$50 - $65 per hour
Job Description Job Description Job Title: Embedded Software Engineer Job Description We are seeking a highly skilled Embedded Software Engineer to join our team, renowned for its pioneering work in electron beam welding…
Engineering & IT · Chicago, IL
Embedded Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL
Embedded engineers write the software that runs inside devices — from consumer gadgets to cars and medical equipment — working close to the hardware in C and C++ under tight resource limits.
604
Open roles today
$37–$91/hr
Typical pay range
$126k
Median, full-time
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Fresh in this list
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Open embedded engineer roles
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A global online travel agency is seeking a Lead Software Engineer (Front End) to architect and enhance user interfaces for millions of travelers. This role involves mentoring other engineers and collaborating across team…
$165k - $180k
want to collaborate in an entrepreneurial, inclusive culture and have a passion to succeed. About the Role: As a Lead Back End Engineer (SE IV) , you will be expected to increase the team’s ability to deliver high-qualit…
Within Infleqtion’s Quantum Computing Product Group, we are seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to develop high-performance software systems that integrate classical computing resources with next-generation quant…
$4,412 - $5,147 per month
Responsible for the design and development of underlying firmware for embedded systems, including coding and debugging of core modules.... ...reviews and scheme optimization. Collaborate with hardware engineers to conduc…
We are seeking an embedded software engineer to develop and maintain low-level flight software for UAV platforms running PX4 or ArduPilot. This role involves board bring-up, writing and porting device drivers, working di…
Manage the entire evolution process of the app from ideation to execution and refinement and optimization Collaborate with other engineering and product team members to deliver “best in class” solutions Responsibilities…
$83k - $95k
Job Description Job Description (Hybrid) Description Are you passionate about embedded systems, from initial ideas to hardware design to final firmware? As an Embedded Engineer at DMC, you will use your embedded expertis…
$100k - $130k
help retailers turn complex data into smarter decisions. As our US business continues to grow, we're looking for a Lead Solutions Engineer to play a key role in designing and delivering the next generation of cloud based…
$95k - $115k
Job Description Job Description (Hybrid) Description Are you passionate about embedded systems, from initial ideas to hardware design to the final firmware? As an Embedded Engineer at DMC, you will use your embedded expe…
We are seeking a skilled and motivated Senior Semantic Web Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will work on advanced knowledge graph technologies, combining expertise in semantic web engineering, data modeling,…
$140k - $175k
systems use sound, much like whales and dolphins, to transmit high-bandwidth data, including video. We are looking for engineers excited by challenging embedded DSP problems where algorithms, firmware, electronics, mecha…
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What embedded engineers earn in Chicago
Hourly first — that's how the offer arrives
| Experience | Hourly | Annual, full-time |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $37–$51 | $76k–$106k |
| Mid level | $51–$70 | $106k–$146k |
| Senior | $67–$91 | $140k–$189k |
Adjusted for the Chicago market from national ranges.
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What employers ask for
The skills these listings keep naming
C and C++Microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M)RTOS (FreeRTOS, Zephyr)Hardware protocols (SPI, I2C, UART)Reading schematics and datasheetsDebugging with scopes and JTAGMemory and power constraintsRust or Python (a plus)Version control and CI for firmware
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Interview questions worth rehearsing
With the thing the interviewer is actually listening for
What does the volatile keyword do, and when do you need it?
Explain it prevents the compiler optimizing away reads/writes, with the classic cases: hardware registers and variables shared with ISRs. Precision matters here.
How do you debug a device that crashes intermittently in the field?
Talk about logging within constraints, watchdog data, reproducing environmental conditions, and instrumented builds. Field debugging method is a core competency.
Walk me through what happens from power-on to your main loop running.
Cover reset vector, startup code, memory initialization, and clock configuration. Comfort with the boot path signals genuine low-level experience.
How do you write an interrupt service routine safely?
Keep it short, defer work to the main loop or a task, protect shared data, and avoid blocking calls. Mention the race conditions you are preventing.
How do you handle a memory-constrained target — say 64KB of RAM?
Discuss static allocation, avoiding heap fragmentation, measuring stack usage, and linker-map analysis. Concrete numbers from a past project help.
How do you test firmware?
Unit tests off-target with mocked hardware, hardware-in-the-loop rigs, and on-target integration tests. Acknowledging what is hard to test is part of a good answer.
Tell me about a hardware/software interaction bug you solved.
The best stories involve a scope or logic analyzer and a datasheet detail everyone missed. Show the collaboration with hardware engineers.
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Resume tips that move the needle
For embedded engineers specifically — generic advice costs you here
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Name the microcontroller families, RTOSes, and protocols per project — embedded hiring screens on exact platform matches.
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Describe the products you shipped and their constraints (battery life achieved, memory footprint, certification requirements).
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Include debugging tooling experience — JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers — as it separates firmware engineers from application developers.
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Mention safety or regulatory work (MISRA, ISO 26262, FDA) if you have it; those doors are hard to open otherwise.
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Personal hardware projects with write-ups carry real weight in this field — link one if it is presentable.
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Where this role goes
Typical progression
01
Junior Embedded Engineer
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Embedded Engineer
03
Senior Embedded Engineer
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Principal Firmware Engineer
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