Information and Communications Engineers and Technicians Digital occupation

How to become an Embedded Systems Engineer

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 嵌入式系统设计工程技术人员

Analyses, programs and designs embedded systems and automated control systems, and integrates, maintains and improves them.

Main tasks

Understanding what the controlled equipment needs and turning it into technical specifications
Choosing hardware for the system and setting technical specifications
Writing and testing system software
Designing, integrating, testing and maintaining systems
Analysing and evaluating systems and improving them

Ways in

University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 105 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Electronic Information (0807); Mechanical Engineering (0802); Automation (0808); majors such as Electronic Information Engineering, Electronic Information Science and Technology, Communication Engineering, Intelligent Vehicle Engineering, Vehicle Engineering, Artificial Intelligence. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
University: Computing & IT degrees, Offered by 100 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Computer Science (0809); majors such as Internet of Things Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, Network Engineering, Intelligence Science and Technology, Software Engineering, Data Science and Big Data Technology. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Automotive Intelligent Technology (510107). Vocational major 510107 Automotive Intelligent Technology (汽车智能技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Smart Hardware Application Development; Autonomous Driving Software System Applications; Intelligent Connected Vehicle Testing and Setup.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Computer Application Technology (510201). Vocational major 510201 Computer Application Technology (计算机应用技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification; Web Front End Development; Network System Construction and Maintenance; Intelligent Computing Platform Application Development.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Computer Network Technology (510202). Vocational major 510202 Computer Network Technology (计算机网络技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification; Network System Construction and Maintenance; Web Front End Development; Cloud Computing Platform Operation and Development; Network Security Operations and Maintenance; WPS Office Applications.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Industrial Software Development Technology (510214). Vocational major 510214 Industrial Software Development Technology (工业软件开发技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Industrial APP Design and Development; Industrial Internet APP Development.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Internet of Things Application Technology (510102). Vocational major 510102 Internet of Things Application Technology (物联网应用技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Sensor Network Application Development; Mobile App Development; Computer Vision Application Development; Big Data Application Development (Java); IoT Smart Home System Integration and Applications; IoT Engineering Implementation and Maintenance.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Mobile Internet Application Technology (510106). Vocational major 510106 Mobile Internet Application Technology (移动互联应用技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification; Mobile Internet Application Development; Mobile App Development; Mobile App Software Testing.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Smart Product Development and Application (510108). Vocational major 510108 Smart Product Development and Application (智能产品开发与应用), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Smart Hardware Application Development; Sensor Network Application Development; Embedded Edge Computing Software and Hardware Development.; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Embedded Technology (310210). Vocational major 310210 Embedded Technology (嵌入式技术), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification; Embedded Edge Computing Software and Hardware Development; IoT Microcontroller Application and Development.
National qualification: National professional qualification: Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification. A national qualification that shows your level; it is not required to work. Listed in the national vocational qualifications catalogue (国家职业资格目录, 2021) as Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification (计算机技术与软件专业技术资格), run by Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Peernovo links it to this occupation.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥79,500 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥55,200 to CN¥123,700. One in ten earn less than CN¥42,000 and one in ten more than CN¥192,300.
This is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥196,066 a year (2025), middle half CN¥126,542 to CN¥254,212.
Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Engineering and Technical Personnel holds 2.35% of everyone employed in China; 17.1% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
48.9% are under 35, 45.1% are 35 to 54 and 6% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 35 to 39.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Embedded Systems Engineer?

Ways in include: Engineering degrees; Computing & IT degrees; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Automotive Intelligent Technology (510107); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Computer Application Technology (510201).

How much does an Embedded Systems Engineer earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥79,500 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥196,066 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of an Embedded Systems Engineer?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation, National Bureau of Statistics: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China, 2022 edition (public consultation draft) (2022 public consultation draft (1,636 occupations; final edition 1,639)), retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026