Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Hardware development engineer salary
Average hardware development engineer salary
$119,370
Understanding Hardware Development Engineer Salaries
The average salary for a hardware development engineer is approximately $119,370 per year. This figure can fluctuate based on factors such as experience, geographic location, and specific industry sectors. For instance, hardware engineers in high-demand areas or specialized sectors may command higher wages.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start at lower salaries, around $85,000, while experienced engineers can earn upwards of $150,000 annually. As professionals gain expertise and take on more complex projects, their earning potential increases significantly.
Top-Paying States
- California: $135,000
- Texas: $125,000
- New York: $130,000
These states offer competitive salaries due to a high concentration of tech companies and innovation hubs.
Job Outlook
The demand for hardware development engineers is projected to grow, driven by advancements in technology and increasing reliance on electronic devices. This upward trend signifies promising career paths and opportunities for professionals in the field.
Let Zippia find your next hardware development engineer job
Let Zippia find your next hardware development engineer job
Where can a Hardware Development Engineer earn more?
Hardware development engineer salaries by experience level
Hardware development engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average hardware development engineer salary by state
The average hardware development engineer salary in Washington, California, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average hardware development engineer salary states are Florida, Indiana, and Ohio.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for hardware development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $139,914 | $67.27 |
| 2 | California | $132,811 | $63.85 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $110,528 | $53.14 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $108,994 | $52.40 |
| 5 | Alaska | $108,321 | $52.08 |
| 6 | Kansas | $107,351 | $51.61 |
| 7 | Arkansas | $100,185 | $48.17 |
| 8 | Maine | $120,395 | $57.88 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $107,056 | $51.47 |
| 10 | Vermont | $110,346 | $53.05 |
| 11 | Virginia | $103,628 | $49.82 |
| 12 | Alabama | $95,807 | $46.06 |
| 13 | Idaho | $107,773 | $51.81 |
| 14 | Arizona | $100,457 | $48.30 |
| 15 | Utah | $100,728 | $48.43 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $109,888 | $52.83 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $99,454 | $47.81 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $92,804 | $44.62 |
| 19 | Montana | $101,510 | $48.80 |
| 20 | Oregon | $98,672 | $47.44 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $92,358 | $44.40 |
| 22 | Maryland | $100,544 | $48.34 |
| 23 | Colorado | $96,500 | $46.39 |
| 24 | Georgia | $91,257 | $43.87 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $91,117 | $43.81 |
| 26 | Texas | $95,813 | $46.06 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $93,268 | $44.84 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $92,625 | $44.53 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $100,222 | $48.18 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $94,603 | $45.48 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $92,792 | $44.61 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $91,633 | $44.05 |
| 33 | Illinois | $95,976 | $46.14 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $86,835 | $41.75 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $90,824 | $43.67 |
| 36 | Iowa | $87,714 | $42.17 |
| 37 | Delaware | $92,965 | $44.69 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $87,111 | $41.88 |
| 39 | New York | $96,540 | $46.41 |
| 40 | Missouri | $89,546 | $43.05 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $90,225 | $43.38 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $86,073 | $41.38 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $80,837 | $38.86 |
| 44 | Nevada | $84,078 | $40.42 |
| 45 | Florida | $80,385 | $38.65 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $85,858 | $41.28 |
| 47 | Michigan | $72,900 | $35.05 |
| 48 | Indiana | $80,007 | $38.46 |
| 49 | Ohio | $79,500 | $38.22 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $72,870 | $35.03 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $64,592 | $31.05 |
Highest paying cities for hardware development engineers
The highest-paying cities for hardware development engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $142,789 | $68.65 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $140,849 | $67.72 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $107,128 | $51.50 |
| 4 | Sterling, VA | $104,619 | $50.30 |
| 5 | Hillsborough, NJ | $100,231 | $48.19 |
| 6 | Beaverton, OR | $98,336 | $47.28 |
| 7 | Boulder, CO | $96,753 | $46.52 |
| 8 | Poughkeepsie, NY | $96,658 | $46.47 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $96,294 | $46.30 |
| 10 | Allentown, PA | $91,581 | $44.03 |
| 11 | Morrisville, NC | $87,309 | $41.98 |
| 12 | Eden Prairie, MN | $86,977 | $41.82 |
| 13 | Orlando, FL | $81,457 | $39.16 |
| 14 | Redford, MI | $72,884 | $35.04 |
Hardware development engineer salary details
A hardware development engineer's salary ranges from $88,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $161,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a hardware development engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $161,000 | $13,417 | $77 |
| 75th Percentile | $140,000 | $11,667 | $67 |
| Average | $119,370 | $9,948 | $57 |
| 25th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| 10th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
Highest paying hardware development engineer jobs
The highest paying types of hardware development engineers are manager, hardware engineering, hardware manager, and senior staff engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Principal Engineer | $130,213 | $10,851 | $62.60 | 312,683 |
| Verification Engineer | $104,158 | $8,680 | $50.08 | 38,261 |
| Design Verification Engineer | $117,277 | $9,773 | $56.38 | 65,429 |
| Hardware Engineering Internship | $63,154 | $5,263 | $30.36 | 100,276 |
Top companies hiring hardware development engineers now:
Which companies pay hardware development engineers the most?
