Computer Hardware Engineers
What Computer Hardware Engineers Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.7/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.7/5
- Designimportance 4.1/5
- Mathematicsimportance 4.1/5
- English Languageimportance 3.8/5
- Physicsimportance 3.4/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 3.1/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.9/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.9/5
- Spend Time Sitting4.5/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers92% skill match
- Computer Network Architects82% skill match
- Computer Systems Analysts81% skill match
- Information Security Analysts80% skill match
- Aerospace Engineers80% skill match
- Software Developers80% skill match
- Biochemists and Biophysicists80% skill match
- Database Administrators80% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.6/5
- Operations Analysisimportance 3.4/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.4/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.4/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
- Magellan Firmware
- PCI Express PCIe
- Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE
- SystemVerilog
- Tool command language Tcl
- Verilog
- Very high speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL simulation software
Other Software Used
- ASSET JTAG ScanWorks
- Application-specific integrated circuit ASIC logic synthesis software
- Automatic test program generation ATPG
- Block diagram software
- Boundary scan description language BSDL
- Boundary scan insertion software
- Built-in self-test BIST debugging software
- Cadence Allegro PCB Designer
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Innovation
- Dependability
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Achievement Orientation
- Adaptability
- Cautiousness
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- InvestigativeHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where computer hardware engineers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA14.19× national avg
- 2Aguadilla, PR8.49× national avg
- 3Boulder, CO6.80× national avg
- 4Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX6.03× national avg
- 5Lexington Park, MD5.93× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Software DevelopersCareer Change
- Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerLateral Move
- Electrical EngineersLateral Move
- Information Security AnalystsCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)grads earn ~$200,543
- Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)grads earn ~$209,847
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$180,468
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA)grads earn ~$143,627
- The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)grads earn ~$146,003