Computer Hardware Engineers
Also called Design Engineer, Engineer, Hardware Engineer, or Systems Integration Engineer
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Computer Hardware Engineers do
You design the physical parts inside computers, from the chips that do the thinking to the circuit boards that hold everything together.
Computer hardware engineers create and test the equipment that makes computing possible: processors (the chips that do a computer's calculations), circuit boards, memory, disk drives, printers, and custom electronics used in business, industrial, scientific, and military equipment. You sketch a design, build a prototype (an early working version), test it hard, then fix what breaks.
Much of the work happens at a desk in a climate-controlled office or lab, sitting with simulation software and test data. But it is not solitary. You talk with software engineers about how their code will run on your hardware, write specification documents others will follow, answer questions from suppliers and sales staff, and direct technicians in the lab. Technology shifts fast, so learning never really stops.
A day in the life
You start with email: a supplier question about a part, a test report from overnight. Then you sit with simulation software, adjusting a circuit design and checking whether it meets the power and speed targets. Mid-morning you meet the software team face-to-face to sort out how their code talks to your board. Back in the lab, a technician shows you a prototype that fails at high temperature. You record the test data, study the numbers, and change one thing at a time. After lunch you write a specification document so manufacturing knows exactly what to build. Late in the day you read up on a new chip standard. Most of your day is indoors, seated, and thinking hard.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like taking electronics apart to see how they work
- ✓Enjoy math and physics problems that take real effort to crack
- ✓Can explain technical decisions clearly in writing and out loud
- ✓Stay patient when a prototype fails the same test three times
- ✓Want to keep learning new technology for your whole career
You might not like it if you…
- –Want to be on your feet or outdoors most of the day
- –Dislike long stretches of documentation and specification writing
- –Would rather avoid a bachelor's degree in engineering with a lot of math
- –Prefer finished answers over problems that stay unsolved for weeks
How people get in
- 1Take as much math, physics, and computer science as your high school offers, and build electronics projects on your own if you can.
- 2Earn a bachelor's degree, which is the typical entry-level education. Common programs include Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, or Computer Hardware Engineering.
- 3Get hands-on in college labs and clubs, building and testing real circuits and boards rather than only studying theory.
- 4Look for internships or co-op programs (paid work terms that are part of your degree) with companies that make chips, devices, or equipment. These are a common way to get lab experience and meet people in the field.
- 5Start in a junior design or test role, working alongside experienced engineers and technicians, and keep up with new technology as it changes.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Official task list
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)
- 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.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
What you'll need to know
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- Mathematics
- English Language
How much Computer Hardware Engineers make
The median pay for Computer Hardware Engineers in the U.S. is $161,740 a year ($77.76 an hour). Most earn between $92,940 and $225,330. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in California ($185,180) and lowest in Mississippi ($78,320).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $136,990 | 680 |
| Arizona | $158,280 | 3,110 |
| Arkansas | $120,290 | 160 |
| California | $185,180 | 19,820 |
| Colorado | $156,080 | 2,660 |
| Delaware | $135,690 | 30 |
| District of Columbia | $163,360 | 210 |
| Florida | $134,160 | 3,290 |
| Georgia | $100,210 | 650 |
| Hawaii | $159,880 | 90 |
| Idaho | $131,570 | 920 |
| Illinois | $133,220 | 1,420 |
| Indiana | $98,350 | 320 |
| Iowa | $125,120 | 130 |
| Kansas | $101,750 | 220 |
| Kentucky | $116,200 | 500 |
| Louisiana | $83,550 | 270 |
| Maryland | $152,730 | 1,720 |
| Massachusetts | $167,600 | 3,150 |
| Michigan | $119,670 | 1,420 |
| Minnesota | $134,300 | 770 |
| Mississippi | $78,320 | 150 |
| Missouri | $103,980 | 900 |
| Nebraska | $134,950 | 80 |
| Nevada | $116,530 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $129,140 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $142,880 | 580 |
| New Mexico | $165,350 | 5,260 |
| New York | $163,470 | 3,020 |
| North Carolina | $134,670 | 1,340 |
| Ohio | $118,160 | 580 |
| Oklahoma | $95,600 | 180 |
| Puerto Rico | $85,660 | 370 |
| Rhode Island | $119,510 | 390 |
| South Carolina | $125,110 | 690 |
| South Dakota | $101,400 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $130,830 | — |
| Texas | $163,860 | 7,390 |
| Utah | $106,950 | 430 |
| Virginia | $139,030 | 1,720 |
| Washington | $169,120 | 1,800 |
| Wisconsin | $83,670 | 270 |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 452 colleges
- Computer Engineering 340 colleges
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 45 colleges
- Computer Hardware Engineering 10 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 17-2061.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 17-2061. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.