Main image of article These Companies Pay Top Compensation for Hardware Engineers

Hardware is a huge bet for many companies. Releasing a new phone, for example, can take years and millions (if not billions) of dollars in research and development. That makes engineers who can effectively plan and build hardware especially valuable—but how much can these professionals earn?

According to levels.fyi, hardware engineers can earn extraordinary compensation at some of the nation’s deepest-pocketed companies, including Apple, Google, and automated-driving companies such as Waymo and Cruise. Here’s the full chart:

For top hardware engineers, these companies also pay out significant amounts on bonuses and stock options. Those engineers who specialize in semiconductors and other “hot” areas have the leverage to demand even higher compensation, no matter what their company.

Hardware Engineer Career and Educational Pathways

If you’re interested in hardware engineering as a career, there are a few educational pathways and specializations you can consider, including:

Computer Engineering

  • Digital logic design: This centers on circuits and processors, such as understanding how transistors, gates, and registers process information.
  • Microprocessor architecture: This delves the internal workings of CPUs.
  • Embedded systems: The design of systems for specific tasks, integrating hardware and software efficiently.

Electrical Engineering

  • Circuit analysis: Understand current flow, voltage, and power in electrical circuits.
  • Electromagnetics: Learn about radio waves, antennas, and signal transmission, crucial for wireless devices and data communication.
  • VLSI design: Also known as Very Large Scale Integration, this design discipline centers on the intricate process of creating very-large-scale integrated circuits.


Computer Science:

  • Algorithms and data structures: Develop efficient solutions to computational problems, forming the foundation for hardware optimizations.
  • Programming languages: Gain expertise in writing code that interacts with hardware, controlling components and accessing data.
  • Operating systems: Understand how software manages hardware resources, learning about memory management, process scheduling, and device drivers.
  • Computer architecture: Analyze the design principles of computer systems, understanding the interplay between hardware and software layers.

Information Technology:

  • Networking: Learn about communication protocols and network infrastructures, ensuring seamless data flow between hardware devices.
  • Cybersecurity: Understand security threats and vulnerabilities in hardware systems, designing secure devices and mitigating risks.
  • System administration: Gain expertise in managing and maintaining hardware infrastructure, monitoring performance and troubleshooting issues.
  • Cloud computing: Explore the distributed computing paradigm, understanding how virtualized hardware resources work in the cloud.

Many hardware engineering positions request at least a bachelor’s degree, but some can demand more advanced degrees depending on the specialization. You may also choose to pursue certain certifications such as a CHTE or CompTIA A+. Whatever pathway you choose, continuous learning is critical in order to stay ahead of industry changes.