Computer Hardware Engineers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for computer hardware engineers in the U.S. is $161,740 ($77.76 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $161,740
- Mean annual wage
- $162,670
- Median hourly wage
- $77.76
- Employment
- 76,660
76,660 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $92,940 | $44.68 |
| 25th percentile | $126,090 | $60.62 |
| Median (50th) | $161,740 | $77.76 |
| 75th percentile | $202,990 | $97.59 |
| 90th percentile | $225,330 | $108.33 |
Highest-paying states for computer hardware engineers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $185,180 | 19,820 |
| Washington | $169,120 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $167,600 | 3,150 |
| New Mexico | $165,350 | 5,260 |
| Texas | $163,860 | 7,390 |
| New York | $163,470 | 3,020 |
| District of Columbia | $163,360 | 210 |
| Hawaii | $159,880 | 90 |
| Arizona | $158,280 | 3,110 |
| Colorado | $156,080 | 2,660 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $78,320 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $83,550 median annual wage
- Wisconsin: $83,670 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $95,600 median annual wage
- Indiana: $98,350 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.
- 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.
- Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
- Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, and humidity in area of system installation.
- Provide training and support to system designers and users.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 4.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 7.7% |
| Associate's degree | 7.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 46.0% |
| Master's degree | 28.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 5.8% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Civil Engineers$100,840
- Industrial Engineers$102,440
- Mechanical Engineers$104,110
- Electrical Engineers$120,630
- Engineers, All Other$122,930
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$99,280
- Architectural and Civil Drafters$66,150
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$130,220
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.