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The differences between hardware design engineers and hardware test 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 a hardware test engineer. Additionally, a hardware test engineer has an average salary of $108,602, which is higher than the $106,135 average annual salary of a hardware design engineer.
The top three skills for a hardware design engineer include RF, PCB and analog. The most important skills for a hardware test engineer are python, test equipment, and C++.
| Hardware Design Engineer | Hardware Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,135 | $108,602 |
| Hourly rate | $51.03 | $52.21 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 69,000 | 77,022 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| 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.
A hardware test engineer is an IT professional who is responsible for designing, implementing, and executing plans to test computer hardware systems. Hardware test engineers must collaborate with design engineers and the program team to plan the execution of test plans through the entire product development cycle. They are required to develop technical specifications for testers and accepting test equipment from vendors. Hardware test engineers should also be highly knowledgeable in programming languages such as Python and C++.
Hardware design engineers and hardware test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Design Engineer | Hardware Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,135 | $108,602 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $139,000 | Between $82,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bothell, WA | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a hardware design engineer and a hardware test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Design Engineer | Hardware Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between hardware design engineers' and hardware test engineers' demographics:
| Hardware Design Engineer | Hardware Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| 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, 5.1% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 30.6% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |