Computer Hardware Engineers: Career Overview
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 cover:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top computer hardware engineers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Computer Hardware Engineers Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 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
How Many Computer Hardware Engineers Are There?
The U.S. employs around 370,152 computer hardware engineers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +11.3% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Computer Hardware Engineers Make?
| 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 |
Wages vary widely 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 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for computer hardware engineers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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
The bulk of computer hardware engineers are found across these industries:
| 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 |
Below are examples of industries where computer hardware engineers work:
Tools and Technology
- 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment 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
Education and Training
Entry-level computer hardware engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
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)
Where to Study
Aspiring computer hardware engineers often complete programs in:
Engineering
4 programs across 3 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced 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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