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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016
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) |
72,950 |
4.9 % |
$57.07 |
$118,700 |
1.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50% (Median) |
75% |
90% |
Hourly Wage |
$32.15 |
$42.45 |
$55.33 |
$70.24 |
$82.70 |
Annual Wage (2) |
$66,870 |
$88,290 |
$115,080 |
$146,110 |
$172,010 |
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 |
18,880 |
0.96 |
$58.02 |
$120,690 |
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing |
10,590 |
6.29 |
$57.70 |
$120,010 |
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing |
9,220 |
2.49 |
$64.17 |
$133,480 |
Scientific Research and Development Services |
6,480 |
0.96 |
$61.30 |
$127,510 |
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) |
4,590 |
0.23 |
$52.30 |
$108,790 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
Top paying industries for this occupation:
Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations |
(8) |
(8) |
(5) |
(5) |
Electronics and Appliance Stores |
(8) |
(8) |
$69.41 |
$144,360 |
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing |
9,220 |
2.49 |
$64.17 |
$133,480 |
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media |
970 |
6.41 |
$63.91 |
$132,930 |
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
1,130 |
0.08 |
$63.20 |
$131,450 |
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 |
25,790 |
1.62 |
3.11 |
$65.69 |
$136,630 |
Colorado |
3,700 |
1.48 |
2.84 |
$55.65 |
$115,750 |
Maryland |
3,690 |
1.40 |
2.69 |
$56.92 |
$118,390 |
Texas |
3,590 |
0.31 |
0.59 |
$53.89 |
$112,090 |
Massachusetts |
2,960 |
0.85 |
1.64 |
$53.71 |
$111,720 |
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) |
California |
25,790 |
1.62 |
3.11 |
$65.69 |
$136,630 |
Colorado |
3,700 |
1.48 |
2.84 |
$55.65 |
$115,750 |
Maryland |
3,690 |
1.40 |
2.69 |
$56.92 |
$118,390 |
Utah |
1,330 |
0.97 |
1.86 |
$50.40 |
$104,830 |
Massachusetts |
2,960 |
0.85 |
1.64 |
$53.71 |
$111,720 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
California |
25,790 |
1.62 |
3.11 |
$65.69 |
$136,630 |
New Hampshire |
270 |
0.42 |
0.82 |
$63.74 |
$132,580 |
Alaska |
70 |
0.22 |
0.42 |
$61.12 |
$127,130 |
Virginia |
1,380 |
0.37 |
0.71 |
$58.33 |
$121,330 |
Maryland |
3,690 |
1.40 |
2.69 |
$56.92 |
$118,390 |
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 |
12,260 |
11.73 |
22.57 |
$68.82 |
$143,140 |
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division |
2,820 |
2.64 |
5.08 |
$68.85 |
$143,210 |
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
2,800 |
2.02 |
3.89 |
$59.04 |
$122,810 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division |
2,160 |
0.87 |
1.67 |
$59.62 |
$124,010 |
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division |
2,080 |
1.33 |
2.56 |
$63.42 |
$131,920 |
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division |
1,960 |
1.08 |
2.09 |
$53.65 |
$111,580 |
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division |
1,930 |
0.80 |
1.53 |
$52.67 |
$109,550 |
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
1,500 |
1.65 |
3.17 |
$59.77 |
$124,330 |
Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division |
1,470 |
1.36 |
2.61 |
$61.66 |
$128,250 |
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
1,430 |
1.06 |
2.04 |
$56.83 |
$118,210 |
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 |
12,260 |
11.73 |
22.57 |
$68.82 |
$143,140 |
Corvallis, OR |
220 |
6.80 |
13.08 |
$52.63 |
$109,470 |
California-Lexington Park, MD |
250 |
5.74 |
11.04 |
$55.81 |
$116,080 |
Huntsville, AL |
1,240 |
5.70 |
10.97 |
$54.39 |
$113,130 |
Fort Collins, CO |
730 |
4.90 |
9.44 |
$58.42 |
$121,510 |
Boulder, CO |
670 |
3.78 |
7.27 |
$55.81 |
$116,080 |
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
610 |
3.06 |
5.89 |
$41.35 |
$86,000 |
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division |
2,820 |
2.64 |
5.08 |
$68.85 |
$143,210 |
Framingham, MA NECTA Division |
450 |
2.60 |
5.01 |
$45.54 |
$94,720 |
Colorado Springs, CO |
640 |
2.36 |
4.54 |
$58.83 |
$122,360 |
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) |
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division |
2,820 |
2.64 |
5.08 |
$68.85 |
$143,210 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
12,260 |
11.73 |
22.57 |
$68.82 |
$143,140 |
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division |
330 |
2.19 |
4.22 |
$68.39 |
$142,250 |
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division |
2,080 |
1.33 |
2.56 |
$63.42 |
$131,920 |
Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division |
1,470 |
1.36 |
2.61 |
$61.66 |
$128,250 |
Austin-Round Rock, TX |
530 |
0.55 |
1.05 |
$61.57 |
$128,060 |
Anchorage, AK |
70 |
0.37 |
0.71 |
$61.51 |
$127,940 |
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
1,500 |
1.65 |
3.17 |
$59.77 |
$124,330 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division |
2,160 |
0.87 |
1.67 |
$59.62 |
$124,010 |
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
2,800 |
2.02 |
3.89 |
$59.04 |
$122,810 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
About May 2016 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 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.
(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $100.00 per hour or $208,000 per year.
(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 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017
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