Microsoft Computer Hardware Engineer salary

Based on 163 H-1B filings by Microsoft Corporation, fiscal years 2025–2026. Base salary only.

Also listed as: Hardware Development Engineer

Median salary$180,692
Middle 50%$159.7k–$205.3k
vs. all employers+6%comparison median $171,000
Filings163FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $117,615 and $261,150.
PercentileSalary
10th$143,820
25th$159,736
50th (median)$180,692
75th$205,318
90th$220,366

Salary by year

Median salary

$120k $165k $210k FY2020: median $140,000 (379 filings) FY2021: median $145,000 (145 filings) FY2022: median $159,110 (236 filings) FY2023: median $176,258 (98 filings) FY2024: median $171,800 (108 filings) FY2025: median $179,900 (117 filings) FY2026: median $194,812 (46 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 379 filings FY20 FY2021: 145 filings FY21 FY2022: 236 filings FY22 FY2023: 98 filings FY23 FY2024: 108 filings FY24 FY2025: 117 filings FY25 FY2026: 46 filings FY26 379
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$140,000$109,500$160,000379
FY2021$145,000$123,784$165,726145
FY2022$159,110$141,000$175,875236
FY2023$176,258$157,738$195,97198
FY2024$171,800$154,750$197,698108
FY2025$179,900$155,020$196,858117
FY2026$194,812$175,000$216,32646

By state

Washington
$188,079
California
$202,994
North Carolina
$157,690
Texas
$174,475
Oregon
$169,010

Bar length: number of filings (Washington 53). Figure: average salary in that state.

By city

Redmond, WA$191,050 · 53 filings
Mountain View, CA$205,000 · 39 filings
Morrisville, NC$155,000 · 25 filings
Austin, TX$162,500 · 18 filings

Cities with at least 10 filings. Figure: median salary.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Level I · Entry too few 9
Level II · Qualified $151,500 39
Level III · Experienced $185,000 89
Level IV · Fully competent $216,082 25

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Questions

How much does a computer hardware engineer make at Microsoft?

In H-1B filings, Microsoft Corporation's median base salary for Computer Hardware Engineer is $180,692; half of filings fall between $159,736 and $205,318. Bonus and stock are not included.

Does Microsoft sponsor H-1B visas for computer hardware engineers?

Yes. Microsoft Corporation filed 163 certified Labor Condition Applications for this role in FY2025–FY2026. A filing is a step before the visa petition, not an approval.

Which job titles are included?

Filings are grouped by occupation code 17-2061 (Computer Hardware Engineers), so this page covers every job title Microsoft filed under that code.

Where does this data come from?

The U.S. Department of Labor's public LCA disclosure files, updated every quarter. Methodology