Are you interested in hardware and always have been? Do you catch yourself buying the latest hardware gadgets like Rasperry Pies or Arduino microcontrollers just for fun?
And, most importantly, do you think about becoming a hardware developer?
You’re in the right place!
To summarize the gist of this article in one sentence:
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Five of the most attractive job roles are embedded application developers, Arduino developers, Assembly developers, C developers, and network engineers.
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Now, first things first: What do hardware developers earn in the US, on average?
- Embedded application developers make $101,541 per year
- Arduino developers make $85,512 per year
- Assembly developers make $68,267 per year
- C developers make $100,000 per year
- Network engineers make $87,000 per year
Let’s dive into each of those hardware-related job roles next!
Role #1 – Embedded Applications Developer
An embedded system is a computer system — consisting of a processor, memory, and I/O devices — that is created for a specific task. Two examples are a fire alarm designed specifically for smoke detection or a car break system designed specifically for halting a moving car.
An embedded systems engineer applies software development and embedded systems knowledge to design, create, develop, debug, and maintain embedded applications and products.
Other terms with similar job descriptions are often used interchangeably:
- Embedded systems engineer
- Embedded applications engineer
- Embedded software developer
- Embedded hardware developer
However, they usually refer to the same general job description of a professional who works with embedded systems.
The average annual income of an Embedded Developer in the United States is between $83,000 and $124,000 with an average of $101,541 and a statistical median of $100,556 per year.
🌍 Read Full Tutorial: Embedded Applications Developer – Income and Opportunity
Role #2 – Arduino Developer
“Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for anyone making interactive projects. The Arduino company and community designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices.”
Graphic: Try putting an Arduino into this guy!
Arduino code is written in C++ with an addition of special methods and functions. You create Arduino code files — one being called a “sketch” — that are compiled down to machine language understood by the Arduino microcontroller.
The US national average income for an Arduino Developer is $85,512 per year according to Glassdoor. The income range of an Arduino developer is between $58,000 and $120,000 per year according to Ziprecruiter with top earners making $141,000 and more!
🌍 Read Full Tutorial: Arduino Developer – Income and Opportunity
Role #3 – Assembly Developer
An Assembly developer creates code in the Assembly programming language, e.g., focusing on fully control system resources. Assembly enables developers to write code that directly interacts with the memory and the register of any device. (Source)
The average annual income of an Assembly Developer is between $27,000 (25th percentile) and $105,500 (75th percentile) with an average of $68,267 and a top earnings level at $134,500 per year according to Ziprecruiter (source).
🌍 Read Full Tutorial: Assembly Developer – Income and Opportunity
Role #4 – C Developer
C Developers write, debug, analyze, or optimize code in the C programming language used in a wide variety of areas such as operating systems, embedded systems, or low-level implementations of high-level languages such as Node.js, Python, and Go.
The average annual income of a C Developer is between $82,000 (25th percentile) and $113,000 (75th percentile) with an average of $100,000 and a top income of $128,000 per year according to Ziprecruiter (source).
🌍 Read Full Tutorial: C Developer – Income and Opportunity
Role #5 – Network Engineer
Network engineers often work closely with computer hardware such as switches and routers to install and maintain computer networks.
A network consists of two or more connected computers that communicate with each other (e.g., chat apps), share resources (e.g., printing devices), exchange data (e.g., files or digital assets such as Bitcoin).
There are many ways for computers to speak with each other, e.g., via cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.
A network engineer plans, supervises, debugs, installs, and implements computer networks. The required skill set of a network engineer includes a profound understanding of basic networking protocols such as TCP/IP and UDP, as well as basic hardware configurations such as Ethernet switches and routers.
The average annual income of a Network Engineer in the United States is between $68,000 and $104,000 with a median income of $87,000 per year according to multiple sources including Indeed, Glassdoor, and Talent.com.
🌍 Read Full Tutorial: Network Engineer – Income and Opportunity
Conclusion
In this article, you’ve learned about the top roles to work in if you’re interested in hardware and low-level programming.
If you want to become a hardware developer, five of the most attractive job roles are embedded application developers, Arduino developers, Assembly developers, C developers, and network engineers.