Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

17-2061 Computer Hardware Engineers

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. Excludes "Software Developers, Applications" (15-1132) and "Software Developers, Systems Software (15-1133).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
71,990 3.8 % $48.73 $101,360 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $30.00 $37.32 $47.41 $58.99 $70.97
Annual Wage (2) $62,400 $77,630 $98,610 $122,700 $147,610


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 14,410 0.96 $48.09 $100,030
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 11,610 3.06 $49.45 $102,860
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 9,630 6.06 $50.68 $105,410
Scientific Research and Development Services 8,390 1.33 $46.76 $97,270
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 5,470 1.35 $47.46 $98,720

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 9,630 6.06 $50.68 $105,410
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 11,610 3.06 $49.45 $102,860
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 5,470 1.35 $47.46 $98,720
Scientific Research and Development Services 8,390 1.33 $46.76 $97,270
Communications Equipment Manufacturing 1,450 1.28 $54.07 $112,460

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services (8) (8) $59.88 $124,540
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 120 0.03 $55.79 $116,050
Software Publishers 810 0.30 $54.76 $113,890
Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers 960 0.31 $54.30 $112,950
Communications Equipment Manufacturing 1,450 1.28 $54.07 $112,460


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 19,510 1.39 2.48 $54.31 $112,960
Texas 7,960 0.77 1.38 $47.73 $99,280
Maryland 3,550 1.43 2.55 $47.34 $98,470
New York 3,260 0.39 0.69 $48.08 $100,010
Massachusetts 3,170 1.01 1.79 $52.20 $108,570




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,270 1.97 3.51 $53.44 $111,150
New Mexico 1,480 1.91 3.40 $44.74 $93,050
Maryland 3,550 1.43 2.55 $47.34 $98,470
California 19,510 1.39 2.48 $54.31 $112,960
Colorado 2,470 1.13 2.02 $49.21 $102,360




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan 1,010 0.26 0.47 $57.33 $119,240
California 19,510 1.39 2.48 $54.31 $112,960
District of Columbia 1,270 1.97 3.51 $53.44 $111,150
Massachusetts 3,170 1.01 1.79 $52.20 $108,570
Washington 1,510 0.55 0.99 $51.22 $106,530





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 8,160 9.31 16.59 $58.59 $121,860
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,430 1.48 2.64 $52.72 $109,660
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 3,100 3.94 7.02 $47.03 $97,830
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 2,540 1.83 3.26 $50.43 $104,900
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 2,370 1.92 3.42 $49.14 $102,210
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,060 1.23 2.19 $52.28 $108,740
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,020 1.19 2.12 $44.69 $92,950
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 1,530 0.60 1.07 $44.50 $92,550
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,490 0.41 0.74 $43.97 $91,450
Albuquerque, NM 1,360 3.68 6.56 $44.94 $93,480




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 8,160 9.31 16.59 $58.59 $121,860
Huntsville, AL 1,080 5.37 9.57 $48.12 $100,100
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 600 4.74 8.44 $49.41 $102,760
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 3,100 3.94 7.02 $47.03 $97,830
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY 900 3.69 6.58 $51.22 $106,540
Albuquerque, NM 1,360 3.68 6.56 $44.94 $93,480
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 530 3.39 6.03 $51.53 $107,170
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 360 3.20 5.69 $55.26 $114,940
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 1,150 2.06 3.67 $47.95 $99,740
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 390 2.04 3.64 $42.66 $88,720




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ann Arbor, MI (8) (8) (8) $103.36 $214,990
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 8,160 9.31 16.59 $58.59 $121,860
El Paso, TX (8) (8) (8) $58.15 $120,950
Trenton-Ewing, NJ (8) (8) (8) $57.10 $118,770
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 200 1.16 2.07 $56.98 $118,510
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,050 1.09 1.94 $56.96 $118,470
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division 600 0.58 1.03 $56.26 $117,020
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $56.07 $116,630
Boulder, CO (8) (8) (8) $55.83 $116,130
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 360 3.20 5.69 $55.26 $114,940

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 130 2.66 4.73 $45.54 $94,720
North Central West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.33 0.60 $44.50 $92,560
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 50 0.17 0.29 $46.28 $96,250
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 30 0.22 0.40 $25.57 $53,180

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 130 2.66 4.73 $45.54 $94,720
North Central West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.33 0.60 $44.50 $92,560
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 30 0.22 0.40 $25.57 $53,180
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 50 0.17 0.29 $46.28 $96,250

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $49.15 $102,230
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $48.30 $100,460
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 50 0.17 0.29 $46.28 $96,250
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 130 2.66 4.73 $45.54 $94,720
North Central West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.33 0.60 $44.50 $92,560


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012