Computer Hardware Engineer Salary

A computer hardware engineer is responsible for researching, designing, developing and testing computers or other equipment that is related to the workings of a computer for the purpose of commercial, industrial, military and scientific usage. Along with that he may also have to look over the manufacturing and installation of varied parts related to the computer. In this day and age where computers have become a crucial part of our lives, one can imagine the importance that this profession will demand. Therefore, the salary range for this profession will also run in high numbers. In the following article we shall be getting into a little more detail about the salary range and the factors that influence these figures. But before that, let's understand what a computer hardware engineer actually does.

Duties

Here is a brief account of the job that a computer hardware engineer carries through.

• He is a strong support system of technical knowledge for the designers, engineers as well as the other professionals who are involved in the manufacturing process of the development and implementation of the product.
• He sees to it that the product is designed and conforms to the specifications that are provided.
• He has to study and research the data available and thereby plans the layout and execution of the varied products.
• He formulates various prototypes based on using the models that have been devised for the purpose of choosing the most perfect one available.
• They also work to develop and improve varied parts of a computer like the keyboards, memory chips, routers, circuit cards and the like.

Salary Range

The average salary of a computer hardware engineer falls in the range of $55,000 - $ 92,000 (per annum). One has to also understand that there are several factors that go into influencing this salary range. These factors include the field of employment, the city of employment, the educational qualifications and the number of years of experience. Let us look into each of these factors in more detail in the paragraphs that follow.

Educational Qualification
It has been seen that a degree in science followed by a specialization in electrical engineering allows a person to earn a salary that falls in the range of $72,000 - $132,000. Other than that, a postgraduate degree in electrical and computer engineering has known to bring in a salary that falls in the range of 60,000 - $96,000. A postgraduate degree in computer engineering can bring in a salary that falls in the high numbers of $54,000 - $88,000. It is therefore, a good option to go in for a postgraduate degree in electrical engineering.

Years of Experience
Less than 4 years in the industry can earn an engineer a starting salary of up to $71, 400. Gathering experience in this industry will have a positive influence on the salary and it has been seen that working in this industry for more than 20 years can earn him a high-end salary of $131,000.

Place of Employment
The area or the city in which the professional is hired will also determine the salary. It has been researched that a job in Santa Clara gets an engineer a salary range of $87,000 - $111,000. Other high paying places include San Jose ($101,800), Texas ($99,300), San Diego ($95,000), New York ($94,230) and Raleigh ($92,000).

Industry of Hire
The semiconductors industry pays these engineers one of the highest figures of salary - $136,000. There are some other industries that pay a higher sum than most industries in comparison. Here are some of them - Manufacturing microprocessors ($123,000), Semiconductor chip manufacturing industries ($102,800), Aerospace and Defense ($101,300) and Computer hardware and software industries ($98,000). Thus, it is not just the information technology industry that hires these professionals and pays them well.

Gender Specifics
This industry pays male professionals a higher salary figure when compared to their female counterparts. The salary range for males has been seen to be about $56,000 - $98,000. Whereas, female engineers have been known to get a substantially lower range of $45,000 - $75,000.

P.S. ~ It is important to note that all these figures are an approximation and that it is not possible to give specific figures.

Having an idea of the different salary ranges for jobs helps a person determine and plan their careers accordingly, and have a thorough knowledge of what to expect and not. And now that this article has given you an in-depth knowledge of the factors that influence and determine the salary range, it should help you determine whether this job is in fact a good choice to make.