Hardware engineer vs hardware manager

The differences between hardware engineers and hardware managers 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 engineer and a hardware manager. Additionally, a hardware manager has an average salary of $140,910, which is higher than the $104,912 average annual salary of a hardware engineer.

The top three skills for a hardware engineer include python, RF and PCB. The most important skills for a hardware manager are RF, customer service, and product knowledge.

Hardware engineer vs hardware manager overview

	Hardware Engineer	Hardware Manager
Yearly salary	$104,912	$140,910
Hourly rate	$50.44	$67.75
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	53,213	4,200
Job satisfaction	1	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Hardware engineer vs hardware manager salary

Hardware engineers and hardware managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hardware Engineer	Hardware Manager
Average salary	$104,912	$140,910
Salary range	Between $77,000 And $142,000	Between $95,000 And $208,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Meta	Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry	Automotive	Retail

Differences between hardware engineer and hardware manager education

There are a few differences between a hardware engineer and a hardware manager in terms of educational background:

	Hardware Engineer	Hardware Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	Northeastern University	University of Pennsylvania

Hardware engineer vs hardware manager demographics

Here are the differences between hardware engineers' and hardware managers' demographics:

	Hardware Engineer	Hardware Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7%	Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 30.3% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 23.2% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between hardware engineer and hardware manager duties and responsibilities

Hardware engineer example responsibilities.

Manage multiple consultants designing Altera FPGAs for CMD.
Develop both JAVA and PythonQT GUI for managing searches.
Modify python scripts using SCPI commands to automate test equipment via GPIB interface.
Install, manage and maintain servers and workstations, both remotely and on-site.
Develop Perl scripts to automate measurements.
Generate synthesis reports and automate simulation using Perl scripts.

Hardware manager example responsibilities.

Manage employees and run cash registers.
Manage multiple PCB builds from initial protos to A0 and to production.
Manage a team that develop the XGEM Capture/Replay feature for 10G Ethernet.
Result achieve by reusing existing power and cables while installing new EMC DMX3 units.
Manage the regulatory approval process for all products including FCC, UL and CE.
Manage all endpoint moves adds and changes including PC's, phones, and mobile devices.

Hardware engineer vs hardware manager skills

Common hardware engineer skills

Python, 8%
RF, 7%
PCB, 6%
CAD, 5%
Analog, 5%
Cadence, 4%

Common hardware manager skills

RF, 13%
Customer Service, 13%
Product Knowledge, 10%
CAD, 6%
Design Reviews, 5%
Direct Reports, 5%