All careersEngineering & science

Computer Hardware Engineer

$155,020
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Design and test computer chips, circuit boards, and other physical parts of computing systems.

Where you work

Labs, offices, and manufacturing sites

The hours

Full-time, standard schedule

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$155,020
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~4,700
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+7%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
76,800
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

What it takes

Circuit designTestingProblem-solvingComputer engineering

The honest take

Designs the physical guts of computers and devices, a field that leans on strong engineering fundamentals.

Standard Occupational Classification 17-2061. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.