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The differences between hardware design engineers and electrical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a hardware design engineer and an electrical engineer. Additionally, a hardware design engineer has an average salary of $106,135, which is higher than the $81,026 average annual salary of an electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a hardware design engineer include RF, PCB and analog. The most important skills for an electrical engineer are autocad, electrical systems, and UL.
| Hardware Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,135 | $81,026 |
| Hourly rate | $51.03 | $38.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 69,000 | 68,536 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A hardware design engineer is an individual who develops, improves, and test components and systems for computers and other devices. Hardware design engineers must develop and design hardware components, such as circuit boards, switches, and networking elements. They are required to examine technological specifications and functional requirements as well as design components and systems that will deliver the expected performance. Hardware design engineers are also involved with manufacturing hardware, and they work closely with software engineers and developers during the development cycle.
Electrical engineers are responsible for designing and developing new electrical systems, solving issues, and testing equipment. They work on various technologies, including telecommunication systems, satellite communications, and electrical power stations. Electrical engineers study and apply the mathematics and physics of electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity to small and large-scale electrical systems to transmit energy and process information. They often work with all types of electronic devices, such as supercomputers and power transmission. They also work in the emerging field of microelectronics.
Hardware design engineers and electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,135 | $81,026 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $139,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bothell, WA | Redmond, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a hardware design engineer and an electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between hardware design engineers' and electrical engineers' demographics:
| Hardware Design Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 16.2% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |