Engineering
Hardware Engineer
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
Designs and develops computer hardware such as circuit boards, chips, modems, and keyboards. Works with computer software engineers and developers to improve technology.
Job Outlook
There were 41 Hardware Engineer job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 3588 in the United States.
In combination with other careers in the Hardware Engineer industry, which includes the Hardware Engineer career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2012:
Salary
Many new Hardware Engineer jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.
National
The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $94,755.
State
The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $88,137.
Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Hardware Engineer postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $79,756.
Education and Experience
Posted Hardware Engineer jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.
| Education Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | 0% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 58% |
| Master's Degree | 38% |
| Doctoral Degree | 3% |
| Other | 0% |
Posted Hardware Engineer jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Years of Experience | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 years | 27% |
| 3 to 5 years | 49% |
| 6 to 8 years | 13% |
| 9+ years | 11% |
Skills
Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Hardware Engineer positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.
Baseline Skills
A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.
- Communication Skills (30%)
- Teamwork / Collaboration (28%)
- Troubleshooting (21%)
- Research (18%)
- Problem Solving (18%)
Defining Skills
A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.
- Python (21%)
- Hardware Experience (20%)
- Computer Engineering (20%)
- Computer Vision (14%)
- Firmware (10%)
Necessary Skills
A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.
- C++ (17%)
- Linux (14%)
- Machine Learning (11%)
- Software Engineering (11%)
- Systems Engineering (11%)
Distinguishing Skills
A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation.
- Deep Learning (6%)
- Image Processing (4%)
- OpenCV (4%)
- Graphics Processing Units (GPU) (4%)
- Embedded Software (3%)
Salary Boosting Skills
A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed along with the marginal value: the average salary difference between postings that request that skill and those that do not.
- Systemverilog (2%) – marginal value $3,822
Alternative Job Titles
Sometimes employers post jobs with Hardware Engineer skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:
- Computer Vision Engineer
- Computer Engineer
- Salesclerk Hardware
- Senior Hardware Engineer
Similar Occupations
If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.
- Hardware Design Engineer
- Hardware Project Engineer
- Hardware Test Engineer
- Integrated Circuit (IC) Design Engineer
- PCB Layout and Design Engineer
- Electronics Engineer
- Computer Scientist / Researcher
- Computer Circuit Design Engineer
- Firmware Engineer
- Embedded Software Engineer
Common Employers
Here are the employers that have posted the most Hardware Engineer jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.
United States
- Bi Mart (103)
- Microsoft Corporation (98)
- Intel Corporation (78)
- Raytheon (70)
- Lockheed Martin Corporation (65)
North Carolina
- SAS Institute (3)
- Microsoft Corporation (3)
- Applied Research Associates Incorporated (3)
- Cisco Systems Incorporated (2)
- Moog Incorporated (2)
NC State Programs Relevant to this Career
If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!
All wages, job posting statistics, employment trend projections, and information about skill desirability on this page represents historical data and does not guarantee future conditions. Data is provided by and downloaded regularly from EMSI Burning Glass (now Lightcast). For more information about how they gather data and what it represents, see Emsi Burning Glass Data Basic Overview.