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Job outlook for firmware test engineers in the United States
Are firmware test engineer jobs in demand?
Firmware test engineer job and salary trends over time
Firmware test engineer jobs over time
Firmware test engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 848 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 744 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 780 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 66 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 54 | 0.00% |
Average firmware test engineer salary over time
Firmware test engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,319 | $40.54 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $81,541 | $39.20 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $79,694 | $38.31 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $78,141 | $37.57 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $76,375 | $36.72 | +1.5% |
Firmware test engineer jobs by state
Most common states for firmware test engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 219 | 32% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,155 | 14% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 799 | 13% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 718 | 13% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 798 | 12% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 844 | 11% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 337 | 11% |
| 8 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,837 | 10% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 128 | 10% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 99 | 10% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 60 | 10% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 376 | 9% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 395 | 7% |
| 14 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 347 | 7% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 75 | 7% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 432 | 6% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 226 | 6% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 108 | 6% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 105 | 6% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 34 | 6% |
Most common cities for firmware test engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | 5 | 11% | $71,999 |
| 2 | Brookfield | 2 | 5% | $78,230 |
| 3 | Foster City | 1 | 3% | $124,893 |
| 4 | Menlo Park | 1 | 3% | $124,622 |
| 5 | Carlsbad | 2 | 2% | $100,112 |
| 6 | Longmont | 2 | 2% | $73,697 |
| 7 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $72,102 |
| 8 | Sunnyvale | 2 | 1% | $124,292 |
| 9 | Vancouver | 2 | 1% | $97,039 |
| 10 | Frisco | 1 | 1% | $78,363 |
| 11 | Palo Alto | 1 | 1% | $124,546 |
| 12 | Mesa | 1 | 0% | $85,261 |
| 13 | Rochester | 1 | 0% | $87,719 |
| 14 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $123,845 |
Firmware Test Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of firmware test engineer experts
Fairfield University
Xavier University
East Tennessee State University
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Liberty University
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Northern Michigan University
Villanova University
Elon University
Merrimack College
Marietta College
University of Maryland
University of California Merced
University of Baltimore
Lake Superior State University
What general advice would you give to a Firmware Test Engineer?
Dr. Harvey Hoffman: Graduates need to be flexible and open to taking on new projects, exploring new industries, perhaps non-traditional areas where they see growth, while building and maintaining their networking relationships. Go where the demand is for the role you seek. I hate to use a cliche, but remember that your engineering career is a journey that may take you in many directions. Be open to change.
A professional in any field must continue to learn. Your engineering degree gave you the necessary tools. You must engage in lifelong learning to increase your knowledge and improve your skills and competencies to set yourself apart.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Firmware Test Engineers?
Dr. Harvey Hoffman: At least shortly, the pandemic will impact us all. Clear communication with our managers, co-workers, and clients will remain vital, especially as we may not be meeting with each other in person. Documenting project details, actions discussed, and following up to close the circle so to speak will go a long way to maintain clear communication. While this should have taken place before this pandemic, it is more important than ever, now. Being flexible, helping when needed, and being proactive when you see something that needs to be done will contribute to a better work environment.
Keeping abreast of new products and processes within the field and continuing to learn new technologies. This will allow workers more agility to change careers and transition into new roles or industries, if need be.
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer
Professor and ChairXavier University
Department Of Physics
What skills stand out on Firmware Test Engineer resumes?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Programming languages, numerical design and simulation tools, knowledge of various measurement equipment.
What soft skills should all Firmware Test Engineers possess?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Communication, teamwork.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Firmware Test Engineers?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Depends on the engineering career, but in general, an ability to know how to use design software, measurement/testing, and analysis equipment, in addition to prototyping and fabrication tools
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty CoordinatorEast Tennessee State University
Surveying and Mapping
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Firmware Test Engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson: Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Professor of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln
College of Engineering
What type of skills will young Firmware Test Engineers need?
Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor: The National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys the industry every year regarding the top skills they seek in new graduates. In 2020, the top five were Problem-solving skills (91.2%), Ability to work in a team (86.3%), Strong work ethic (80.4%), Analytical/quantitative skills (79.4%), and Communication skills (written) (77.5%) (Naceweb).
Although this data applies to all new graduates, this, too, aptly applies to students graduating from an engineering college. Employers realize students who graduate from an accredited engineering school are well-equipped with technical aptitude. What they need to showcase mainly are the soft skills they possess, like teamwork and problem-solving. Any remote work experience should also be highlighted, as that skill will continue to be pertinent for those entering industry.
How do you envision technology impacting Firmware Test Engineers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor: Adopting new technology should be an exciting (and expected) reality for those with an engineering degree. The virtual space will continue to grow as folks seek jobs and work online more. But what holds paramount, no matter what particular technological changes arise, is the ability to adapt-and to demonstrate that critical aptitude in their application documents and through their interviews, always highlighting those moments they've done so and articulating their propensity for learning.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Firmware Test Engineers?
Robert Rich: The coronavirus is part geopolitical and part-pandemic, sorry to say. As such, there will always be a geopolitical angle to gain control and wealth while terrorizing the general public.
What experience really stands out on Firmware Test Engineer resumes?
Robert Rich: -Certification such as green belt, black-belt, machine learning, Lean Manufacturing, and APICS supply chain/inventory
-Specialized undergraduate research projects that go deep into various leading-edge topics like integrating AI with manufacturing and logistics
-Consulting experience/real projects within areas of undergraduate research
How do you envision technology impacting Firmware Test Engineers in the next 5 years?
Robert Rich: Many industrial, logistics, and financial decisions require artificial intelligence solutions to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
Dr. Galen Duree
Head of the Department of Physics and Optical Engineering and ProfessorRose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Department of Physics and Optical Engineering
What Firmware Test Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Galen Duree: It again depends on what the graduate sees as their next step - graduate school or a job with a company or lab. If the next step is graduate school, the graduate should investigate what they are interested in pursuing and then where the best school is to get the experience that the graduate thinks he or she wants.
General reading about technologies or reading available articles about subjects the graduate is interested in will help generate questions they can ask potential graduate schools. This time would also be a chance to improve areas where the graduate may feel weak while an undergraduate. Many online resources can help them brush up on week background topics. Do not worry about transfer credits because that is usually not helpful in graduate school, but improve knowledge and experience in areas where the graduate feels weak. If the graduate has identified a graduate school and program to study in, the graduate school might have some recommendations about what to review. All of this will help improve success in graduate school.
If the next step is a job with a company or lab, taking courses to improve communication will help. Many technically competent or even technically brilliant people struggle with effective communication. Techniques about writing reports, making oral presentations, or communicating technical information will help improve success. The gap year also provides time to investigate technologies that the graduate wants to be involved in and the companies or labs in those areas.
Once the graduate has identified areas of interest and companies or labs that the graduate might want to work for, they can be contacted to either answer questions or point the graduate in a direction for further investigation.
In either case, a gap year can provide a chance to refine the graduate's choice for the next steps and help them prepare other skills overlooked during the undergraduate years.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Firmware Test Engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Galen Duree: People with knowledge, even introductory experience, in quantum effects, quantum computing, optics in general (communication, measurements, imaging, illumination, detection), material science and engineering, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, will be in high demand.
What experience really stands out on Firmware Test Engineer resumes?
Dr. Galen Duree: It depends on what you are applying for. If you are working on product development, then internships or co-ops provide a definite advantage. If you are working on developing new ways of doing things, research experiences in academia or companies are advantageous. Either case, this shows a certain maturity in your career path - you have participated in an activity related to the career you are currently pursuing.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Firmware Test Engineers?
Michael Rudisill: It depends on what you really mean by enduring, but for all practical purposes, once the pandemic has passed, the economy will return, and anyone in the engineering field who wants a job will have many opportunities. Obviously, the short-term effect can be brutal for new graduates as jobs are not as plentiful as "usual"-but in the long term, those that persevere will end up in great careers. In some ways, it will be harder on the senior engineers who haven't stayed employed, as they are missing out on years when their income should be the highest. New graduates are missing relatively low earning years, so the long-term effects should not be as bad looking at lifetime earnings.
How do you envision technology impacting Firmware Test Engineers in the next 5 years?
Michael Rudisill: Technology will continue to advance-which will increase the need for trained engineers. Even areas such as sales that not many people would think would be looking for engineers when dealing with technologically advanced products need people who understand how the product works, perform, etc.-in other words-trained engineers.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Firmware Test Engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill: From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Firmware Test Engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Michael Rudisill: Impossible to pick a technology - but in general, renewable energies, electric cars; in that area, will undoubtedly continue to grow. And even with some public resistance, I think we will continue to see more expert systems, artificial intelligence systems, etc.; everywhere from self-driving cars to security systems.
Dr. Sridhar Santhanam Ph.D.
Professor and ChairVillanova University
Department of Mechanical Engineering
What experience really stands out on Firmware Test Engineer resumes?
Dr. Sridhar Santhanam Ph.D.: Well, thought out academic and extracurricular experiences can make a big difference to a resume. Academically, choosing a minor that complements the major can catch the eye of a prospective employer. Most mechanical engineering programs today offer students flexibility in constructing their curriculum; many students take advantage of this by adding a minor or a concentration. Internships during the summers or the academic year are another great way to stand out. Employers are always looking for someone with work experience in a professional setting. An internship experience, paid or unpaid, provides an excellent opportunity to learn many critical workplace skills, such as communication and professionalism. Yet another activity that future employers value highly is involvement in extracurricular clubs that engage in hands-on engineering projects such as the Formula SAE, AIAA Design/Build/Fly, and the MATE ROV.
What type of skills will young Firmware Test Engineers need?
John Ring: While our universities consistently educate engineering students with hard skills and strong engineering fundamentals, tomorrow's engineers need to be strong communicators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. Our professional environments are filled with data and information, and the constraint is typically how much time individuals can dedicate to solving a problem. At Elon University, we educate tomorrow's engineers to have the hard skills necessary to analyze the information and situations, apply critical thinking techniques to determine ways to solve the issue, and then concisely and efficiently communicate with colleagues as solutions are being set in motion.
How do you envision technology impacting Firmware Test Engineers in the next 5 years?
John Ring: An engineering student learns "how to learn" during their time in college. Technology will evolve, and tomorrow's engineers must learn at the same pace so that new technology can be applied to solve a problem.
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mechanical EngineeringMerrimack College
Departmet of Mechanical Engineering
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Firmware Test Engineers?
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.: In terms of job opportunities, no. It may take longer to secure that first job, and it may be an employer's job market for the next several years. This means starting salaries may not be as high as a year ago, and yearly raises may be near zero up to 3% (depending on career fields and markets). Additionally, some benefits, such as tuition reimbursement, may not be available at some companies.
However, I strongly suspect that things will get better (as a wild guess) in 3 - 5 years as the economy rebounds. For the immediate future, the full economic effects of the pandemic have not been fully realized. As companies restructure to deal with their impact on their bottom lines and workers are laid-off, more experienced employees are entering the job marking and seeking jobs. This is very similar to the financial system crash around 2008, so that could be referenced for a similar environment, especially its effect on the Midwest. Job seekers must be persistent.
For enduring changes, the pandemic has presented a great opportunity to change the nature of where we do work. This experiment has been tried before at places like Yahoo, for example. Pre-pandemic, some companies allowed workers to work from home several times per month under flexible scheduling. I believe the coronavirus pandemic will make these types of work options a larger part of the business workplace culture. Additionally, many companies are actively working to enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. With this renewed attention, there may be more opportunities for workers that are women, BIPOC, LBGQT+, and others to rewrite and form new workplace norms to have new working environments. I strongly encourage people to take their seats at this table and create the world you wish to work in.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Firmware Test Engineers to find work opportunities?
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.: The engineering centers of the US seem to have strong job markets. Boston, West Coast, Silicon Prairie, DC area are just a few. There are employment opportunities in every industry and every state. It just may take 6 - 18 months to land that first job. Students may have to cast a bigger and wider search net. For example, if you only want to work in city A, it may take longer to find a job. A better strategy is to search regionally. For example, New England, Mid Atlantic, or the Southwest. Additionally, there are sectors that are always looking for new talent, such as energy production, food companies such as Unilever, and the civilian government work at federally funded research and development laboratories (FFRDC) and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) such as The MITRE Corporation and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Firmware Test Engineers to find work opportunities?
Ben Ebenhack: In general, there have been some continued employment opportunities in Texas and the Gulf (although that may be slacking off now too.) Some companies have pulled back from the shale plays (such as North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Ohio), but I think that the amount of long-term production potential will keep at least modest demand there.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Firmware Test Engineers?
Craig Carignan: Yes, it will have an enduring impact on aerospace grads, especially those going into aeronautical engineering. The airline industry has been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and commercial aircraft manufacture has come to a screeching halt. That means not just the airplane manufacturers being affected but all of the hundreds of aircraft parts suppliers too. The other factor is that people are learning how to attend conferences and meetings virtually, through applications like Zoom and Teams, which also saves a lot of money on travel. So even when things do start returning to normal, I think that the demand for air travel will not return to the same levels as before.
Some long term impact may also be felt by the space industry. Even though there are quarantine precautions in place (before and after a flight), human space flight might be seen as riskier due to possible infection from viruses that may not show symptoms. So we might try to do more from the ground using robotics. Also, the density of workers in a lot of places in the aerospace industry is very high, and I would expect telecommuting to become more common.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Firmware Test Engineers to find work opportunities?
Craig Carignan: My bet would be in remote sensing, automated delivery systems (e.g., quadcopters), and robotics. These fields were all doing well before the pandemic, and the current situation has just increased demand for these services. The telecommunications satellite industry is probably also going to be a strong area due to the heightened need for satellite TV and other communications services. I also think the automotive industry will be great for aerospace engineers because of their skills in vehicle design and development of autonomous technology.
Ashlie Martini
Professor of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of California Merced
Sustainability Research & Engineering
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Firmware Test Engineers?
Ashlie Martini: The pandemic is and will continue to have a severe adverse effect on job opportunities for new graduates. Most companies have slowed or stopped hiring, and, even when positions are available, new graduates are competing with experienced engineers who are now in the job market. I have no way of predicting how long this will be the case, but it is certainly going to be a significant issue for the next year or two.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Firmware Test Engineers?
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti: COVID-19 put into perspective the importance of technology for everyone. Those people who would typically work in fully staffed offices and took IT systems for granted have now realized how the lack of dedicated personnel and resources is a significant issue as everyone is working from home. The same realization has also reached upper-management, often creating a nearly immediate need for innovation that would have otherwise remained just a plan for the future. Graduates in the IT field and technology, in general, will benefit from this realization, as projects move from the planning stage into implementation and eventually maintenance. This increment in reliance on IT-related resources will create a greater need for employment.
Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Robotics EngineeringLake Superior State University
Mechanical Engineering
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Firmware Test Engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.: It's evident that social distancing regulations have already affected our way of life, including our work routine, and will continue to do so for the near future. This is only going to accelerate the growth of robotics and automation that we had already been experiencing in recent years. A human working closely with a robot is still tolerated, while multiple humans being close to each other is becoming less acceptable. Besides, robots are not affected by any sort of virus, including COVID19 (the exception being computer viruses, of course). This tells me that the trend towards human-robot collaboration will become more dominant as the regulations for social distancing become stricter in the industry. Mobile robots represent another technology that may gain popularity, due to the pandemic. Applications that require non-stationary, autonomous systems, such as disinfecting facilities, greeting people, serving customers, and others, will benefit from using mobile robots.