Computer Hardware Engineers
Computer Hardware Engineers (SOC 17-2061) earn a median $161,740 a year ($77.76 an hour) in the United States, with 76,660 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What computer hardware engineers do
Computer hardware engineers research, design, develop, and test the physical parts of computing systems, such as processors, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and peripherals such as printers and disk drives. Day to day, they create hardware designs and specifications, build and test prototypes, and modify them after the results come in. They confer with other engineers and consult specifications to make sure the hardware works with the software and other components that will run on it, and in some jobs they supervise manufacturing and installation. Because the technology changes quickly, keeping up with new developments is a standing part of the work. The occupation excludes software developers, who write programs rather than design equipment, and it differs from electrical and electronics engineers, whose scope covers a wider range of electrical systems and devices. Writing detailed functional specifications for the hardware development process and providing technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, and suppliers are also part of the work.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Computer Hardware Engineer, Computer Designer, Analog Design Engineer, Computer Engineer, Computer Hardware Designer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $44.68 | $60.62 | $77.76 | $97.59 | $108.33 | $78.21 | 76,660 |
| Annual | $92,940 | $126,090 | $161,740 | $202,990 | $225,330 | $162,670 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where computer hardware engineers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $60.86 | $72.45 | $89.03 | $105.76 | $135.20 | $91.63 | 19,820 | 1.09 | 2.21 |
| Annual | $126,590 | $150,700 | $185,180 | $219,980 | $281,210 | $190,590 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $48.14 | $63.50 | $81.31 | $101.07 | $125.10 | $85.73 | 1,800 | 0.51 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $100,120 | $132,070 | $169,120 | $210,230 | $260,210 | $178,320 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $56.97 | $63.76 | $80.58 | $101.40 | $124.46 | $85.11 | 3,150 | 0.87 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $118,490 | $132,610 | $167,600 | $210,910 | $258,880 | $177,030 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $56.32 | $64.32 | $79.50 | $95.03 | $98.15 | $78.80 | 5,260 | 6.04 | 12.25 |
| Annual | $117,150 | $133,780 | $165,350 | $197,670 | $204,150 | $163,890 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $44.68 | $60.85 | $78.78 | $97.65 | $103.97 | $77.58 | 7,390 | 0.53 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $92,940 | $126,560 | $163,860 | $203,100 | $216,260 | $161,360 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $60.86 | $72.45 | $89.03 | $105.76 | $135.20 | $91.63 | 19,820 | 1.09 | 2.21 |
| Annual | $126,590 | $150,700 | $185,180 | $219,980 | $281,210 | $190,590 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $44.68 | $60.85 | $78.78 | $97.65 | $103.97 | $77.58 | 7,390 | 0.53 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $92,940 | $126,560 | $163,860 | $203,100 | $216,260 | $161,360 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $56.32 | $64.32 | $79.50 | $95.03 | $98.15 | $78.80 | 5,260 | 6.04 | 12.25 |
| Annual | $117,150 | $133,780 | $165,350 | $197,670 | $204,150 | $163,890 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $37.34 | $48.89 | $64.50 | $80.62 | $97.84 | $66.25 | 3,290 | 0.33 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $77,680 | $101,680 | $134,160 | $167,690 | $203,510 | $137,810 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $56.97 | $63.76 | $80.58 | $101.40 | $124.46 | $85.11 | 3,150 | 0.87 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $118,490 | $132,610 | $167,600 | $210,910 | $258,880 | $177,030 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $68.07 | $82.31 | $100.89 | $110.82 | $136.73 | $100.34 | 7,940 | 7.00 | 14.19 |
