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The national median salary for Computer Hardware Engineers is $155,022 per year ($74.53/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $115,502 and $185,370 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $223,829 per year. There are approximately 75,710 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
17K
$162,460
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
13K
$179,190
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
12K
$153,960
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
5K
$135,000
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
5K
$134,430
Wage range across top 5 industries: $134,430 to $179,190 (33% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$41.07
$85,426
P25
$55.53
$115,502
P50MEDIAN
$74.53
$155,022
P75
$89.12
$185,370
P90
$107.61
$223,829
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 $155,022 per year ($74.53/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $115,502 and $185,370 annually.
How much do top-earning computer hardware engineers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Computer Hardware Engineers is $223,829 per year ($107.61/hr). The 75th percentile is $185,370 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for computer hardware engineers?
Entry-level Computer Hardware Engineers (10th percentile) earn approximately $85,426 per year ($41.07/hr). The 25th percentile is $115,502 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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.