Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between firmware engineers and senior systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a firmware engineer and a senior systems engineer. Additionally, a senior systems engineer has an average salary of $108,121, which is higher than the $97,183 average annual salary of a firmware engineer.
The top three skills for a firmware engineer include python, C and C++. The most important skills for a senior systems engineer are architecture, linux, and java.
| Firmware Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,183 | $108,121 |
| Hourly rate | $46.72 | $51.98 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 99,014 | 166,742 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The job of firmware engineers focuses on the hardware from which the software runs. They play an important role in supporting the life cycle of products from its development to implementation. Their duties typically include testing the product properly and troubleshooting technical issues in collaboration with other engineering personnel, evaluating the performance of the system and ensuring that it adheres to the company's standards, and analyzing the design and needs of a system. Firmware engineers are also responsible for improvising the software as requested by clients.
A senior systems engineer specializes in overseeing network systems, management tools, software, and hardware within a company or an organization. Their primary responsibility is to install, maintain, and resolve complex system issues using their years of extensive knowledge and expertise. They can also provide insights, troubleshooting, and technical support should it be needed. Furthermore, as a senior systems engineer, it is also their responsibility to lead, supervise, and coordinate with a team of skilled system engineers while in adherence to company policies and regulations.
Firmware engineers and senior systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Firmware Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,183 | $108,121 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $129,000 | Between $82,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between a firmware engineer and a senior systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Firmware Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Harvard University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between firmware engineers' and senior systems engineers' demographics:
| Firmware Engineer | Senior Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.6% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |