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Principal firmware engineer salary
Average principal firmware engineer salary
$134,114
Understanding Principal Firmware Engineer Salaries
A Principal Firmware Engineer typically earns an average salary of $134,114 annually, which translates to about $64 per hour. This position requires advanced technical skills, often involving the design and development of embedded systems and firmware for various applications.
Salary by State
Salary levels can vary significantly based on location. For instance, states like California and Texas frequently offer higher pay, reflecting the demand for skilled engineers in tech hubs. In contrast, regions with fewer high-tech firms may not offer the same compensation.
Job Opportunities
As industries increasingly rely on advanced technology, the demand for Principal Firmware Engineers is expected to grow. Job seekers should focus on networking and applying to companies known for their technical innovation. Keeping an eye on salary trends and local job markets can provide valuable insights into career advancement opportunities.
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Where can a Principal Firmware Engineer earn more?
Principal firmware engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average principal firmware engineer salary by state
The average principal firmware engineer salary in Washington, California, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average principal firmware engineer salary states are Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for principal firmware engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $160,651 | $77.24 |
| 2 | California | $145,655 | $70.03 |
| 3 | Idaho | $131,190 | $63.07 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $133,133 | $64.01 |
| 5 | New York | $137,438 | $66.08 |
| 6 | Nevada | $133,849 | $64.35 |
| 7 | Oregon | $126,246 | $60.70 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $122,305 | $58.80 |
| 9 | Utah | $125,981 | $60.57 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $127,531 | $61.31 |
| 11 | Illinois | $125,424 | $60.30 |
| 12 | Arizona | $118,783 | $57.11 |
| 13 | Ohio | $120,088 | $57.73 |
| 14 | Vermont | $128,831 | $61.94 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $126,773 | $60.95 |
| 16 | Alabama | $119,618 | $57.51 |
| 17 | Alaska | $131,154 | $63.05 |
| 18 | Virginia | $118,245 | $56.85 |
| 19 | Maine | $125,982 | $60.57 |
| 20 | Montana | $113,277 | $54.46 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $114,970 | $55.27 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $112,601 | $54.14 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $130,050 | $62.52 |
| 24 | Maryland | $114,258 | $54.93 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $115,620 | $55.59 |
| 26 | Iowa | $114,966 | $55.27 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $115,635 | $55.59 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $111,195 | $53.46 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $109,561 | $52.67 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $110,017 | $52.89 |
| 31 | Texas | $107,831 | $51.84 |
| 32 | Colorado | $109,986 | $52.88 |
| 33 | Delaware | $112,397 | $54.04 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $107,595 | $51.73 |
| 35 | Michigan | $107,555 | $51.71 |
| 36 | Florida | $107,276 | $51.58 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $107,831 | $51.84 |
| 38 | Georgia | $106,327 | $51.12 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $104,280 | $50.13 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $105,125 | $50.54 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $104,864 | $50.42 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $104,551 | $50.26 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $105,301 | $50.63 |
| 44 | Kansas | $101,801 | $48.94 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $98,075 | $47.15 |
| 46 | Indiana | $98,694 | $47.45 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $102,581 | $49.32 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $99,968 | $48.06 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $96,857 | $46.57 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $99,525 | $47.85 |
| 51 | Missouri | $95,637 | $45.98 |
Highest paying cities for principal firmware engineers
The highest-paying cities for principal firmware engineers are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Philadelphia, PA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $161,676 | $77.73 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $153,858 | $73.97 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $123,007 | $59.14 |
| 4 | Chandler, AZ | $118,610 | $57.02 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $115,630 | $55.59 |
| 6 | Annapolis, MD | $114,357 | $54.98 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $110,408 | $53.08 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $110,029 | $52.90 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $108,835 | $52.32 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $105,971 | $50.95 |
| 11 | Fort Wayne, IN | $99,549 | $47.86 |
Principal firmware engineer salary details
A principal firmware engineer's salary ranges from $103,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $174,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a principal firmware engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $174,000 | $14,500 | $84 |
| 75th Percentile | $153,000 | $12,750 | $74 |
| Average | $134,114 | $11,176 | $64 |
| 25th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| 10th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
Highest paying principal firmware engineer jobs
The highest paying types of principal firmware engineers are senior staff systems engineer, senior staff engineer, and principal software engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded Software Developer | $89,506 | $7,459 | $43.03 | 257,508 |
| Systems Engineering Internship | $39,003 | $3,250 | $18.75 | 161,551 |
| Systems Engineer Staff | $129,611 | $10,801 | $62.31 | 304,494 |
| Embedded Systems Engineer | $91,959 | $7,663 | $44.21 | 77,484 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Systems Engineer | $82,834 | $6,903 | $39.82 | 145,936 |
Top companies hiring principal firmware engineers now:
Which companies pay principal firmware engineers the most?
Principal firmware engineer salaries at Micron Technology and GoPro are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average principal firmware engineer salary at companies like Ampere and OCZ Technology are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Micron Technology | $148,571 | $71.43 |
| 2 | GoPro | $146,118 | $70.25 |
| 3 | Ampere | $143,883 | $69.17 |
| 4 | OCZ Technology | $142,692 | $68.60 |
| 5 | CyberCoders | $141,359 | $67.96 |
| 6 | Renesas Electronics | $137,584 | $66.15 |
| 7 | Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC | $137,016 | $65.87 |
| 8 | Broadcom | $136,881 | $65.81 |
| 9 | Cadence Design Systems | $136,235 | $65.50 |
| 10 | Amd | $136,153 | $65.46 |
| 11 | Microsemi | $136,091 | $65.43 |
| 12 | PDS Tech | $135,895 | $65.33 |
| 13 | Energous | $135,867 | $65.32 |
| 14 | Proteus Digital Health Inc | $135,867 | $65.32 |
| 15 | Advance Green Energy | $135,867 | $65.32 |
| 16 | Views | $135,867 | $65.32 |
| 17 | SMART Modular Technologies | $134,679 | $64.75 |
| 18 | Hubbell | $134,302 | $64.57 |
| 19 | Skyworks Solutions | $132,892 | $63.89 |
| 20 | Crestron Electronics | $132,788 | $63.84 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Principal firmware engineer salary trends
The average principal firmware engineer salary has risen by $22,797 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average principal firmware engineer earned $111,317 annually, but today, they earn $134,114 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for principal firmware engineers over the last decade.
Compare principal firmware engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average principal firmware engineer salary over time
Compare principal firmware engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Principal firmware engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $134,000 | $64.48 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $130,000 | $62.35 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $127,000 | $60.94 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $124,000 | $59.61 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $123,000 | $59.20 | +1.2% |
Recently added principal firmware engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Nevada | Principal Firmware Engineer | Lone Tree, CO | 06/30/2025 | $165,010 |
| Jabil Inc. | Principal Engineering Openbmc Firmware Architect, Hyperscalers Firmware | San Jose, CA | 06/26/2025 | $157,200 |
| Micron | Principal Firmware Engineer | Folsom, CA | 06/25/2025 | $153,000 |
| Lumentum Holdings | Engineer SR Principal, Firmware | San Jose, CA | 06/20/2025 | $138,600 |
| Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display | Principal Engineer, Firmware | San Jose, CA | 06/18/2025 | $214,060 |
| Anduril Industries | Principal Firmware Engineer | Costa Mesa, CA | 06/18/2025 | $196,000 |
| JMA Wireless | Principal Firmware Engineer-Radio | Plano, TX | 06/18/2025 | $160,000 |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | Principal Firmware Engineer, SSD | Boise, ID | 06/11/2025 | $141,500 |
| JMA Wireless | Principal Firmware Engineer-Radio | New Providence, NJ | 06/11/2025 | $160,000 |
| Lumentum Holdings | Engineer SR Principal, Firmware | San Jose, CA | 05/27/2025 | $138,600 |
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