| Annual | $141,590 | $171,200 | $209,860 | $230,510 | $284,400 | $208,700 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $62.88 | $73.06 | $98.02 | $106.39 | $136.82 | $95.20 | 2,810 | 1.18 | 2.40 |
| Annual | $130,800 | $151,970 | $203,890 | $221,290 | $284,580 | $198,010 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $48.15 | $48.15 | $97.30 | $104.39 | $104.39 | $81.18 | 120 | 0.30 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $100,150 | $100,150 | $202,390 | $217,140 | $217,140 | $168,850 | ||||
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | Hourly | $48.03 | $68.66 | $84.19 | $112.69 | $141.77 | $89.13 | 430 | 1.26 | 2.56 |
| Annual | $99,900 | $142,820 | $175,110 | $234,390 | $294,880 | $185,400 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $59.09 | $64.37 | $83.87 | $104.88 | $109.59 | $85.48 | 3,330 | 2.16 | 4.39 |
| Annual | $122,910 | $133,890 | $174,440 | $218,150 | $227,940 | $177,800 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $68.07 | $82.31 | $100.89 | $110.82 | $136.73 | $100.34 | 7,940 | 7.00 | 14.19 |
| Annual | $141,590 | $171,200 | $209,860 | $230,510 | $284,400 | $208,700 | ||||
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | Hourly | $49.56 | $61.60 | $79.58 | $100.40 | $122.20 | $83.87 | 3,850 | 2.97 | 6.03 |
| Annual | $103,080 | $128,130 | $165,530 | $208,830 | $254,180 | $174,450 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $59.09 | $64.37 | $83.87 | $104.88 | $109.59 | $85.48 | 3,330 | 2.16 | 4.39 |
| Annual | $122,910 | $133,890 | $174,440 | $218,150 | $227,940 | $177,800 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $53.24 | $62.97 | $80.58 | $101.40 | $125.22 | $84.97 | 2,840 | 1.05 | 2.13 |
| Annual | $110,730 | $130,970 | $167,600 | $210,910 | $260,460 | $176,740 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $49.74 | $55.40 | $80.30 | $81.06 | $105.02 | $76.91 | 2,820 | 1.19 | 2.41 |
| Annual | $103,450 | $115,230 | $167,010 | $168,610 | $218,440 | $159,960 | ||||
Top industries employing computer hardware engineers
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing employ 23.6% of computer hardware engineers nationally (18,120 jobs) at a median $166,150 a year ($79.88 an hour), followed by Scientific Research and Development Services (18.6%) and Computer Systems Design and Related Services (14.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing NAICS 334400 | 18,120 | 23.6% | $166,150 | $79.88 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 14,280 | 18.6% | $171,820 | $82.60 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500 | 11,260 | 14.7% | $155,470 | $74.75 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 4,590 | 6.0% | $136,990 | $65.86 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 3,930 | 5.1% | $133,340 | $64.11 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (76,660). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $128,170 for computer hardware engineers in May 2021 and $161,740 in May 2025, with employment of 73,750 and 76,660.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $128,170 | $61.62 | 73,750 |
| May 2022 | $132,360 | $63.64 | 74,640 |
| May 2023 | $138,080 | $66.38 | 82,660 |
| May 2024 | $155,020 | $74.53 | 75,710 |
| May 2025 | $161,740 | $77.76 | 76,660 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
45 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $89.03 | $185,180 | $126,590 | $281,210 | 19,820 | 1.09 | 2.21 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $81.31 | $169,120 | $100,120 | $260,210 | 1,800 | 0.51 | 1.03 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $80.58 | $167,600 | $118,490 | $258,880 | 3,150 | 0.87 | 1.76 |
| 4 | New Mexico profile | $79.50 | $165,350 | $117,150 | $204,150 | 5,260 | 6.04 | 12.25 |
