Careers / Computer Hardware Engineers
Computer Hardware Engineers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$161,740
United States, 2025
Employment
76,660
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
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.
- O*NET code
- 17-2061.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$92,940
25th percentile
$126,090
75th percentile
$202,990
90th percentile
$225,330
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Operations Analysis3.4
- Systems Analysis3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.4
- Mathematics3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 17 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
17
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Mathematics | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Computer Hardware EngineersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $209,860 | 7,940 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $203,890 | 2,810 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $202,390 | 120 | 2025 |
| CA | $185,180 | 19,820 | 2025 |
| Durham, NC | $175,110 | 430 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $174,440 | 3,330 | 2025 |
| Manchester, NH | $174,140 | 130 | 2025 |
| Allentown, PA | $172,210 | 190 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $169,370 | 80 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $169,120 | 1,410 | 2025 |
| WA | $169,120 | 1,800 | 2025 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $168,990 | 490 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $167,600 | 2,840 | 2025 |
| MA | $167,600 | 3,150 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $167,010 | 2,820 | 2025 |
| Austin, TX | $165,530 | 3,850 | 2025 |
| NM | $165,350 | 5,260 | 2025 |
| TX | $163,860 | 7,390 | 2025 |
| NY | $163,470 | 3,020 | 2025 |
| DC | $163,360 | 210 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Computer Hardware Engineers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.