What is a firmware developer? It is a professional who is responsible for designing firmware—computer software written in non-volatile memory that provides low-level control over hardware. Their role includes writing the code, testing it, and collaborating with the rest of the team to prepare optimal code. In this article, we look at this in more detail. We invite you to read on.

What Is a Firmware Developer?

A firmware developer is a professional who plays a crucial role in embedded systems development. Their main role is to design and program firmware—the software responsible for controlling hardware’s basic functions.

Firmware isn’t designed to be removed or updated frequently. Therefore, a firmware developer needs to create it carefully to ensure that it will not require fixes and work efficiently when installed with the hardware.

Firmware Developer’s Tasks and Responsibilities

The tasks and responsibilities of a firmware developer can be divided into:

  • Communicating with the whole team working on a given embedded system.
  • Writing the firmware code.
  • Testing the code.
  • Preparing updates to live firmware (if necessary).

Naturally, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s look at this in much more detail.

Coding Skills

In general, firmware developers need to know C++ and C coding languages. Python or Java may also be required in certain jobs.

The firmware developer should also be familiar with what’s used in a given company when it comes to embedded systems OS. In practice, this means that they should be capable of working with at least a few of the following operating systems:

Furthermore, a firmware developer’s task may include working with debugging tools, such as JTAG or EJTAG, which adds to their skill set. They should also be familiar with microcontrollers, as they are the basis for embedded devices.

On the other hand, a firmware developer gains low-level access to a device’s hardware. This means they can get deeper into a device and optimize their code more efficiently. As a result, despite the required coding skills, this job is often more interesting for IT professionals.

Troubleshooting

Since firmware developers' responsibilities include coding and debugging their code, they need additional “soft skills.” These include creativity to solve problems and attention to detail (to avoid causing them!).

On the other hand, this might often require a lot of patience from IT professionals who became firmware developers. The firmware applications will be breaking, so there will always be something to troubleshoot.

Communication

Although firmware constitutes a chunk of embedded system development in theory, it is crucial for a given project's success. This is why firmware developers need to communicate, brainstorm, and discuss their projects with other team members (or the client) frequently to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Is It Worth Becoming a Firmware Developer?

As we already briefly mentioned, working as a firmware developer is, for many, more exciting than other career paths in IT. However, there are multiple other reasons why it is a career worth pursuing.

Salary

According to Indeed, the average base salary for a firmware developer is $130,340 per year [1]. If we compare this with the data available on Glassdoor (via Coursera), we can see that it is one of the better-paid jobs in IT [2].

Demand

Embedded systems are everywhere. They empower our cars, at-home appliances, and IoT devices. The demand for such devices is exceptionally high, and so is the need for firmware developers.

The software development market is generally predicted to grow by 17% in the upcoming ten years [3]. Therefore, we may already observe a large number of job offers specifically for this position, and their number should rise, especially since they are needed in multiple different industries.

Creativity in Everyday Tasks

A firmware developer works with low-level device access, unlike most commercial software developers. From a technical perspective, this job might be more demanding but also much more enjoyable. This means that those pursuing this career path may not be as susceptible to burnout, a problem that touches 57% of IT workers [4].

How to Become a Firmware Developer?

What are the requirements for becoming a firmware developer? For this, you will need the following:

  • A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree (preferably EE, CompE/EECS or CS)
  • Experience—You can start by applying to smaller companies. It is crucial that you already have experience in coding and using relevant tools (debuggers, compilers, and emulators).
  • Understanding of embedded systems—you need to know embedded systems inside out, including both hardware and software.

What If You Need a Firmware Developer?

If you need to develop firmware for your embedded system, you are in the right place. At Conclusive, we can help you with certain stages of the development process or carry it out end-to-end. Discover our firmware development services and see how we can help you.

Conclusions

What is a firmware developer, and what are their tasks? This term refers to those IT professionals who create firmware—the software responsible for hardware’s primary functions. It is a role that requires communication skills, excellent coding skills, and knowledge of embedded systems. Firmware development is crucial in the process of building an effective and efficient embedded system; therefore, firmware developers are invaluable in multiple industries.

You might also read: Where to find good firmware development services

References:

  1. https://www.indeed.com/career/firmware-engineer/salaries
  2. https://www.coursera.org/articles/it-salaries-roles-location-and-experience
  3. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
  4. https://www.teamblind.com/blog/close-to-60-percent-of-surveyed-tech-workers-are-burnt-out-credit-karma-tops-the-list-for-most-employees-suffering-from-burnout/