Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Computer Hardware Engineer is a professional role in the Architecture and Engineering job family, focused on Computer Hardware Engineer work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Computer Hardware Engineers do
Typical education: Bachelor's Degree
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.
Top skills:Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingActive Listening
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Computer Hardware Engineer salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
30,320 workers
$174,500
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
26,270 workers
$166,500
Information
5,520 workers
$179,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS
4,750 workers
$142,500
Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)
4,590 workers
$142,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
3,930 workers
$170,000
Wholesale Trade
3,580 workers
$158,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
1,120 workers
$152,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Computer Hardware Engineer pays 60% above the average across 36 roles in the Architecture and Engineering job family (family average $105,500).
Similar-paying roles in Architecture and Engineering
The average base salary for a Computer Hardware Engineer in the United States is $168,500 per year, or about $81.01 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $130,500 and $210,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Architecture and Engineering roles?
The Architecture and Engineering job family averages $105,500 across 36 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
