How to hire an embedded engineer

How to hire an embedded engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step embedded 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 engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new embedded engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an embedded engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The embedded engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect embedded engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

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

   Type of Embedded Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Embedded 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	$34-60
   Software Programmer	A software programmer is an information technology expert who specializes in programming software and generating codes, ensuring quality and efficiency. In a company setting, they typically perform research and analysis to understand and identify the projects' needs, develop and implement test structures, troubleshoot and resolve issues, write technical instructions, and provide technical support to staff as needed... Show more	$26-44
   Programmer	Computer programmers provide assistance and services concerning computer applications and software programs. A computer programmer must be highly-knowledgeable on programming languages and operating systems to create projects and fix any malfunctions under minimal supervision... Show more	$25-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • C
   • C++
   • Firmware
   • Software Development
   • Embedded Systems
   • Embedded C
   • Java
   • RTOS
   • Bluetooth
   • Debugging
   • SPI
   • Debuggers
   • I2C

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
   • Experience implementing and debugging low-level drivers and communication protocols for hardware serial interfaces like SPI, I2C and RS232.
   • Design and develop real time applications on QNX RTOS.
   • Make use of Bluetooth to communicate with app in IOS.
   • Used Unix file sockets to communicate client library with usb daemon.
   • Integrate the function block with DSP system & test the product.

   More embedded engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your embedded engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An embedded 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 engineer in South Carolina may be lower than in California, and an entry-level embedded engineer usually earns less than a senior-level embedded engineer. Additionally, an embedded 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 engineer salary

   $95,419yearly

   $45.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level embedded engineer salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average embedded engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$132,228	$64
   2	Massachusetts	$101,674	$49
   3	New York	$97,546	$47
   4	Pennsylvania	$94,472	$45
   5	District of Columbia	$93,716	$45
   6	Texas	$90,887	$44
   7	Virginia	$88,495	$43
   8	Arizona	$87,506	$42
   9	North Carolina	$84,969	$41
   10	Michigan	$82,429	$40
   11	Alabama	$82,043	$39
   12	Illinois	$81,431	$39
   13	Iowa	$81,279	$39
   14	Colorado	$78,275	$38
   15	Indiana	$76,322	$37
   16	Georgia	$75,344	$36

   Average embedded engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$146,590	$70.48	122
   2	Amazon	$132,946	$63.92	157
   3	Rivian	$131,206	$63.08	17
   4	Cisco	$122,996	$59.13	59
   5	Drone Racing League	$120,041	$57.71
   6	Kelly Services	$107,904	$51.88	2
   7	Sony Electronics	$105,989	$50.96	2
   8	Nokia	$105,450	$50.70
   9	Arrow Electronics	$105,213	$50.58	1
   10	ChargePoint	$103,868	$49.94	2
   11	ICONMA	$103,250	$49.64
   12	CyberCoders	$100,796	$48.46
   13	Compass SLS and ILS	$99,107	$47.65	1
   14	Randstad North America, Inc.	$98,572	$47.39	10
   15	Midas	$98,200	$47.21
   16	Cipher	$97,395	$46.82	4
   17	Peloton Interactive, Inc.	$96,782	$46.53
   18	Bosch USA	$96,239	$46.27	4
   19	Lytx	$96,058	$46.18
   20	Mindlance	$94,520	$45.44	6

4. Writing an embedded engineer job description

   An embedded engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an embedded engineer job description:

   Embedded engineer job description example

   Job DescriptionEmbedded Engineer If you are a Embedded Engineer with Medical Device experience, please read on!
   
   We are committed to bringing first-class medicine to the patient whether they are down the hall, across town or on the other side of the globe. We relentlessly pursue the most effective and efficient means to achieve this objective through the use of absolute state-of-the art medical and communication technology that is not available off-the-shelf. WE are proud to design and manufacture wireless, mobile, patient-worn, multiple casualty monitors to assist in point of injury triage and treatment decisions. We serve civilian and military markets related to medical state and smart monitors for first responders. Our devices allow you to connect with patient data remotely, extending monitoring capabilities further into the field.
   
   We are looking to expand our embedded team with an innovative engineer seeking to do projects that have never been done before using a growing skill set. You will design and implement software of embedded devices and systems from requirements to production. You will interface hardware design and development. Our ideal candidate must be an independent thinker and have the ability to debug and troubleshoot software, write and maintain documentation, and preferably have experience using a repository to maintain code.What You Need for this Position- Linux Kernel
   - Embedded C
   - C#
   - NXP
   - Device Driver
   - Embedded Engineering
   - Embedded EngineerSo, if you are a Embedded Engineer with Medical Device experience, please apply today!Colorado employees will receive paid sick leave. For additional information about available benefits, please contact Paul Martinez - Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.
   
   CyberCoders, Inc is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Your Right to Work – In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right embedded 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 engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit embedded 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

   During your first interview to recruit embedded engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with an embedded engineer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 engineer

   Once you've found the embedded engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 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 engineer?