Expert Computer Hardware Engineer salary in Austin, TX
Based on 96 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Round Rock, Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Pflugerville, Leander.
Also listed as: Hardware Development Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $152,000 |
| 25th | $164,528 |
| 50th (median) | $178,938 |
| 75th | $210,312 |
| 90th | $233,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2021 | $155,000 | $143,283 | $175,000 | 26 |
| FY2022 | $163,422 | $148,886 | $183,250 | 22 |
| FY2023 | $178,000 | $148,943 | $202,500 | 31 |
| FY2024 | $185,000 | $167,845 | $200,000 | 25 |
| FY2025 | $175,000 | $154,290 | $205,472 | 45 |
| FY2026 | $184,000 | $164,528 | $217,370 | 51 |
Cost of living
Austin's median expert Computer Hardware Engineer salary of $178,938 is worth about $182,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Austin = 98.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer Hardware Engineers in the Austin, TX area earned a median of $165,530 in May 2025 (3,850 employed). The H-1B median here is $178,938, 8% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $200,000 | 19 |
| Tenstorrent | too few | 9 |
| too few | 8 | |
| Annapurna Labs (U.S.) | too few | 6 |
| Apple | too few | 5 |
| Arm | too few | 5 |
| Samsung Austin Semiconductor | too few | 5 |
| Tesla | too few | 5 |
| Dell Products L.P. | too few | 4 |
| Microsoft | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $116,100 | 21 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $144,000 | 65 |
| Senior · Level III | $159,421 | 78 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,938 | 96 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $95,472 | $116,100 | 21 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $118,498 | $144,000 | 65 |
| Senior · Level III | $141,502 | $159,421 | 78 |
| Expert · Level IV | $164,528 | $178,938 | 96 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.