below marketmost similar roles pay hereabove market
This role pays more than
60%
of similar roles. Most pay
$182,000–$228,100
— the blue band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$209k
versus about
$205k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
651 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 605 roles with salary data.
The Microsoft Azure team is seeking a Principal Firmware Engineer to lead the development, debugging, and validation of next-generation firmware solutions for Microsoft AI accelerators and cloud silicon platforms. This role involves designing and deploying silicon firmware libraries for Compute Domains, ANC, HBM, and SoC infrastructure subsystems. You will develop scalable frameworks and APIs using C/C++ and Python while leading first-silicon bring-up activities and root-cause analysis for hardware and performance issues. Key responsibilities include influencing microarchitecture decisions, defining verification requirements, and mentoring engineers. The position requires deep expertise in SoC architecture, ARM/RISC architectures, and platform initialization sequences. You will solve complex technical problems involving memory and IO subsystems, confidential computing, and security firmware using tools like JTAG, Lauterbach TRACE32, and FPGA platforms.
What does a Firmware Engineer earn?
Median $195625 from 40 postings across 11 companies.
Define and drive firmware architecture for HBM, ANC, Compute, and SoC infrastructure subsystems.
Develop silicon firmware libraries in C/C++ for Compute engines, ANC subsystems, and DMA engines.
Lead first-silicon bring-up activities and drive root-cause analysis for hardware and performance issues.
Develop scalable and maintainable firmware frameworks, APIs, and platform initialization sequences.
Influence microarchitecture decisions by collaborating with silicon architects during the specification and design phases.
Define firmware verification requirements, test plans, and engineering best practices.
Lead cross-team initiatives spanning firmware, silicon architecture, software, and system integration.
What we're looking for
Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of technical engineering experience.
Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience.
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of technical engineering experience.
Equivalent experience to the degree and years of experience requirements.
Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check.
12+ years of experience in firmware, embedded systems, or SoC development (preferred).
Expert level programming skills in C/C++ and Python (preferred).
Deep expertise in CPU and accelerator architecture, ARM/RISC architectures, and On Chip Interconnect (preferred).
SoC Architecture
Firmware Development
Silicon Design
Bring-Up
JTAG
Arm TrustZone
x86
Arm
FPGA
ZeBu
Palladium
Lauterbach TRACE32
Arm Development Studio
Linux
Windows
Driver Development
RTL
Pre-silicon Validation
Post-silicon Validation
ATE
C
C++
Rust
Firmware Development
Embedded Software
Driver Development
Linux
PCIe
I2C
eMMC
SPI
USB
UART
Memory Management
Multi-threading
Encryption Ciphers
Security Protocols
Penetration Testing
Board Support Package
Microarchitecture Design