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.
- Median pay
- $161,740
- Doing it now
- 76,100
- By 2035
- Up 9.1%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
4,100 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
- Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.
- Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
- Monitor functioning of equipment and make necessary modifications to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications.
- Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
- Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware.
- Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Computer EngineeringSee 380 colleges that teach it
- Electrical and Computer EngineeringSee 22 colleges that teach it
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringSee 410 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Analytical and curious
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $161,740 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.