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Computer Hardware Engineers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $161,740 Median per year · $77.76/hr Most earn $92,940–$225,330

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
  • Provide training and support to system designers and users.
  • Select hardware and material, assuring compliance with specifications and product requirements.
  • Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware.
  • Provide training and support to system designers and users.
  • Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
9% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 4,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing23.7%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences18.5%
  • Computer systems design and related services14.5%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service6.5%
  • Engineering services5.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Computer hardware engineering usually isn't an entry-level job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree and then spend about 2 to 4 years in an related engineering role before moving into this career, so the whole path often takes around 6 to 8 years.

  1. Bachelor's degree in computer engineering or electrical engineering

    4 years

    You learn circuits, digital logic, computer architecture, and programming, which are the core skills hardware engineers use every day.

  2. Hardware Design Engineer

    2-4 years

    In an entry-level engineering role at a company, you help design, test, or debug circuit boards or computer components and build real hands-on experience.

  3. Computer Hardware Engineer

    Career goal

    You research, design, develop, and test computer equipment for businesses, labs, or government, and you may oversee how it is built and installed.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Computer Hardware Engineer

    2-4 years of experience first

    You take on bigger design projects, lead technical decisions, and mentor newer engineers, which usually requires a strong track record of delivered work.

  2. Hardware Engineering Manager

    3-5 years of experience first

    You shift from mostly designing to leading a team, planning projects, and setting priorities, so people skills and project management become as important as technical skill.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take physics and the highest level of math you canPhysics and math, especially algebra, trigonometry, and calculus if available, are the foundation for every engineering major.
  • Take computer science or an intro programming classLearning to code early helps you see how software and hardware work together.
  • Join a robotics, electronics, or science clubHands-on teams let you build, test, and fix real devices, which is the everyday work of a hardware engineer.
  • Enter a science or engineering fair or robotics competitionCompetitions give you a project to show colleges and teach you to solve problems under deadlines.
  • Take a part-time job or volunteer in tech repair or IT supportFixing computers and networks gives you practical troubleshooting experience and shows you how hardware is used.

In college

  • Major in computer engineering or electrical engineeringThese majors cover digital logic, computer architecture, and circuit design, which are the core of hardware engineering.
  • Take digital logic, computer architecture, and embedded systems coursesThese classes teach you how processors and computer parts are designed, which is what this career focuses on.
  • Apply for a summer internship or co-op at an electronics or computer companyReal industry experience is often what turns into a full-time job offer and helps you reach the 2-4 years of experience employers usually want.
  • Join a student engineering club or design teamWorking on a team project, such as a robot or a custom computer build, gives you practical skills and a portfolio to show employers.
  • Get a campus job in a makerspace, computer lab, or research labLab work lets you practice debugging and testing hardware with guidance from experienced people.

Tips for getting started

  • Build something physical, like a small computer, a microcontroller project, or a robot, and keep notes on what you tried. Employers often care more about hands-on projects than grades alone.
  • Get comfortable with programming early, since hardware engineers write test code and work closely with software teams. Languages like Python and C are common starting points.
  • Look for internships or co-op programs in electronics, computer, or semiconductor companies. Real work experience is what often gets you hired after graduation.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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