Computer Hardware Engineers
SOC 17-2061 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $190,364per year
- Projected openings
- 12,740
- Projected change
- +7.8%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Bright Outlook — a U.S. Department of Labor designation
Rapid Growth
The Department's own designation, made from its national projections. It is not this project's assessment and it is not California's: every other figure on this page comes from California's projection, which can point the other way and for some occupations does.
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Listening
- Writing
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $202,446 | 5,720 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $197,029 | 1,290 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $173,829 | 2,010 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $172,511 | 1,660 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $169,453 | 100 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $169,094 | 20 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $167,389 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $146,203 | 610 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $143,585 | 570 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $135,012 | 160 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $129,435 | 100 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $84,290 | 200 |
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| The job this trains for | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $179,292 | 207,260 | +18.4% |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $165,013 | 11,330 | +0.5% |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $88,500 | 11,520 | -2.9% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $138,203 | 59,320 | +11.1% |
| Calibration Technologists and Technicians | $81,222 | 1,070 | 0% |
| Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians | $83,833 | 1,700 | +5.3% |
Leads to — 2
Silicon Chip Design & Semiconductor Engineering
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension · Santa Clara · $6,670
Specialization in Professional Study in Technology
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension · Santa Clara · $5,800