Computer Hardware Engineers pay in the U.S.
$162,670avg. a year
$78.21 an hour · 76,660 employed
Computer Hardware Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $162,670 a year and a median of $161,740. Pay is highest in California ($190,590) and lowest in Louisiana ($93,200).
$161,740Median pay
$78.21Average hourly
+29%Avg. pay since 2020
76,660Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for computer hardware engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
119,820 jobs
California
$190,590
$91.63 an hour
21,800 jobs
Washington
$178,320
$85.73 an hour
33,150 jobs
Massachusetts
$177,030
$85.11 an hour
43,020 jobs
New York
$164,770
$79.22 an hour
55,260 jobs
New Mexico
$163,890
$78.80 an hour
6210 jobs
District of Columbia
$162,180
$77.97 an hour
77,390 jobs
Texas
$161,360
$77.58 an hour
82,660 jobs
Colorado
$158,480
$76.19 an hour
93,110 jobs
Arizona
$157,800
$75.87 an hour
101,720 jobs
Maryland
$149,020
$71.65 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Computer Hardware Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $115k$115k–$137k$137k–$147k$147k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $208,700 | $100.34 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $198,010 | $95.20 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $188,740 | $90.74 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $185,400 | $89.13 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $180,820 | $86.93 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $177,800 | $85.48 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $176,740 | $84.97 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $174,450 | $83.87 |
Related jobs
- Civil Engineers$108,670
- Industrial Engineers$109,900
- Mechanical Engineers$113,610
- Electrical Engineers$125,100
- Engineers, All Other$125,330
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$137,280
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Computer Hardware Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $138,870 | $136,990 | 680 |
| Arizona | $157,800 | $158,280 | 3,110 |
| Arkansas | $120,220 | $120,290 | 160 |
| California | $190,590 | $185,180 | 19,820 |
| Colorado | $158,480 | $156,080 | 2,660 |
| Delaware | $142,200 | $135,690 | 30 |
| District of Columbia | $162,180 | $163,360 | 210 |
| Florida | $137,810 | $134,160 | 3,290 |
| Georgia | $112,190 | $100,210 | 650 |
| Hawaii | $144,240 | $159,880 | 90 |
| Idaho | $138,160 | $131,570 | 920 |
| Illinois | $138,940 | $133,220 | 1,420 |
| Indiana | $105,270 | $98,350 | 320 |
| Iowa | $137,120 | $125,120 | 130 |
| Kansas | $110,430 | $101,750 | 220 |
| Kentucky | $109,310 | $116,200 | 500 |
| Louisiana | $93,200 | $83,550 | 270 |
| Maryland | $149,020 | $152,730 | 1,720 |
| Massachusetts | $177,030 | $167,600 | 3,150 |
| Michigan | $127,070 | $119,670 | 1,420 |
| Minnesota | $134,690 | $134,300 | 770 |
| Mississippi | $93,650 | $78,320 | 150 |
| Missouri | $111,220 | $103,980 | 900 |
| Nebraska | $137,560 | $134,950 | 80 |
| Nevada | $117,110 | $116,530 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $135,050 | $129,140 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $146,990 | $142,880 | 580 |
| New Mexico | $163,890 | $165,350 | 5,260 |
| New York | $164,770 | $163,470 | 3,020 |
| North Carolina | $144,050 | $134,670 | 1,340 |
| Ohio | $127,770 | $118,160 | 580 |
| Oklahoma | $108,240 | $95,600 | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $123,300 | $119,510 | 390 |
| South Carolina | $124,320 | $125,110 | 690 |
| South Dakota | $110,880 | $101,400 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $130,460 | $130,830 | – |
| Texas | $161,360 | $163,860 | 7,390 |
| Utah | $114,910 | $106,950 | 430 |
| Virginia | $143,280 | $139,030 | 1,720 |
| Washington | $178,320 | $169,120 | 1,800 |
| Wisconsin | $101,690 | $83,670 | 270 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$208,700
7,940 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$174,450
3,850 jobsSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$177,800
3,330 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$176,740
2,840 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$159,960
2,820 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$198,010
2,810 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$164,390
1,870 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$157,210
1,790 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do computer hardware engineers make?
The average is $162,670 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $161,740 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $78.21, and the median is $77.76 an hour.
Which state pays computer hardware engineers the most?
California, with an average of $190,590 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $208,700.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $92,940 a year, and the top 10% earn over $225,330.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 17-2061. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.