occupation · 17-2061 · detailed
Computer Hardware Engineers — wages and employment
Computer Hardware Engineers earned a median annual wage of $155,020 in the United States in May 2024, with 75,710 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Computer Hardware Engineers earned a median annual wage of $155,020 in the United States in May 2024, with 75,710 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $85,430 or less, the best-paid tenth $223,820 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $138,080 to $155,020, +12.3 %. The best-paying state is Connecticut at $188,540; the lowest North Dakota at $73,390. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $197,090. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 75,710 | $155,020 | $156,770 | $85,430 | $115,500 | $185,380 | $223,820 | $74.53 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 82,660 | $138,080 | $147,770 | $81,630 | $108,670 | $175,400 | $212,770 | $66.38 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $188,540 | 480 |
| California | $179,880 | 24,200 |
| Washington | $174,070 | 1,370 |
| Massachusetts | $170,570 | 3,350 |
| Arizona | $163,090 | 3,390 |
| Colorado | $162,920 | 2,920 |
| Hawaii | $155,390 | 140 |
| District of Columbia | $153,630 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $152,840 | 290 |
| New York | $141,780 | 2,500 |
| Montana | $141,680 | 50 |
| Virginia | $139,570 | 1,840 |
| Maryland | $137,930 | 2,420 |
| Alabama | $136,660 | 800 |
| Alaska | $136,080 | 40 |
| Texas | $133,250 | 3,380 |
| Delaware | $132,050 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $131,660 | 940 |
| North Carolina | $131,600 | 1,250 |
| New Jersey | $131,540 | 690 |
| Minnesota | $130,530 | 560 |
| Idaho | $127,880 | 820 |
| Nebraska | $125,920 | 90 |
| Florida | $125,640 | 2,890 |
| Ohio | $124,800 | 790 |
| Arkansas | $122,860 | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $119,540 | 460 |
| South Carolina | $119,010 | 510 |
| Michigan | $113,620 | 1,440 |
| Oklahoma | $113,030 | 120 |
| Iowa | $111,080 | 200 |
| Georgia | $108,590 | 520 |
| Illinois | $107,720 | 1,500 |
| Utah | $104,080 | 430 |
| Nevada | $102,640 | 120 |
| Kansas | $101,650 | 190 |
| Missouri | $101,120 | 580 |
| Tennessee | $100,430 | 320 |
| Wisconsin | $98,040 | 500 |
| Indiana | $95,120 | 300 |
| Louisiana | $93,570 | 170 |
| Puerto Rico | $90,550 | 220 |
| Kentucky | $88,750 | — |
| Mississippi | $76,120 | 180 |
| North Dakota | $73,390 | — |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $197,090 | 9,320 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $188,540 | 280 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $184,560 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $174,070 | 1,150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $172,920 | 5,090 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $170,570 | 2,960 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $170,360 | 160 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $169,230 | 3,200 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $165,020 | 580 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $164,970 | 160 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $164,640 | 360 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $164,620 | 40 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $163,220 | 3,200 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $162,960 | 80 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $159,310 | — |
| Worcester, MA | $154,210 | 170 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $153,340 | 840 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $153,340 | 2,060 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $152,260 | 570 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $150,630 | 720 |
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