Transitioning from Enterprise Software/Infrastructure Engineering to Embedded Systems and IoT /u/esixar CSCQ protests reddit

Hi all,

I’m currently a Platform Engineer (fancy term for Software Developer focused on IT infrastructure and custom software for managing that infrastructure) for a large company, specializing in R&D for Kubernetes operators, networking, and large-scale distributed systems. My career has been focused on baremetal x86 infrastructure, like provisioning, monitoring, and managing tens of thousands of servers and racks across the globe. I’ve also been the main point of contact for setting up dozens of NVIDIA A100 GPUs on Kubernetes clusters and setting up the drivers, network communication, and more, while also working with the datacenter team on cabling and storage. My experience also involves more than just infrastructure setup and operations, I’ve written software at the professional level as well: custom operators for Kubernetes in Golang, network scanners in C, and performance load testing apps we use on each server in C++.

Because of this baremetal infrastructure experience, I’ve recently developed a deep interest in embedded systems and IoT and am considering transitioning into this field.

I’m 28, have a family, and currently make $143k in Tampa, FL. Financial stability is important to me, so taking a significant pay cut (> $15,000-$20,000) isn’t feasible. I’ve just got accepted to a graduate certificate program in Computer Engineering, with a focus on embedded systems and IoT, as a way to build a foundation for this transition. This certificate goes deep into topics like VxWorks RTOS, I2C, SPI, UART, SystemC, timing consideration, hardware power and thermal tradeoffs, and Network on Chip (NoC).

The question is: is it possible to get into embedded at 28-29 with this education and technical professional experience without going down too much in pay? (I don’t care about remote work, I already go into the office 5 times a week)

Here’s where I’m struggling:

• I find embedded systems fascinating—low-level programming, microcontrollers, IoT — but I’m not sure if it’s realistic to pursue a career in this field while maintaining my current financial stability. I have so much passion for it that I’ve been grinding away at learning all I can about Embedded C, baremetal HAL programming, and memory/register manipulation on chipsets like the ARM Cortex-M0+ RP2040 and the STM32 Nucleo with FreeRTOS.

• Is it possible to move into embedded/IoT roles without starting over as a junior engineer? Would the graduate certificate and personal projects be enough to demonstrate value to potential employers? I’m also hoping my extensive enterprise networking and compute experience will translate to IoT knowledge.

• Should I focus on embedded systems as a hobby or niche within my current role, rather than making a full transition?

I feel conflicted because I don’t want to leave the stability and expertise I’ve built, but I also don’t want to regret not pursuing something I’m passionate about. Has anyone here made a similar transition or faced a similar dilemma?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, advice, or experiences. If you’ve pivoted into embedded systems, how did you do it? And if you’ve stayed in software but found a way to explore embedded as part of your work, how did you balance the two?

Thanks in advance for any insights you can share!

Hi all,

I’m currently a Platform Engineer (fancy term for Software Developer focused on IT infrastructure and custom software for managing that infrastructure) for a large company, specializing in R&D for Kubernetes operators, networking, and large-scale distributed systems. My career has been focused on baremetal x86 infrastructure, like provisioning, monitoring, and managing tens of thousands of servers and racks across the globe. I’ve also been the main point of contact for setting up dozens of NVIDIA A100 GPUs on Kubernetes clusters and setting up the drivers, network communication, and more, while also working with the datacenter team on cabling and storage. My experience also involves more than just infrastructure setup and operations, I’ve written software at the professional level as well: custom operators for Kubernetes in Golang, network scanners in C, and performance load testing apps we use on each server in C++.

Because of this baremetal infrastructure experience, I’ve recently developed a deep interest in embedded systems and IoT and am considering transitioning into this field.

I’m 28, have a family, and currently make $143k in Tampa, FL. Financial stability is important to me, so taking a significant pay cut (> $15,000-$20,000) isn’t feasible. I’ve just got accepted to a graduate certificate program in Computer Engineering, with a focus on embedded systems and IoT, as a way to build a foundation for this transition. This certificate goes deep into topics like VxWorks RTOS, I2C, SPI, UART, SystemC, timing consideration, hardware power and thermal tradeoffs, and Network on Chip (NoC).

The question is: is it possible to get into embedded at 28-29 with this education and technical professional experience without going down too much in pay? (I don’t care about remote work, I already go into the office 5 times a week)

Here’s where I’m struggling:

• I find embedded systems fascinating—low-level programming, microcontrollers, IoT — but I’m not sure if it’s realistic to pursue a career in this field while maintaining my current financial stability. I have so much passion for it that I’ve been grinding away at learning all I can about Embedded C, baremetal HAL programming, and memory/register manipulation on chipsets like the ARM Cortex-M0+ RP2040 and the STM32 Nucleo with FreeRTOS.

• Is it possible to move into embedded/IoT roles without starting over as a junior engineer? Would the graduate certificate and personal projects be enough to demonstrate value to potential employers? I’m also hoping my extensive enterprise networking and compute experience will translate to IoT knowledge.

• Should I focus on embedded systems as a hobby or niche within my current role, rather than making a full transition?

I feel conflicted because I don’t want to leave the stability and expertise I’ve built, but I also don’t want to regret not pursuing something I’m passionate about. Has anyone here made a similar transition or faced a similar dilemma?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, advice, or experiences. If you’ve pivoted into embedded systems, how did you do it? And if you’ve stayed in software but found a way to explore embedded as part of your work, how did you balance the two?

Thanks in advance for any insights you can share!