Salary guide, May 2025
Firmware / Embedded Engineer pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Software Developers in the United States was $135,980 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $105,210 and $171,980.
Broader occupation · SOC 15-1252 Software Developers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $82,460 | $105,210 | $135,980 | $171,980 | $214,670 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39.64 | $50.58 | $65.38 | $82.68 | $103.21 |
BLS estimated 1,687,890 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1252 Software Developers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $132,650 | $102,710 to $165,710 | 18,900 | 0.62 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $130,450 | $100,450 to $165,430 | 14,230 | 0.91 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $129,620 | $103,360 to $162,860 | 13,440 | 0.88 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $132,770 | $103,480 to $166,650 | 12,580 | 1.56 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $166,830 | $130,650 to $205,970 | 121,000 | 1.17 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $166,830 | $130,650 to $205,970 | 121,000 | 1.17 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $133,290 | $105,660 to $164,100 | 67,030 | 1.52 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $134,380 | $104,530 to $167,650 | 40,370 | 0.82 |
Rank every metro for Firmware / Embedded Engineer
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$161,360
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$136,490
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$134,930
- Apparel Manufacturing (NAICS 315000)$132,380
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$130,840
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$128,670
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$124,550
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$120,230
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$117,350
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$115,570
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$107,450
- Textile Product Mills (NAICS 314000)$107,390
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$106,540
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$106,520
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$106,010
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 136,390 | $106,150 | $136,330 | $174,210 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 77,040 | $124,500 | $161,360 | $194,290 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 33,020 | $108,830 | $154,470 | $175,230 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 28,070 | $108,700 | $134,930 | $175,140 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 22,750 | $109,200 | $135,490 | $176,050 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 19,770 | $131,590 | $169,030 | $215,580 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 13,430 | $132,260 | $168,400 | $209,010 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 12,340 | $94,700 | $107,450 | $134,960 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 8,870 | $106,370 | $136,430 | $169,440 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 6,950 | $92,490 | $105,960 | $135,150 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 4,570 | $101,620 | $130,840 | $163,350 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 3,650 | $96,360 | $106,690 | $134,530 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 3,610 | $92,420 | $115,570 | $145,330 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 3,100 | $104,000 | $134,540 | $165,510 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 2,700 | $83,040 | $106,540 | $133,170 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 2,450 | $101,350 | $128,670 | $157,940 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 2,400 | $94,810 | $127,030 | $143,760 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 1,710 | $86,200 | $110,850 | $135,650 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 1,680 | $91,250 | $115,570 | $139,420 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 1,630 | $103,750 | $132,750 | $160,750 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 1,620 | $80,080 | $98,660 | $124,130 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 1,620 | $80,080 | $98,660 | $124,130 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 1,600 | $142,180 | $172,360 | $196,560 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 1,480 | $92,740 | $112,820 | $143,130 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,470 | $86,410 | $110,290 | $135,010 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 1,140 | $106,250 | $128,440 | $139,430 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 1,040 | $90,000 | $106,010 | $128,580 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 1,010 | $105,010 | $135,210 | $171,010 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 940 | $108,820 | $140,930 | $171,150 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 780 | $92,410 | $117,350 | $144,920 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 760 | $92,060 | $108,660 | $132,780 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 650 | $80,660 | $103,500 | $131,090 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 610 | $84,440 | $104,630 | $130,080 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 590 | $99,780 | $118,910 | $139,740 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 480 | $84,760 | $104,730 | $132,340 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 420 | $80,630 | $97,640 | $120,270 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 360 | $79,870 | $96,830 | $117,970 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 320 | $99,500 | $124,550 | $158,940 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 300 | $75,690 | $84,320 | $111,870 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 270 | $85,390 | $104,110 | $123,510 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 260 | $117,000 | $151,710 | $175,340 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 260 | $97,360 | $122,800 | $151,930 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 230 | $86,540 | $120,230 | $133,700 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 230 | $89,020 | $108,070 | $139,970 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 230 | $75,660 | $82,750 | $105,480 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 230 | $95,510 | $127,100 | $144,350 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 220 | $96,040 | $134,980 | $167,030 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 210 | $86,540 | $112,670 | $133,070 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 200 | $84,710 | $106,520 | $127,260 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 160 | $89,800 | $118,960 | $154,330 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 150 | $72,850 | $96,990 | $133,400 