Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 17-2061

Computer Hardware Engineers

The published band from $92,940 to $225,330 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Nuclear Engineers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Computer Hardware Engineers: Nuclear Engineers ($134K) , Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers ($106K) , Chemical Engineers ($125K) , Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors ($115K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Computer Hardware Engineers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-2061 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology
  2. 2. Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors…
  3. 3. Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performa…
  4. 4. Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation
  5. 5. Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction
  6. 6. Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing tes…
  7. 7. Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed
  8. 8. Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the produ…
  9. 9. Select hardware and material, assuring compliance with specifications and product requirements
  10. 10. Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements
  11. 11. Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware
  12. 12. Evaluate factors such as reporting formats required, cost constraints, and need for security restrictions to determine hardware configura…

Computer Hardware Engineers: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-2061 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Computers and Electronics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 4.0
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.9
  4. 4. Writing 3.9
  5. 5. Speaking 3.9
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 3.9
  7. 7. Active Learning 3.8
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Computers and Electronics 4.7
  2. 2. Engineering and Technology 4.7
  3. 3. Design 4.1
  4. 4. Mathematics 4.1
  5. 5. English Language 3.8
  6. 6. Physics 3.4
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$92,940 to $225,330
median $161,740 · ~2.4× spread
$162K
National median
↑ +7%
Growth 2024-2034
4,700
Annual openings
76,660
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $134K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Computer Hardware Engineers

1. Washington $169,120
2. Arizona $158,280
3. New York $163,470
4. Massachusetts $167,600
5. Texas $163,860
6. California $185,180
7. District of Columbia $163,360
8. Colorado $156,080
9. New Mexico $165,350
10. Hawaii $159,880

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Chemical Engineers $125,040
  2. 2. Nuclear Engineers $133,970
  3. 3. Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors $115,160
  4. 4. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $109,370
  5. 5. Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers $106,220
  6. 6. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects $112,230

The OEWS band for Computer Hardware Engineers runs from $92,940 (10th) to $225,330 (90th), about 2.4× wide, with median $161,740. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +7% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $169,120. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Engineers at $133,970. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Computer Hardware Engineers pay-rank #1 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Among 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with a published OEWS median, Computer Hardware Engineers is pay-rank #1, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Computer Hardware Engineers is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Computer Hardware Engineers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-2061

Washington · top state for Computer Hardware Engineers

$169K published median

Arizona · #2 state pay

$158K · behind Washington

Nuclear Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Computer Hardware Engineers · $134K

Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Computer Hardware Engineers · $106K

Compare Computer Hardware Engineers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Computer Hardware Engineers with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles sit near Computer Hardware Engineers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Computer Hardware Engineers is pay-rank #1 of 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Petroleum Engineers ($145K), Aerospace Engineers ($135K), Nuclear Engineers ($134K), Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ($130K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do computer hardware engineers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Computer Hardware Engineers. Leading ones include: 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…; Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performa…; Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for computer hardware engineers? ▼
For SOC 17-2061, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Critical Thinking (4.0), Active Listening (3.9), Writing (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Computers and Electronics, Engineering and Technology, Design. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Computer Hardware Engineers? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $92,940 and the 90th at $225,330 for Computer Hardware Engineers (2.4× spread). The national median is $161,740. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Computer Hardware Engineers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Computer Hardware Engineers is +7%. Projected annual openings: about 4,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Computer Hardware Engineers? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Computer Hardware Engineers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Computer Hardware Engineers? ▼
Washington ($169,120), Arizona ($158,280), New York ($163,470) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Computer Hardware Engineers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-2061. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Computer Hardware Engineers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics