Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
17-2061 Computer Hardware Engineers
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).
National estimates for Computer Hardware Engineers
Industry profile for Computer Hardware Engineers
Geographic profile for Computer Hardware Engineers
National estimates for Computer Hardware Engineers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Computer Hardware Engineers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 73,750 |
2.0 % |
$ 65.50 |
$ 136,230 |
0.9 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Computer Hardware Engineers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 37.07 |
$ 48.02 |
$ 61.62 |
$ 79.29 |
(5) |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 77,100 |
$ 99,880 |
$ 128,170 |
$ 164,930 |
(5) |
Industry profile for Computer Hardware Engineers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Computer Hardware Engineers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Computer Hardware Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Computer Hardware Engineers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
14,660 |
0.65 |
$ 61.75 |
$ 128,440 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
13,360 |
1.68 |
$ 82.91 |
$ 172,460 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing |
9,240 |
2.58 |
$ 64.81 |
$ 134,800 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing |
6,030 |
3.88 |
$ 68.35 |
$ 142,160 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
4,930 |
0.23 |
$ 56.73 |
$ 117,990 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Computer Hardware Engineers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing |
6,030 |
3.88 |
$ 68.35 |
$ 142,160 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing |
9,240 |
2.58 |
$ 64.81 |
$ 134,800 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
13,360 |
1.68 |
$ 82.91 |
$ 172,460 |
| Communications Equipment Manufacturing |
890 |
1.05 |
$ 58.70 |
$ 122,090 |
| Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services |
3,830 |
1.01 |
$ 60.04 |
$ 124,890 |
Top paying industries for Computer Hardware Engineers:
Geographic profile for Computer Hardware Engineers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Computer Hardware Engineers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Computer Hardware Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Computer Hardware Engineers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
19,910 |
1.20 |
2.30 |
$ 81.72 |
$ 169,970 |
| Oregon |
7,780 |
4.26 |
8.14 |
$ 65.46 |
$ 136,150 |
| Colorado |
5,270 |
2.01 |
3.84 |
$ 65.17 |
$ 135,540 |
| Texas |
5,070 |
0.41 |
0.79 |
$ 55.60 |
$ 115,640 |
| Virginia |
3,590 |
0.96 |
1.83 |
$ 66.91 |
$ 139,180 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Computer Hardware Engineers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Oregon |
7,780 |
4.26 |
8.14 |
$ 65.46 |
$ 136,150 |
| Colorado |
5,270 |
2.01 |
3.84 |
$ 65.17 |
$ 135,540 |
| Montana |
640 |
1.36 |
2.59 |
$ 37.86 |
$ 78,750 |
| Maryland |
3,370 |
1.32 |
2.53 |
$ 61.16 |
$ 127,200 |
| California |
19,910 |
1.20 |
2.30 |
$ 81.72 |
$ 169,970 |
Top paying states for Computer Hardware Engineers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
19,910 |
1.20 |
2.30 |
$ 81.72 |
$ 169,970 |
| Washington |
1,830 |
0.57 |
1.09 |
$ 80.28 |
$ 166,980 |
| Virginia |
3,590 |
0.96 |
1.83 |
$ 66.91 |
$ 139,180 |
| Oregon |
7,780 |
4.26 |
8.14 |
$ 65.46 |
$ 136,150 |
| Nevada |
(8) |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 65.33 |
$ 135,880 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Computer Hardware Engineers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
7,550 |
7.07 |
13.50 |
$ 88.14 |
$ 183,320 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
7,430 |
6.62 |
12.64 |
$ 65.77 |
$ 136,800 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
4,230 |
1.44 |
2.76 |
$ 67.77 |
$ 140,970 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
3,880 |
1.73 |
3.31 |
$ 89.04 |
$ 185,210 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
3,870 |
2.78 |
5.32 |
$ 77.68 |
$ 161,580 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
2,600 |
1.01 |
1.92 |
$ 56.57 |
$ 117,660 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
2,220 |
0.26 |
0.49 |
$ 62.97 |
$ 130,970 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
1,940 |
0.34 |
0.65 |
$ 68.95 |
$ 143,420 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,930 |
0.54 |
1.03 |
$ 57.11 |
$ 118,780 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
1,770 |
1.21 |
2.31 |
$ 62.33 |
$ 129,640 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Computer Hardware Engineers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fort Collins, CO |
1,360 |
8.53 |
16.29 |
$ 70.65 |
$ 146,950 |
| Corvallis, OR |
270 |
7.56 |
14.45 |
$ 61.42 |
$ 127,760 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
7,550 |
7.07 |
13.50 |
$ 88.14 |
$ 183,320 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
7,430 |
6.62 |
12.64 |
$ 65.77 |
$ 136,800 |
| Boulder, CO |
1,140 |
6.25 |
11.94 |
$ 66.98 |
$ 139,310 |
| California-Lexington Park, MD |
230 |
5.07 |
9.68 |
$ 55.70 |
$ 115,850 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
750 |
3.40 |
6.49 |
$ 61.76 |
$ 128,470 |
| Colorado Springs, CO |
860 |
3.00 |
5.74 |
$ 60.94 |
$ 126,740 |
| Huntsville, AL |
680 |
2.97 |
5.68 |
$ 59.39 |
$ 123,540 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
3,870 |
2.78 |
5.32 |
$ 77.68 |
$ 161,580 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Computer Hardware Engineers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
3,880 |
1.73 |
3.31 |
$ 89.04 |
$ 185,210 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
7,550 |
7.07 |
13.50 |
$ 88.14 |
$ 183,320 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
3,870 |
2.78 |
5.32 |
$ 77.68 |
$ 161,580 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA |
70 |
0.36 |
0.69 |
$ 74.33 |
$ 154,610 |
| Fort Collins, CO |
1,360 |
8.53 |
16.29 |
$ 70.65 |
$ 146,950 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
1,940 |
0.34 |
0.65 |
$ 68.95 |
$ 143,420 |
| Oklahoma City, OK |
170 |
0.28 |
0.53 |
$ 68.61 |
$ 142,710 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
4,230 |
1.44 |
2.76 |
$ 67.77 |
$ 140,970 |
| Boulder, CO |
1,140 |
6.25 |
11.94 |
$ 66.98 |
$ 139,310 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
7,430 |
6.62 |
12.64 |
$ 65.77 |
$ 136,800 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Computer Hardware Engineers:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Computer Hardware Engineers:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Computer Hardware Engineers:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $100.00 per hour or $208,000 per year.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