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 140 | $86,980 | $114,170 | $134,920 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 130 | $82,830 | $105,000 | $117,580 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 130 | $116,840 | $132,380 | $158,820 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 130 | $98,000 | $110,550 | $136,080 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 120 | $118,160 | $131,360 | $167,460 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 110 | $80,740 | $97,950 | $130,710 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 110 | $69,510 | $86,640 | $110,780 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 110 | $101,640 | $136,490 | $173,150 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 110 | $101,640 | $136,490 | $173,150 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 100 | $84,760 | $102,210 | $120,260 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 100 | $93,870 | $114,310 | $132,090 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 70 | $84,550 | $92,550 | $105,470 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 70 | $80,230 | $93,990 | $115,680 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 60 | $92,330 | $121,930 | $137,770 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 60 | $99,830 | $101,490 | $135,690 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 60 | $95,370 | $107,390 | $127,310 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 60 | $109,500 | $134,500 | $174,040 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 60 | $84,730 | $101,440 | $135,900 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 50 | $60,140 | $116,710 | $124,790 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 50 | $76,970 | $84,580 | $110,810 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 50 | $95,040 | $110,810 | $130,320 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 50 | $82,470 | $98,360 | $127,800 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 50 | $86,090 | $94,440 | $108,090 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 40 | $74,890 | $88,780 | $103,820 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 40 | $96,240 | $124,810 | $130,290 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 40 | $86,310 | $114,450 | $136,220 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 30 | $98,860 | $119,300 | $133,400 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $77,860 | $95,140 | $101,640 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Firmware / Embedded Engineer, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $103,050 | $133,080 | $169,000 |
| May 2025 | $105,210 | $135,980 | $171,980 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about the authority you are offering?
Settle embedded product software rather than plant PLC programming before outreach begins. An attractive title cannot repair unclear responsibility for device firmware connecting electronics to the product's physical behavior once someone arrives. We put the difference around embedded product software rather than plant PLC programming in front of you so the interview tests missing experience rather than assuming it is already there.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Firmware / Embedded Engineer?
The median annual wage for Software Developers in the United States was $135,980 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $105,210 and $171,980. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $82,460. 90% earned less than $214,670.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Firmware / Embedded Engineer at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 1,687,890 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
VP of Engineering pay Director of R&D pay Mechanical Design Engineer pay Product Development Engineer pay Electrical Design Engineer pay Firmware / Embedded Engineer pay ranked across all metros Open jobs Firmware / Embedded Engineer recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters reviews the Firmware / Embedded Engineer role within the Software Developers (15-1252) occupational code. For Firmware / Embedded Engineer in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $135,980; the May 2024 median is $133,080. Their arithmetic difference is $2,900.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width for this occupation is $66,770, which is calculated from a P25 of $105,210 and a P75 of $171,980. Because BLS measures this occupation across all industry sectors, these figures represent the broad market for software developers and do not isolate the specific embedded systems or hardware-interfacing engineering common in manufacturing.
The highest employment hubs for this group demonstrate significant pay variations, with the New York-Newark-Jersey City area reporting a median of $166,830 and the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area reporting $167,280. The middle-band widths for these locations are $75,320 and $79,060, respectively. Nationally, industry-specific medians are higher for Motor Vehicle Manufacturing at $172,360, Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing at $169,030, and Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing at $168,400, reflecting the sector demand for embedded systems expertise.
In screening for this role, we prioritize engineers who can diagnose hardware-related faults and go beyond high-level software code. The BLS occupation code is extremely broad, including purely software-based roles, so our recruiting methodology requires adjusting these baselines to reflect the niche value of embedded hardware-interfacing skills. For Firmware / Embedded Engineer in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Managers should use these figures as a starting point for assessing market alignment but must consider specialized technical experience to ensure competitiveness.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Firmware / Embedded Engineer in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $105,210 to $171,980 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity.
Why is the national industry median for Motor Vehicle Manufacturing higher?
That sector requires specialized embedded logic for vehicle-specific hardware. This demand drives the median above the broad Software Developer average.
How should firms adjust for the broad occupation code?
For Firmware / Embedded Engineer in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $105,210 to $171,980 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
What can I conclude from the two release estimates?
For Firmware / Embedded Engineer in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $135,980; the May 2024 median is $133,080. Their arithmetic difference is $2,900. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. It serves as a necessary adjustment factor for annual compensation planning.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4