SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Software Developers” (15-1252) and “Web Developers” (15-1254).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-2061.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $92,940 | $7,745 | $1,787 | $44.68 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $126,090 | $10,508 | $2,425 | $60.62 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $161,740 | $13,478 | $3,110 | $77.76 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $202,990 | $16,916 | $3,904 | $97.59 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $225,330 | $18,778 | $4,333 | $108.33 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Computer Hardware Engineers is $161,740, which is 217% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 1 by median pay. With 76,660 jobs, it makes up about 4.9 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Computer Hardware Engineers pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($185,180), Washington ($169,120) and Massachusetts ($167,600). The lowest was in Mississippi ($78,320), Louisiana ($83,550) and Wisconsin ($83,670). The most jobs were in California (19,820), Texas (7,390) and New Mexico (5,260). The occupation is most concentrated in New Mexico, where its share of all jobs is 12.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 19,820 | $185,180 | $190,590 | $89.03 |
| Washington | 1,800 | $169,120 | $178,320 | $81.31 |
| Massachusetts | 3,150 | $167,600 | $177,030 | $80.58 |
| New Mexico | 5,260 | $165,350 | $163,890 | $79.50 |
| Texas | 7,390 | $163,860 | $161,360 | $78.78 |
| New York | 3,020 | $163,470 | $164,770 | $78.59 |
| District of Columbia | 210 | $163,360 | $162,180 | $78.54 |
| Hawaii | 90 | $159,880 | $144,240 | $76.87 |
| Arizona | 3,110 | $158,280 | $157,800 | $76.10 |
| Colorado | 2,660 | $156,080 | $158,480 | $75.04 |
| Maryland | 1,720 | $152,730 | $149,020 | $73.43 |
| New Jersey | 580 | $142,880 | $146,990 | $68.69 |
| Virginia | 1,720 | $139,030 | $143,280 | $66.84 |
| Alabama | 680 | $136,990 | $138,870 | $65.86 |
| Delaware | 30 | $135,690 | $142,200 | $65.24 |
| Nebraska | 80 | $134,950 | $137,560 | $64.88 |
| North Carolina | 1,340 | $134,670 | $144,050 | $64.74 |
| Minnesota | 770 | $134,300 | $134,690 | $64.57 |
| Florida | 3,290 | $134,160 | $137,810 | $64.50 |
| Illinois | 1,420 | $133,220 | $138,940 | $64.05 |
| Idaho | 920 | $131,570 | $138,160 | $63.26 |
| Tennessee | not published | $130,830 | $130,460 | $62.90 |
| New Hampshire | 310 | $129,140 | $135,050 | $62.09 |
| Iowa | 130 | $125,120 | $137,120 | $60.15 |
| South Carolina | 690 | $125,110 | $124,320 | $60.15 |
| Arkansas | 160 | $120,290 | $120,220 | $57.83 |
| Michigan | 1,420 | $119,670 | $127,070 | $57.53 |
| Rhode Island | 390 | $119,510 | $123,300 | $57.46 |
| Ohio | 580 | $118,160 | $127,770 | $56.81 |
| Nevada | 160 | $116,530 | $117,110 | $56.03 |
| Kentucky | 500 | $116,200 | $109,310 | $55.86 |
| Utah | 430 | $106,950 | $114,910 | $51.42 |
| Missouri | 900 | $103,980 | $111,220 | $49.99 |
| Kansas | 220 | $101,750 | $110,430 | $48.92 |
| South Dakota | 160 | $101,400 | $110,880 | $48.75 |
| Georgia | 650 | $100,210 | $112,190 | $48.18 |
| Indiana | 320 | $98,350 | $105,270 | $47.28 |
| Oklahoma | 180 | $95,600 | $108,240 | $45.96 |
| Puerto Rico | 370 | $85,660 | $96,540 | $41.18 |
| Wisconsin | 270 | $83,670 | $101,690 | $40.23 |
| Louisiana | 270 | $83,550 | $93,200 | $40.17 |
| Mississippi | 150 | $78,320 | $93,650 | $37.66 |
| Connecticut | 340 | not published | not published | not published |
| Pennsylvania | 1,610 | not published | not published | not published |
| Vermont | 130 | not published | not published | not published |
| West Virginia | 140 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Petroleum Engineers$144,910 a year
- Aerospace Engineers$134,960 a year
- Nuclear Engineers$133,970 a year
Common questions
How much do Computer Hardware Engineers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $161,740 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $92,940 and the highest-paid 10% more than $225,330.
How many people work as Computer Hardware Engineers?
About 76,660 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.