   • Implement and debug using L2-L7 protocols TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, SNMP, ICMP etc.
   • Migrate legacy malform table-based HTML to W3C compliant XHTML with CSS styling.

   More Embedded Software Engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your embedded software engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An embedded software engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an embedded software engineer in Louisiana may be lower than in California, and an entry-level embedded software engineer usually earns less than a senior-level embedded software engineer. Additionally, an embedded software engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average embedded software engineer salary

   $102,143yearly

   $49.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level embedded software engineer salary

   $77,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 29, 2025

   Average embedded software engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$138,791	$67
   2	Washington	$119,831	$58
   3	New York	$99,599	$48
   4	Massachusetts	$97,774	$47
   5	Arizona	$95,815	$46
   6	Texas	$95,647	$46
   7	Georgia	$90,044	$43
   8	Colorado	$89,712	$43
   9	Maryland	$88,895	$43
   10	North Carolina	$88,311	$42
   11	Delaware	$87,262	$42
   12	Pennsylvania	$86,617	$42
   13	Florida	$86,336	$42
   14	Michigan	$85,822	$41
   15	Minnesota	$85,650	$41
   16	Ohio	$84,149	$40
   17	Iowa	$79,318	$38
   18	Indiana	$78,974	$38
   19	Kansas	$75,661	$36

   Average embedded software engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Meta	$156,939	$75.45	2,240
   2	Apple	$147,135	$70.74	1,085
   3	Google	$144,236	$69.34	331
   4	Lyft	$143,236	$68.86	17
   5	Waymo	$142,339	$68.43	62
   6	Rivian	$141,941	$68.24	25
   7	DoorDash	$139,535	$67.08	98
   8	Pure Storage	$139,076	$66.86	3
   9	NVIDIA	$139,023	$66.84	132
   10	Zoox	$134,524	$64.67	75
   11	Intuitive Surgical	$133,764	$64.31	13
   12	Argo AI	$131,583	$63.26
   13	Amazon	$130,881	$62.92	1,288
   14	Dolby Laboratories	$130,709	$62.84	1
   15	Logitech	$129,955	$62.48
   16	Nikola Motor	$129,848	$62.43
   17	Varian Medical Systems	$128,110	$61.59
   18	Cisco	$127,335	$61.22	229
   19	Square	$127,111	$61.11
   20	10x Genomics	$126,718	$60.92	4

4. Writing an Embedded Software Engineer Job Description

   A good embedded software engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an embedded software engineer job description:

   Embedded Software Engineer job description example

   BAE Systems is looking for a Software Engineering Student with a passion for engineering and the desire to be part of an innovative, dedicated team responsible for industry-leading Global Positioning Systems (GPS) products. Our team seeks engineers interested in architecting, designing, and developing software for real-time embedded GPS receivers for military airborne, ground, and weapons applications. This position offers abundant opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge of GPS technology and receiver architecture, and to apply that knowledge in a team environment to develop our Modernized GPS receiver products.
   
   As a part of this team, you will have responsibilities spanning all phases of the software engineering life cycle including requirements analysis, design, code development, integration, verification, and documentation. Assignments may include tasks such as designing and writing GPS receiver source code, developing software tools, supporting field demonstration efforts, providing customer support, and mentoring other engineers. The successful applicant should be knowledgeable and skilled with a variety of development and test tools as well as proficient in the development of embedded hardware/software applications.
   **Required Education, Experience, & Skills**
   
   + Applicants must be currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) degree.
   
   + **Scheduled to graduate college as part of the Class of 2024**
   
   + High motivation to solve problems and continuously improve existing products
   
   + Desire to contribute to a results oriented product development team
   
   + Solid understanding of software development processes for real-time embedded hardware/software applications
   
   + Strong verbal and written technical communication skills
   
   + Ability to work with a diverse team
   
   + A genuine desire to learn and innovate
   
   + US Citizenship required
   
   + Ability to obtain a DoD Security Clearance required.
   
   **Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills**
   
   An ideal candidate is enrolled in a Computer Engineering or Computer Science type degree.
   
   **Embedded Software Engineering Coop - June 2023 - December 2023 (Cedar Rapids, IA)**
   
   **82573BR**
   
   EEO Career Site Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities . females . veterans . individuals with disabilities . sexual orientation . gender identity . gender expression

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right embedded software engineer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your embedded software engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit embedded software engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit embedded software engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with embedded software engineer applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new embedded software engineer

   Once you've selected the best embedded software engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new embedded software engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an embedded software engineer?