Computer Hardware Engineers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for computer hardware engineerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$190,590
- Washington$178,320
- Massachusetts$177,030
- New York$164,770
- New Mexico$163,890
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$93,200
- Mississippi$93,650
- Wisconsin$101,690
- Indiana$105,270
- Oklahoma$108,240
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $190,590 | $185,180 | $92 | +17.2% | 19,820 |
| 2 | Washington | $178,320 | $169,120 | $86 | +9.6% | 1,800 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $177,030 | $167,600 | $85 | +8.8% | 3,150 |
| 4 | New York | $164,770 | $163,470 | $79 | +1.3% | 3,020 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $163,890 | $165,350 | $79 | +0.7% | 5,260 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $162,180 | $163,360 | $78 | -0.3% | 210 |
| 7 | Texas | $161,360 | $163,860 | $78 | -0.8% | 7,390 |
| 8 | Colorado | $158,480 | $156,080 | $76 | -2.6% | 2,660 |
| 9 | Arizona | $157,800 | $158,280 | $76 | -3% | 3,110 |
| 10 | Maryland | $149,020 | $152,730 | $72 | -8.4% | 1,720 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $146,990 | $142,880 | $71 | -9.6% | 580 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $144,240 | $159,880 | $69 | -11.3% | 90 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $144,050 | $134,670 | $69 | -11.4% | 1,340 |
| 14 | Virginia | $143,280 | $139,030 | $69 | -11.9% | 1,720 |
| 15 | Delaware | $142,200 | $135,690 | $68 | -12.6% | 30 |
| 16 | Illinois | $138,940 | $133,220 | $67 | -14.6% | 1,420 |
| 17 | Alabama | $138,870 | $136,990 | $67 | -14.6% | 680 |
| 18 | Idaho | $138,160 | $131,570 | $66 | -15.1% | 920 |
| 19 | Florida | $137,810 | $134,160 | $66 | -15.3% | 3,290 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $137,560 | $134,950 | $66 | -15.4% | 80 |
| 21 | Iowa | $137,120 | $125,120 | $66 | -15.7% | 130 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $135,050 | $129,140 | $65 | -17% | 310 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $134,690 | $134,300 | $65 | -17.2% | 770 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $130,460 | $130,830 | $63 | -19.8% | — |
| 25 | Ohio | $127,770 | $118,160 | $61 | -21.5% | 580 |
| 26 | Michigan | $127,070 | $119,670 | $61 | -21.9% | 1,420 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $124,320 | $125,110 | $60 | -23.6% | 690 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $123,300 | $119,510 | $59 | -24.2% | 390 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $120,220 | $120,290 | $58 | -26.1% | 160 |
| 30 | Nevada | $117,110 | $116,530 | $56 | -28% | 160 |
| 31 | Utah | $114,910 | $106,950 | $55 | -29.4% | 430 |
| 32 | Georgia | $112,190 | $100,210 | $54 | -31% | 650 |
| 33 | Missouri | $111,220 | $103,980 | $53 | -31.6% | 900 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $110,880 | $101,400 | $53 | -31.8% | 160 |
| 35 | Kansas | $110,430 | $101,750 | $53 | -32.1% | 220 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $109,310 | $116,200 | $53 | -32.8% | 500 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $108,240 | $95,600 | $52 | -33.5% | 180 |
| 38 | Indiana | $105,270 | $98,350 | $51 | -35.3% | 320 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $101,690 | $83,670 | $49 | -37.5% | 270 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $93,650 | $78,320 | $45 | -42.4% | 150 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $93,200 | $83,550 | $45 | -42.7% | 270 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 105 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $209,860 | $208,700 | 7,940 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $203,890 | $198,010 | 2,810 |
| 3 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $202,390 | $168,850 | 120 |
| 4 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $175,110 | $185,400 | 430 |
| 5 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $174,440 | $177,800 | 3,330 |
| 6 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $174,140 | $149,900 | 130 |
| 7 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $172,210 | $188,740 | 190 |
| 8 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $169,370 | $159,600 | 80 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $169,120 | $180,820 | 1,410 |
| 10 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $168,990 | $168,950 | 490 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing computer hardware engineerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $217,140 | $195,990 | 120 |
| 2 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $216,790 | $239,980 | 950 |
| 3 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $216,790 | $239,980 | 950 |
| 4 | Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation | $191,090 | $162,050 | 90 |
| 5 | Publishing Industries | $173,230 | $181,110 | 1,550 |
| 6 | Software Publishers | $173,230 | $181,100 | 1,540 |
| 7 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $171,820 | $184,320 | 14,280 |
| 8 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $171,820 | $184,340 | 14,270 |
| 9 | Sector 51 - Information | $169,030 | $173,260 | 5,520 |
| 10 | Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $167,190 | $160,410 | 50 |
| 11 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $167,190 | $170,100 | 290 |
| 12 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | $166,150 | $167,600 | 18,120 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do computer hardware engineers make in the U.S.?
The median computer hardware engineers salary in the United States is $161,740 per year (mean $162,670), and about 80% earn between $92,940 and $225,330.
How much do computer hardware engineers make per hour?
Roughly $78 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $162,670 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays computer hardware engineers the most?
California has the highest average pay for computer hardware engineers at $190,590 per year (median $185,180).
What is the job outlook for computer hardware engineers?
Employment is projected to change +7.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 4,700 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.