Firmware Engineers design, develop, and maintain the low-level code that runs directly on hardware devices, from consumer electronics and medical devices to automotive systems and industrial equipment. They work closely with electrical engineers to understand circuit design and with software teams to ensure seamless integration, writing code typically in C or C++ that interacts directly with microcontrollers, sensors, and other physical components. This role requires a deep understanding of both hardware constraints and software principles, as firmware must operate efficiently within limited memory, processing power, and energy budgets.
| Entry level | $78,000 |
| Median | $115,000 |
| Senior | $150,000 |
| Top 10% | $190,000 |
| Job growth | +9% |
| Professionals in the USA | 0.3 million |
| Typical hours/week | 42 hrs |
| Remote work share | 35% |
| Annual job openings | 18,000/yr |
| Demand | High |
AI code assistants can speed up boilerplate firmware coding and help debug common patterns, but low-level hardware interfacing, timing-critical logic, and safety-critical validation still require deep human expertise. The role is shifting toward higher-level system design and integration rather than being replaced.
Automation exposure: Boilerplate driver code, register configuration templates, documentation generation, unit test scaffolding, and code review suggestions are increasingly automatable with AI tools.
The human edge: Understanding physical hardware behavior, debugging elusive timing/electrical issues, making tradeoffs between power/performance/cost, and certifying safety-critical systems require hands-on experience AI cannot replicate.
Figures are estimates for exploration — verify current data with BLS.gov.