Hardware development engineer salaries at Apple and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average hardware development engineer salary at companies like Microsoft and GoPro are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $149,386 | $71.82 |
| 2 | $147,360 | $70.85 | |
| 3 | Microsoft | $144,972 | $69.70 |
| 4 | GoPro | $136,454 | $65.60 |
| 5 | Tesla | $131,296 | $63.12 |
| 6 | 3M Company | $128,874 | $61.96 |
| 7 | Amazon | $127,845 | $61.46 |
| 8 | Annapurna Pictures | $127,693 | $61.39 |
| 9 | AEVA | $126,305 | $60.72 |
| 10 | Varex Imaging | $126,297 | $60.72 |
| 11 | Alcatel Networks Inc | $126,297 | $60.72 |
| 12 | Mercedes-Benz of Sarasota | $126,297 | $60.72 |
| 13 | Crusoe Energy Systems | $126,296 | $60.72 |
| 14 | Monteris Medical | $126,293 | $60.72 |
| 15 | ABL Space Systems | $126,137 | $60.64 |
| 16 | Harmonic | $125,946 | $60.55 |
| 17 | Fortinet | $125,397 | $60.29 |
| 18 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $124,906 | $60.05 |
| 19 | Oclaro | $124,795 | $60.00 |
| 20 | Navistar | $123,976 | $59.60 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Hardware development engineer salary trends
The average hardware development engineer salary has risen by $20,916 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average hardware development engineer earned $98,454 annually, but today, they earn $119,370 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for hardware development engineers over the last decade.
Compare hardware development engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average hardware development engineer salary over time
Compare hardware development engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Hardware development engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $119,000 | $57.39 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $117,000 | $56.27 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $114,000 | $55.01 | -0.5% |
| 2022 | $115,000 | $55.26 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | $115,000 | $55.24 | +2.9% |
Recently added hardware development engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Origin | Radar RF Hardware Development Engineer | Seattle, WA | 06/25/2025 | $152,235 |
| Apple Inc. | Hardware Development Engineer | Cupertino, CA | 06/21/2025 | $162,589 |
| Amazon | Senior Hardware Development Engineer, AWS Scaled Compute | Seattle, WA | 06/13/2025 | $128,600 |
| Amazon | Senior Hardware Development Engineer, NPD Hardware | Cupertino, CA | 06/10/2025 | $128,600 |
| Spacex | Hardware Development Engineer, Failure Analysis (Starlink) | Redmond, WA | 06/09/2025 | $115,000 |
| Spacex | Hardware Development Engineer, Failure Analysis (Starshield) | Hawthorne, CA | 06/09/2025 | $115,000 |
| Varda Co | Avionics Hardware Development Engineer | El Segundo, CA | 06/09/2025 | $100,000 |
| Blue Origin | Radar RF Hardware Development Engineer | Seattle, WA | 05/27/2025 | $152,235 |
| Amazon | Mechanical Hardware Development Engineer II, Bespoke Solutions | Arlington, VA | 05/25/2025 | $105,600 |
| A Society Group | Hardware Engineer-Test Development | San Francisco, CA | 05/25/2025 | $100,000 |
Hardware development engineer salary FAQs
Search for hardware development engineer jobs