How Much Can You Earn from Embedded Development from Work to Retirement?

Hello everyone, I am Lao Wang. Today I asked DeepSeek the following question:

How much can an embedded software developer earn from starting work at the age of 22 after graduating from a regular undergraduate program until retiring at 60?

1. Career Stages and Salary Levels

1. Junior Engineer (0-3 years)Salary Range: Annual salary approximately 80,000-150,000 RMBBasis: The starting salary for fresh graduates is usually low, but the demand in the embedded industry is strong.Weisheng Group offers an annual salary of about 165,000-330,000 RMB for fresh graduates (11,000-22,000 RMB × 15 months), while the average annual salary for entry-level positions in the industry is about 40,000-70,000 RMB.Overall, starting salaries in first-tier cities or large companies may be higher, while small and medium-sized enterprises may be closer to the lower limit.2. Intermediate Engineer (3-5 years)Salary Range: Annual salary approximately 150,000-300,000 RMBBasis: After more than 3 years of experience, salaries increase significantly.According to Liepin, the average monthly salary for embedded application software development engineers with 3-5 years of experience is 25,207 RMB (annual salary about 300,000 RMB), while the average annual salary for microcontroller embedded positions with 3-5 years of experience is about 159,000 RMB.3. Senior Engineer (5-10 years)Salary Range: Annual salary approximately 300,000-500,000 RMBBasis: Salaries further increase with technical depth or management capabilities.Senior embedded engineers at large companies like Huawei can earn between 200,000-350,000 RMB annually, while popular fields such as deep reinforcement learning (e.g., Yushu Technology) can reach 400,000-700,000 RMB annually.4. Expert/Senior Engineer (10+ years)Salary Range: Annual salary approximately 500,000-1,000,000+ RMBBasis: Senior engineers or technical experts with over 10 years of experience see significant salary increases. For example, senior engineers at Huawei can earn between 420,000-700,000 RMB (30,000-50,000 RMB × 14 months), and some top companies’ algorithm engineers can even exceed 1 million RMB annually.

2. Total Career Income Estimation

Assuming you work from age 22 to 60 (a total of 38 years), accumulating the median salary from different stages:

• First 3 years: Average annual 120,000 RMB × 3 years = 360,000 RMB

• 3-5 years: Average annual 225,000 RMB × 2 years = 450,000 RMB

• 5-10 years: Average annual 400,000 RMB × 5 years = 2,000,000 RMB

• 10-20 years: Average annual 600,000 RMB × 10 years = 6,000,000 RMB

• 20-30 years: Average annual 800,000 RMB × 10 years = 8,000,000 RMB

• 30-38 years: Average annual 900,000 RMB × 8 years = 7,200,000 RMB

Total approximately 24,010,000 RMB (not including bonuses, stock options, inflation, and salary increases from job changes).

3. Key Influencing Factors

1. Regional Differences: Salaries in first-tier cities (e.g., Shenzhen, Hangzhou) are generally 30%-50% higher than in second-tier cities.
2. Type of Company: Large companies (e.g., Huawei, Yushu Technology): higher salary caps, but greater work intensity.
3. Small and medium-sized enterprises: Lower salaries, but potentially more stability.
4. Technical Direction: Algorithm positions (e.g., deep reinforcement learning, AI): salaries are significantly higher than traditional embedded development.
5. Hardware driver development: Moderate salaries, but stable demand.
6. Career Transition: Transitioning to management (technical manager) or architect roles may further increase salaries.

4. Industry Trends and Recommendations

1. Long-term Demand: Embedded development continues to grow in fields such as IoT, robotics, and autonomous driving, with salary levels expected to remain on the rise.2. Skill Upgrading: Mastering cutting-edge technologies such as AI, multi-sensor fusion, and distributed systems can significantly enhance competitiveness.

3. Career Planning:

• Initial Stage: Solidify fundamentals in C/C++, RTOS, hardware interfaces, etc.
• Mid Stage: Expand algorithm capabilities (e.g., SLAM, reinforcement learning)..
• Long-term: Accumulate project management experience or transition to cross-domain (e.g., robotics, AI).

5. Conclusion

Conservatively estimated, your total career income will be between 20,000,000-30,000,000 RMB (calculated based on current purchasing power), depending on the technical path, company choice, and personal development. It is recommended to continuously focus on high-paying fields (e.g., robotics, AI) and enhance overall capabilities to maximize income potential. Finally, what do you think? See you in the comments section~

END

Source: Big Fish Robotics

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