Hardware/firmware engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Hardware/firmware engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates hardware/firmware engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our hardware/firmware engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about hardware/firmware engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 19,689 hardware/firmware engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 3.4% of all hardware/firmware engineers are women, while 96.6% are men.
- The average hardware/firmware engineer age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of hardware/firmware engineers is White (51.5%), followed by Asian (30.2%), Hispanic or Latino (10.3%) and Black or African American (4.7%).
- In 2022, women earned 96% of what men earned.
- 4% of all hardware/firmware engineers are LGBT.
- Hardware/firmware engineers are 55% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Hardware/firmware engineer demographics by:
Hardware/firmware engineer gender statistics
3.4% of hardware/firmware engineers are women and 96.6% of hardware/firmware engineers are men.
- Male, 96.6%
- Female, 3.4%
Hardware/firmware engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 96.6% |
| Female | 3.4% |
Hardware/firmware engineer gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$89,255
Female income
$86,028
Hardware/firmware engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in hardware/firmware engineer positions over time. Currently, 3.4% of hardware/firmware engineers are female.
Hardware/firmware engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 95.75% | 4.25% |
| 2011 | 96.13% | 3.87% |
| 2012 | 96.52% | 3.48% |
| 2013 | 97.17% | 2.83% |
| 2014 | 95.00% | 5.00% |
| 2015 | 95.37% | 4.63% |
| 2016 | 96.18% | 3.82% |
| 2017 | 95.89% | 4.11% |
| 2018 | 96.40% | 3.60% |
| 2019 | 96.49% | 3.51% |
| 2020 | 97.02% | 2.98% |
| 2021 | 96.58% | 3.42% |
Hardware/firmware engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared hardware/firmware engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Engineer | 11% | 89% |
| Hardware/Firmware Engineer | 97% | 3% |
| Machine Tool Designer | 99% | 1% |
| Refrigeration Engineer | 99% | 1% |
| Senior Electronics Design Engineer | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Hardware/firmware engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among hardware/firmware engineers is White, which makes up 51.5% of all hardware/firmware engineers. Comparatively, 30.2% of hardware/firmware engineers are Asian and 10.3% of hardware/firmware engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 51.5%
- Asian, 30.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.3%
- Black or African American, 4.7%
- Unknown, 2.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Hardware/firmware engineer race
| Hardware/firmware engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 51.5% |
| Asian | 30.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.7% |
| Unknown | 2.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Hardware/firmware engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how hardware/firmware engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Hardware/firmware engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.40% | 4.00% | 21.60% | 9.96% |
| 2011 | 65.71% | 3.44% | 19.04% | 9.47% |
| 2012 | 60.77% | 6.16% | 21.95% | 9.36% |
| 2013 | 62.27% | 3.55% | 22.18% | 9.04% |
| 2014 | 58.10% | 7.10% | 24.23% | 9.15% |
| 2015 | 62.49% | 3.68% | 22.72% | 8.56% |
| 2016 | 54.06% | 6.38% | 28.26% | 8.74% |
| 2017 | 57.48% | 5.47% | 24.79% | 8.97% |
| 2018 | 58.28% | 4.76% | 27.03% | 8.04% |
| 2019 | 56.00% | 5.03% | 25.74% | 9.34% |
| 2020 | 56.94% | 4.97% | 22.31% | 11.82% |
| 2021 | 51.47% | 4.70% | 30.19% | 10.32% |
Hardware/firmware engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian hardware/firmware engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american hardware/firmware engineers have the lowest average salary at $81,137.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $87,459 |
| White | $92,997 |
| Black or African American | $81,137 |
| Asian | $98,641 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $87,022 |
Average hardware/firmware engineer age
See how the average age of hardware/firmware engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Hardware/firmware engineer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 50 | |
| White | 45 | 42 |
| Black or African American | 43.5 | |
| Asian | 41 | 43 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 |
Hardware/firmware engineer age breakdown
The average age of hardware/firmware engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 64% of the hardware/firmware engineer population.
Hardware/firmware engineer age breakdown
| Hardware/Firmware Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 64% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Hardware/firmware engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for hardware/firmware engineers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of hardware/firmware engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 4%.
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 4%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Hardware/firmware engineers by degree level
| Hardware/firmware engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 77% |
| Master's | 17% |
| Associate | 4% |
| Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Hardware/firmware engineer jobs you might like
Hardware/firmware engineer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $111,046 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,241 |
Hardware/firmware engineer employment statistics
Most hardware/firmware engineers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where hardware/firmware engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where hardware/firmware engineers work.
Hardware/firmware engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 14% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 19% |
| > 10,000 employees | 30% |
Hardware/firmware engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the hardware/firmware engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most hardware/firmware engineers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Hardware/firmware engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 41% |
| Private | 55% |
| Government | 1% |
Hardware/firmware engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for hardware/firmware engineers are technology, manufacturing and professional.
Hardware/firmware engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 28% |
| Manufacturing | 25% |
| Fortune 500 | 13% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Transportation | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Education | 3% |
| Government | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
Hardware/firmware engineer turnover and employment statistics
Hardware/firmware engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for hardware/firmware engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hardware/firmware engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Hardware/firmware engineer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.02% |
| 2011 | 4.73% |
| 2012 | 3.38% |
| 2013 | 3.93% |
| 2014 | 2.71% |
| 2015 | 1.16% |
| 2016 | 2.77% |
| 2017 | 1.37% |
| 2018 | 2.81% |
| 2019 | 1.59% |
| 2020 | 2.67% |
| 2021 | 2.56% |
Average hardware/firmware engineer tenure
The average hardware/firmware engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 157 hardware/firmware engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Hardware/firmware engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Hardware/firmware engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of hardware/firmware engineers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance Engineer-Products | 3.67% | 37,434 |
| Hardware/Firmware Engineer | 4.15% | - |
| Advanced Manufacturing Engineer | 5.25% | 75,116 |
| Control Systems Engineer | 6.39% | 133,220 |
| Military Aircraft Designer | 7.54% | 49,325 |
| Chemical Research Engineer | 8.92% | 49,328 |
| Smelting Engineer | 10.43% | 3,371 |
Similar hardware/firmware engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance Engineer-Products | 3.67% | 37,434 |
| Advanced Manufacturing Engineer | 5.25% | 75,116 |
| Control Systems Engineer | 6.39% | 133,220 |
| Military Aircraft Designer | 7.54% | 49,325 |
| Chemical Research Engineer | 8.92% | 49,328 |
| Smelting Engineer | 10.43% | 3,371 |
Foreign languages spoken by hardware/firmware engineers
The most common foreign language among hardware/firmware engineers is Spanish at 60.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 20.0% and French is the third-most popular at 20.0%.
- Spanish, 60.0%
- German, 20.0%
- French, 20.0%
Hardware/firmware engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 60.0% |
| German | 20.0% |
| French | 20.0% |
