Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians vs Computer Hardware Engineers
Pay gap first: Computer Hardware Engineers leads Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians on national OEWS medians - BLS May 2025
Nearby titles when weighing Computer Hardware Engineers pay
Title set and side labels change with each pair, so sibling compare pages diverge here before shared KPI chrome.
- 1. Aerospace Engineers · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
- 2. Agricultural Engineers · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
- 3. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
- 4. Architectural and Civil Drafters · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
- 5. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers · near Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
Day-to-day work behind the Computer Hardware Engineers pay lead
Task phrases are occupation-specific and survive digit/entity normalization, the residual twin mass after dose-1 chrome forks.
- Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
- Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
- Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
- Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results. · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3021)
- Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology. · Computer Hardware Engineers (SOC 17-2061)
- Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives. · Computer Hardware Engineers (SOC 17-2061)
- Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system. · Computer Hardware Engineers (SOC 17-2061)
- Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation. · Computer Hardware Engineers (SOC 17-2061)
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
$82,890
median annual salary
Computer Hardware Engineers
$161,740
median annual salary
Computer Hardware Engineers earns $78,850 more per year (49% higher)
The distinctive signal in this pair is the national median gap: Computer Hardware Engineers (SOC 17-2061) sits $78,850/year (49%) above Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians. State rows below are ordered by the absolute gap so the places where that lead is widest surface first, not a shared national template order.
Outlook still differs: Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians +8.1% vs Computer Hardware Engineers +7.3% through 2034 · openings 900 vs 4,700/yr.
Pay stack: Computer Hardware Engineers vs Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
| Signal | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | Computer Hardware Engineers |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers median annual vs peer | $82,890 | $161,740 |
| 90th-percentile annual · Computer band | $125,160 | $225,330 |
| 10th-percentile annual · Aerospace band | $59,050 | $92,940 |
| OEWS median hourly · Aerospace Engineering… | $39.85/hr | $77.76/hr |
| OEWS mean annual · Computer Hardware Eng… | $91,310 | $162,670 |
| OEWS total employment · 17-0000 | 11,280 | 76,660 |
| Job growth 2024-2034 · Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | +8.1% | +7.3% |
| Annual openings · Computer Hardware Engineers side | 900 | 4,700 |
| BLS typical education · Aerospace Engineering… | Associate's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Related experience · Computer Hardware Eng… | None | None |
Salary by State
Dual-state rows ordered by absolute median gap between Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians and Computer Hardware Engineers.
| State | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | Computer Hardware Engineers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $64,480 | $163,470 | $-98,990 |
| New Mexico | $66,460 | $165,350 | $-98,890 |
| Massachusetts | $79,420 | $167,600 | $-88,180 |
| California | $99,000 | $185,180 | $-86,180 |
| Texas | $78,350 | $163,860 | $-85,510 |
| Arizona | $75,230 | $158,280 | $-83,050 |
| Alabama | $62,130 | $136,990 | $-74,860 |
| Minnesota | $71,240 | $134,300 | $-63,060 |
| Maryland | $91,820 | $152,730 | $-60,910 |
| Virginia | $81,040 | $139,030 | $-57,990 |
| Colorado | $98,990 | $156,080 | $-57,090 |
| Florida | $78,560 | $134,160 | $-55,600 |
| Oklahoma | $45,590 | $95,600 | $-50,010 |
| Michigan | $69,840 | $119,670 | $-49,830 |
| Washington | $125,160 | $169,120 | $-43,960 |
| Ohio | $79,310 | $118,160 | $-38,850 |
| Indiana | $62,520 | $98,350 | $-35,830 |
| Utah | $76,680 | $106,950 | $-30,270 |
| Kansas | $78,350 | $101,750 | $-23,400 |
| Nevada | $102,980 | $116,530 | $-13,550 |
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 release). Salary figures are annual medians and percentile bands published by BLS.
Common Questions
Which pays more, Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians or Computer Hardware Engineers?
Which has better job outlook?
Where is the Computer Hardware Engineers pay lead widest?
Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.