Occupations · Architecture and Engineering

Computer Hardware Engineers

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 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 17-2061.00

$155,020median annual wage, May 2024

75,710people employed, United States

▲ 7.3%projected change, 2024→2034

4,700openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 104% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$197,090	9,320
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$172,920	5,090
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	$169,230	3,200
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	$163,220	3,200
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$170,570	2,960
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$140,890	2,160
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$153,340	2,060
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$136,330	1,390
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$130,450	1,180
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$107,720	1,150
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$174,070	1,150
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$122,060	1,030

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

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.
Select hardware and material, assuring compliance with specifications and product requirements.
Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware.
Evaluate factors such as reporting formats required, cost constraints, and need for security restrictions to determine hardware configuration.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Reading Comprehension4.0

Critical Thinking4.0

Active Listening3.9

Writing3.9

Speaking3.9

Active Learning3.8

Mathematics3.2

Monitoring3.1

Science2.9

Learning Strategies2.9

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Apache Subversion SVN●Autodesk AutoCAD●C●C++●Git●Linux●Microsoft Access●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Visio●Microsoft Visual Basic●Oracle Java●Perl●Python●SAS●Shell script●Structured query language SQL●The MathWorks MATLAB●UNIX●ASSET JTAG ScanWorksApplication-specific integrated circuit ASIC logic synthesis softwareAutomatic test program generation ATPGBlock diagram softwareBoundary scan description language BSDLBoundary scan insertion softwareBuilt-in self-test BIST debugging softwareCadence Allegro PCB Designer

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

4 / 5Considerable preparation — a four-year degree plus several years in the field.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Spend Time Sitting+1.4 above average

Exposed to Contaminants−1.3 below average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets−1.2 below average

Frequency of Decision Making−1.2 below average

Spend Time Standing−1.0 below average

Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures−1.0 below average

Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body−1.0 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Bachelor's Degree48%

Master's Degree34%

Doctoral Degree7%

Some College Courses7%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2021-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic5.7

Investigative5.6

Conventional5.4

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Complex Problem Solving3.9

Judgment and Decision Making3.6

Operations Analysis3.4

Systems Analysis3.4

Systems Evaluation3.4

Time Management3.1

Coordination3.1

Operations Monitoring3.0

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Computers and ElectronicsEngineering and TechnologyDesignMathematicsEnglish LanguagePhysics

Abilities it leans on

Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningInformation Ordering

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

EngineerStaff EngineerComputer TesterDesign EngineerProject EngineerComputer DesignerComputer EngineerHardware EngineerHardware ArchitectMicrochip SpecialistElectronics EngineerHardware Test EngineerAnalog Design EngineerField Service Engineer

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 5 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 18

+PCI Express PCIe+Dassault Systemes CATIA+Apache Subversion SVN+MathWorks Simulink DSP Blockset+SKILL FMEA software+Git+Magellan Firmware+The Mathworks Embedded Coder+Perl+Monte Carlo simulation software+Field programmable gate array FPGA design software+PTC Creo Parametric+Very high speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL simulation software+Eko

No longer listed 14

−Cadence Virtuoso software−The MathWorks Simulink−Project management software−The Mathworks Embedded Target software−Practical extraction and reporting language Perl−The MathWorks Simulink Fixed-Point Blockset−Spreadsheet software−Word processing software−The MathWorks Simulink DSP Blockset−Joint test action group JTAG software−Allegro software−SKILL−Computer aided design CAD software−Monte Carlo software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

EngineerStaff EngineerDesign EngineerComputer TesterSystems EngineerProject EngineerNetwork EngineerHardware EngineerComputer DesignerComputer EngineerComputer ArchitectHardware Architect

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
computer hardware engineer	2152.1.1	exact
computer hardware engineering technician	3114.1.2	close
electronics engineer	2152.1	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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