FDE Career Guides

Everything you need to start, advance, or evaluate a Forward Deployed Engineer career. Salary data, interview prep, resume tips, and role comparisons.

What Is a Forward Deployed Engineer?

The complete guide to the FDE role: what they do, who hires them, salary ranges, required skills, and why the role grew 800% in 2025.

How to Become a Forward Deployed Engineer

Step-by-step career path from SWE to FDE. Required skills, where to apply, and what companies look for in FDE candidates.

FDE Interview Questions

50+ real interview questions from OpenAI, Palantir, Salesforce, and more. Coding, system design, and customer scenario prep.

FDE Resume Guide

How to write a resume that gets FDE interviews. Key sections, skills to highlight, and what hiring managers actually look for.

FDE for New Grads

Which companies hire new grad FDEs, what they pay, how to prepare, and whether FDE is a good first job.

Forward Deployed AI Engineer

The fastest-growing FDE specialization. LLM deployment skills, salary ($180K-$300K), and how the AI FDE role differs from standard FDE.

Forward Deployed Strategist

The business-focused counterpart to FDE. What an FDS does, salary ranges, and companies like Palantir and ElevenLabs that hire.

FDE Levels and Career Progression

Career ladder from Associate to Staff/Lead FDE. Salary by level, promotion timelines, and how FDE levels compare to standard SWE.

FDE Work-Life Balance and Travel

Real talk on travel expectations (20-60%), burnout risk, remote options, and how to evaluate FDE lifestyle by company.