Computer Hardware Engineers
Also called: Design Engineer, Engineer, Hardware Engineer, Systems Integration EngineerResearch, 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.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 18 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 9.1% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 47% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $136,990 | $107,180 to $163,750 | 680 |
| Arizona | $158,280 | $106,870 to $168,610 | 3,110 |
| Arkansas | $120,290 | $78,830 to $158,700 | 160 |
| California | $185,180 | $150,700 to $219,980 | 19,820 |
| Colorado | $156,080 | $126,520 to $186,260 | 2,660 |
| Connecticut | not published | not published | 340 |
| Delaware | $135,690 | $113,240 to $170,160 | 30 |
| District of Columbia | $163,360 | $136,660 to $195,190 | 210 |
| Florida | $134,160 | $101,680 to $167,690 | 3,290 |
| Georgia | $100,210 | $80,120 to $133,630 | 650 |
| Hawaii | $159,880 | $106,470 to $165,240 | 90 |
| Idaho | $131,570 | $100,770 to $169,540 | 920 |
| Illinois | $133,220 | $97,930 to $165,360 | 1,420 |
| Indiana | $98,350 | $92,250 to $116,850 | 320 |
| Iowa | $125,120 | $106,680 to $161,740 | 130 |
| Kansas | $101,750 | $84,720 to $133,050 | 220 |
| Kentucky | $116,200 | $97,280 to $126,180 | 500 |
| Louisiana | $83,550 | $76,990 to $102,390 | 270 |
| Maryland | $152,730 | $115,860 to $184,880 | 1,720 |
| Massachusetts | $167,600 | $132,610 to $210,910 | 3,150 |
| Michigan | $119,670 | $99,700 to $164,110 | 1,420 |
| Minnesota | $134,300 | $106,870 to $158,450 | 770 |
| Mississippi | $78,320 | $75,210 to $107,950 | 150 |
| Missouri | $103,980 | $79,190 to $130,490 | 900 |
| Nebraska | $134,950 | $124,840 to $157,620 | 80 |
| Nevada | $116,530 | $91,150 to $126,790 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $129,140 | $99,740 to $174,140 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $142,880 | $104,420 to $188,340 | 580 |
| New Mexico | $165,350 | $133,780 to $197,670 | 5,260 |
| New York | $163,470 | $130,610 to $205,580 | 3,020 |
| North Carolina | $134,670 | $95,360 to $178,360 | 1,340 |
| Ohio | $118,160 | $92,610 to $151,690 | 580 |
| Oklahoma | $95,600 | $82,020 to $130,790 | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | not published | not published | 1,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $85,660 | $78,580 to $110,910 | 370 |
| Rhode Island | $119,510 | $96,750 to $144,910 | 390 |
| South Carolina | $125,110 | $102,540 to $139,930 | 690 |
| South Dakota | $101,400 | $83,340 to $131,210 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $130,830 | $110,000 to $163,960 | not published |
| Texas | $163,860 | $126,560 to $203,100 | 7,390 |
| Utah | $106,950 | $85,150 to $134,140 | 430 |
| Vermont | not published | not published | 130 |
| Virginia | $139,030 | $105,820 to $175,140 | 1,720 |
| Washington | $169,120 | $132,070 to $210,230 | 1,800 |
| West Virginia | not published | not published | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $83,670 | $77,700 to $103,640 | 270 |
Nationally: $161,740. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 8 of its 18 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system. | Not published |
| Not much | Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction. | Not published |
| Not much | Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data. | Not published |
See all 18 tasks
| AI + software | Select hardware and material, assuring compliance with specifications and product requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process. | 0.03% |
| Not much | Provide training and support to system designers and users. | 0.77% |
| AI alone | Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware. | 0.02% |
| Not much | Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed. | Not published |
| AI + software | Evaluate factors such as reporting formats required, cost constraints, and need for security restrictions to determine hardware configuration. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor functioning of equipment and make necessary modifications to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications. | Not published |
| AI alone | Specify power supply requirements and configuration, drawing on system performance expectations and design specifications. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Assemble and modify existing pieces of equipment to meet special needs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan layout, including type of computers and peripheral equipment modifications. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, and humidity in area of system installation. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 8 of the 18 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 18 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #25 Communicate with others about specifications or project details
- #34 Advise others on products or services
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data | |||
| Advise others on products or services | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Advise others on the design or use of technologies | |||
| Develop models of systems, processes, or products |
Show all 17 activities
| Develop technical specifications for products or operations | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Document technical designs, procedures, or activities | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Design electrical or electronic systems or equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer27%
- A script or snippet13%
- A plan or strategy10%
- An app or website10%
- A document or report8%
How they worked with Claude
50% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for computer hardware engineers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 14,718 moves out
- 1 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 11%
- 2 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 3 Electrical Engineers High +9.9% 7%
- 4 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 7%
- 5 Mechanical Engineers Very high +11.2% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 14,063 moves in
- 1 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 2 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 3 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 6%
- 4 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 5%
- 5 Electrical Engineers High +9.9% 5%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 7% some college
- 48% bachelor's
- 34% master's
- 3% professional doctorate
- 7% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 29 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 5% high school
- 9% some college
- 6% associate's
- 47% bachelor's
- 28% master's
- 3% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 587 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
4 programs, such as Computer Engineering, General, Computer Hardware Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
See all
- Computer Engineering, General
- Computer Hardware Engineering
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Hardware Engineer). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Computer Hardware Engineers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/17-2061.00