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The national median salary for Computer Hardware Engineers is $161,741 per year ($77.76/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $126,090 and $202,987 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $225,326 per year. There are approximately 76,660 computer hardware engineers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+7.3%
Faster than average
Annual openings
5K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
77K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
12% from new growth88% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
NAICS 334400
18K
$166,150
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
14K
$171,820
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
11K
$155,470
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
5K
$136,990
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
4K
$133,340
Wage range across top 5 industries: $133,340 to $171,820 (29% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$44.68
$92,934
P25
$60.62
$126,090
P50MEDIAN
$77.76
$161,741
P75
$97.59
$202,987
P90
$108.33
$225,326
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average computer hardware engineers salary?
The national median salary for Computer Hardware Engineers is $161,741 per year ($77.76/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $126,090 and $202,987 annually.
How much do top-earning computer hardware engineers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Computer Hardware Engineers is $225,326 per year ($108.33/hr). The 75th percentile is $202,987 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for computer hardware engineers?
Entry-level Computer Hardware Engineers (10th percentile) earn approximately $92,934 per year ($44.68/hr). The 25th percentile is $126,090 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.