AI Firmware Engineer Salary.
Across 30 U.S. cities.
$158,000
national median salary
$120,000 to $205,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$218,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$164,000
Washington DC, DC
Lowest Paying
$138,000
Indianapolis, IN
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
The average AI Firmware Engineer salary in the United States is $158,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $120,000 at the 25th percentile to $205,000 at the 75th. San Francisco pays the most at $218,000, while Washington DC offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. This rare specialization combines low-level firmware development with AI acceleration knowledge.
AI Firmware Engineer salary by city
What you should know
This rare specialization combines low-level firmware development with AI acceleration knowledge. Engineers who write firmware for AI-specific hardware accelerators, NPUs, and custom silicon earn the highest premiums. Experience with FPGA-based AI inference and driver development for ML frameworks adds 10 to 18% to compensation. Companies designing custom AI chips pay at the top of the range.
Firmware engineers earning $95,000 to $125,000 transition to AI firmware roles at $120,000 to $205,000 by gaining ML accelerator expertise. Senior AI firmware engineers earn $170,000 to $230,000 before advancing to Principal or AI Hardware Architect roles at $200,000 to $275,000.
Total compensation reaches $180,000 to $340,000 with equity, hardware development bonuses, and retention packages of 12 to 20% of base. AI chip startups offer larger equity stakes that can substantially increase long-term earnings if the company achieves product-market fit.