Computer Hardware Engineers: Career Profile
Research, design, develop, or test computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. May supervise the manufacturing and installation of computer or computer-related equipment and components.
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What Tasks Do Computer Hardware Engineers Perform?
The core tasks performed by computer hardware engineers include:
- Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
- Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
- Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
- Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
- Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
- Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
- Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed.
- Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.
What Computer Hardware Engineers Need to Know
Effective computer hardware engineers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Analog Design Engineer
- Analog IC Design Engineer (Analog Integrated Circuit Design Engineer)
- Application Specific Integrated Circuit Design Engineer (ASIC Design Engineer)
- Application Specific Integrated Circuit Design Verification Engineer (ASIC Design Verification Engineer)
- Computer Designer
- Computer Engineer
- Computer Hardware Designer
- Computer Hardware Developer
Job Outlook
There are about 370,152 computer hardware engineers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +11.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Computer Hardware Engineers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $63,909 |
| Hourly median | $30.73 |
| 10th percentile | $35,957 |
| 25th percentile | $49,933 |
| 75th percentile | $77,886 |
| 90th percentile | $91,862 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Computer Hardware Engineers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $188,540 |
| California | $179,880 |
| Washington | $174,070 |
| Massachusetts | $170,570 |
| Arizona | $163,090 |
| Colorado | $162,920 |
| Hawaii | $155,390 |
| District of Columbia | $153,630 |
| New Hampshire | $152,840 |
| New York | $141,780 |
| Montana | $141,680 |
| Virginia | $139,570 |
| Maryland | $137,930 |
| Alabama | $136,660 |
| Alaska | $136,080 |
| Texas | $133,250 |
| Delaware | $132,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $131,660 |
| North Carolina | $131,600 |
| New Jersey | $131,540 |
| Minnesota | $130,530 |
| Idaho | $127,880 |
| Nebraska | $125,920 |
| Florida | $125,640 |
| Ohio | $124,800 |
| Arkansas | $122,860 |
| Rhode Island | $119,540 |
| South Carolina | $119,010 |
| Michigan | $113,620 |
| Oklahoma | $113,030 |
| Iowa | $111,080 |
| Georgia | $108,590 |
| Illinois | $107,720 |
| Utah | $104,080 |
| Nevada | $102,640 |
| Kansas | $101,650 |
| Missouri | $101,120 |
| Tennessee | $100,430 |
| Wisconsin | $98,040 |
| Indiana | $95,120 |
| Louisiana | $93,570 |
| Puerto Rico | $90,550 |
| Kentucky | $88,750 |
| Mississippi | $76,120 |
| North Dakota | $73,390 |
Where Computer Hardware Engineers Earn the Most
Earnings for computer hardware engineers shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $179,013 | 40.9% | 2.60 |
| New England | $166,205 | 7.2% | 1.67 |
| Rocky Mountains | $149,864 | 6.7% | 1.86 |
| Southwest | $147,579 | 10.9% | 1.31 |
| Middle Atlantic | $138,166 | 10.7% | 0.93 |
| Southeast | $126,474 | 13.5% | 0.61 |
| Plains States | $113,955 | 2.6% | 0.35 |
| Great Lakes | $110,671 | 7.2% | 0.48 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $197,090 | 9,320 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $188,540 | 280 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | PA | $184,560 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $174,070 | 1,150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $172,920 | 5,090 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $170,570 | 2,960 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | NH | $170,360 | 160 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $169,230 | 3,200 |
Industry Breakdown
Most computer hardware engineers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 31,660 | $167,130 |
| Manufacturing | 25,600 | $160,210 |
| Information | 6,260 | $160,080 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,830 | $135,680 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,690 | $140,170 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 930 | $137,140 |
| Finance and Insurance | 300 | $150,860 |
| Educational Services | 180 | $86,700 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- File versioning software: Apache Subversion SVN (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- File versioning software: Git (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for computer hardware engineers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Computer Hardware Engineers
Entry-level computer hardware engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Computer Systems Analysts (Supplemental)
- Software Developers (Primary-Short)
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects (Primary-Long)
- Electrical Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (Primary-Short)
- Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists (Supplemental)
- Mechanical Engineers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future computer hardware engineers commonly pursue programs in:
Engineering
4 programs across 3 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-2061.00 (Computer Hardware Engineers).
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