| 5 | Texas profile | $78.78 | $163,860 | $92,940 | $216,260 | 7,390 | 0.53 | 1.06 |
| 6 | New York profile | $78.59 | $163,470 | $101,530 | $224,490 | 3,020 | 0.31 | 0.63 |
| 7 | District of Columbia profile | $78.54 | $163,360 | $100,690 | $211,950 | 210 | 0.30 | 0.62 |
| 8 | Hawaii profile | $76.87 | $159,880 | $94,270 | $202,980 | 90 | 0.14 | 0.28 |
| 9 | Arizona profile | $76.10 | $158,280 | $100,900 | $218,440 | 3,110 | 0.96 | 1.94 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $75.04 | $156,080 | $100,050 | $222,220 | 2,660 | 0.92 | 1.87 |
| 11 | Maryland profile | $73.43 | $152,730 | $87,840 | $198,300 | 1,720 | 0.62 | 1.27 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | $68.69 | $142,880 | $87,540 | $210,900 | 580 | 0.14 | 0.27 |
| 13 | Virginia profile | $66.84 | $139,030 | $87,630 | $195,290 | 1,720 | 0.42 | 0.85 |
| 14 | Alabama profile | $65.86 | $136,990 | $80,680 | $195,190 | 680 | 0.32 | 0.66 |
| 15 | Delaware profile | $65.24 | $135,690 | $96,140 | $200,240 | 30 | 0.07 | 0.13 |
| 16 | Nebraska profile | $64.88 | $134,950 | $96,910 | $173,350 | 80 | 0.08 | 0.16 |
| 17 | North Carolina profile | $64.74 | $134,670 | $74,310 | $234,390 | 1,340 | 0.27 | 0.55 |
| 18 | Minnesota profile | $64.57 | $134,300 | $84,770 | $176,340 | 770 | 0.26 | 0.53 |
| 19 | Florida profile | $64.50 | $134,160 | $77,680 | $203,510 | 3,290 | 0.33 | 0.67 |
| 20 | Illinois profile | $64.05 | $133,220 | $77,420 | $210,100 | 1,420 | 0.23 | 0.47 |
| 21 | Idaho profile | $63.26 | $131,570 | $85,230 | $212,880 | 920 | 1.08 | 2.18 |
| 22 | Tennessee profile | $62.90 | $130,830 | $96,300 | $167,030 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | New Hampshire profile | $62.09 | $129,140 | $75,740 | $202,720 | 310 | 0.45 | 0.92 |
| 24 | Iowa profile | $60.15 | $125,120 | $77,480 | $187,980 | 130 | 0.09 | 0.18 |
| 25 | South Carolina profile | $60.15 | $125,110 | $74,990 | $171,540 | 690 | 0.30 | 0.61 |
| 26 | Arkansas profile | $57.83 | $120,290 | $70,870 | $166,450 | 160 | 0.12 | 0.25 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $57.53 | $119,670 | $78,240 | $176,700 | 1,420 | 0.32 | 0.66 |
| 28 | Rhode Island profile | $57.46 | $119,510 | $80,620 | $158,570 | 390 | 0.78 | 1.58 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $56.81 | $118,160 | $75,240 | $196,680 | 580 | 0.11 | 0.21 |
| 30 | Nevada profile | $56.03 | $116,530 | $83,310 | $155,020 | 160 | 0.11 | 0.22 |
| 31 | Kentucky profile | $55.86 | $116,200 | $71,400 | $128,050 | 500 | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| 32 | Utah profile | $51.42 | $106,950 | $72,550 | $168,320 | 430 | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| 33 | Missouri profile | $49.99 | $103,980 | $61,290 | $150,050 | 900 | 0.31 | 0.62 |
| 34 | Kansas profile | $48.92 | $101,750 | $74,520 | $145,800 | 220 | 0.16 | 0.32 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | $48.75 | $101,400 | $78,040 | $150,110 | 160 | 0.36 | 0.73 |
| 36 | Georgia profile | $48.18 | $100,210 | $70,920 | $165,610 | 650 | 0.13 | 0.27 |
| 37 | Indiana profile | $47.28 | $98,350 | $73,780 | $136,970 | 320 | 0.10 | 0.20 |
| 38 | Oklahoma profile | $45.96 | $95,600 | $77,150 | $171,560 | 180 | 0.10 | 0.21 |
| 39 | Wisconsin profile | $40.23 | $83,670 | $68,330 | $172,820 | 270 | 0.09 | 0.19 |
| 40 | Louisiana profile | $40.17 | $83,550 | $47,840 | $150,290 | 270 | 0.14 | 0.28 |
| 41 | Mississippi profile | $37.66 | $78,320 | $68,770 | $140,650 | 150 | 0.13 | 0.26 |
| – | Connecticut profile | * | * | * | * | 340 | 0.20 | 0.41 |
| – | Pennsylvania profile | * | * | * | * | 1,610 | 0.27 | 0.54 |
| – | Vermont profile | * | * | * | * | 130 | 0.42 | 0.86 |
| – | West Virginia profile | * | * | * | * | 140 | 0.21 | 0.42 |
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-2061 Computer Hardware Engineers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-2061, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-2061.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.