embedded system designer
Embedded system designers translate and design requirements and the high-level plan or architecture of an embedded control system according to technical software specifications.
embedded system designer embedded system designers translate and design requirements and the high-level plan or architecture of an embedded control system according to technical software specifications. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include embedded systems, computer programming, digital systems, ICT debugging tools, integrated development environment software.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £56,914 a year for Programmers and software development professionals (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £42,289 to £75,794 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2134). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only embedded system designer, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- Telecommunications
What you'd actually do
- Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
- Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
- Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.
- Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does embedded system designer do?
Embedded system designers translate and design requirements and the high-level plan or architecture of an embedded control system according to technical software specifications.
What skills does embedded system designer need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include embedded systems, computer programming, digital systems, ICT debugging tools, integrated development environment software, tools for software configuration management. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace embedded system designer?
Our AI-durability model gives embedded system designer a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.