Computer Hardware Engineer salary
From 2,407 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2061: Computer Hardware Engineers
- Also filed as: Hardware Development Engineer
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 36% of Computer Hardware Engineer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Google. 514 filings (21% of the total), median $187,000.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 4 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $164,528 in Austin, TX to $204,000 in San Francisco, CA.
- Median up 33% since FY2020. From $133,097 in FY2020 to $176,400 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Computer Hardware Engineer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 2,407 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Computer Hardware Engineer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2061, Computer Hardware Engineers). The median base salary is $171,000, 39% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $144,000 and $200,133. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 36% of filings. San Jose, CA has the most filings (1,087), and Google is the employer that files the most (514).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Computer Hardware Engineer
Google514 filings · 21%$187,000
Amazon313 filings · 13%$160,000
Meta190 filings · 8%$186,039
Microsoft163 filings · 7%$180,692
Intel88 filings · 4%$153,915
Annapurna Labs (U.S.)78 filings · 3%$176,696
Tesla60 filings · 2%$236,495
Apple50 filings · 2%$171,138
IBM37 filings · 2%$160,500
Tenstorrent33 filings · 1%$176,696
Employers with the most Computer Hardware Engineer filings. Bar: share of all Computer Hardware Engineer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 11% of filings
Mid-level · 36% of filings
Senior · 29% of filings
Expert · 24% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $130,000 | 221 |
| Level II · Qualified | $166,000 | 713 |
| Level III · Experienced | $190,400 | 565 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $215,592 | 473 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Computer Hardware Engineer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 23 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $190,000 | 1,087 |
| Austin, TX | $164,528 | 273 |
| Seattle, WA | $167,000 | 179 |
| San Francisco, CA | $204,000 | 121 |
| Dallas, TX | $110,275 | 65 |
| Portland, OR | $152,500 | 60 |
| New York, NY | $143,354 | 53 |
| San Diego, CA | $174,000 | 53 |
| Boston, MA | $155,000 | 48 |
| Worcester, MA | $150,000 | 39 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $120,000 | 38 |
| Raleigh, NC | $146,637 | 38 |
| Detroit, MI | $125,186 | 27 |
| Sacramento, CA | $182,604 | 26 |
| Chicago, IL | $147,100 | 22 |
| Albany, NY | $154,240 | 18 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $130,874 | 14 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $161,000 | 12 |
| Houston, TX | $153,540 | 11 |
| Madison, WI | $125,000 | 11 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $118,144 | 11 |
| Washington, DC | $131,000 | 11 |
| Boulder, CO | $169,984 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Computer Hardware Engineer does
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.
Typical tasks
- Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
- Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
- Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
- Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
- Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
- Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Computer Hardware Engineers (17-2061.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Computer Hardware Engineers), the median annual wage was $161,740 in May 2025, with 76,660 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $171,000, 6% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $117,687 | $92,940 |
| 25th percentile | $144,000 | $126,090 |
| Median | $171,000 | $161,740 |
| 75th percentile | $200,133 | $202,990 |
| 90th percentile | $229,590 | $225,330 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $117,687 |
| 25th | $144,000 |
| 50th (median) | $171,000 |
| 75th | $200,133 |
| 90th | $229,590 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $133,097 | $105,825 | $156,000 | 1,368 |
| FY2021 | $141,346 | $114,940 | $164,116 | 1,134 |
| FY2022 | $153,200 | $126,975 | $177,574 | 1,459 |
| FY2023 | $165,000 | $131,000 | $190,000 | 957 |
| FY2024 | $165,818 | $135,000 | $190,000 | 1,097 |
| FY2025 | $167,575 | $142,860 | $198,000 | 1,281 |
| FY2026 | $176,400 | $146,750 | $205,000 | 1,126 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Computer Hardware Engineer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Computer Hardware Engineer jobs is $171,000 (2,407 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $144,000 and $200,133.
What does an entry-level Computer Hardware Engineer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $130,000. Level I accounts for 11% of Computer Hardware Engineer filings.
Which city pays H-1B Computer Hardware Engineers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Francisco, CA has the highest median base salary for Computer Hardware Engineer jobs: $204,000 (121 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Computer Hardware Engineers?
Google (514), Amazon (313) and Meta (190) filed the most Computer Hardware Engineer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Computer Hardware Engineers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($171,000) is 6% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($161,740, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.