Hardware installer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hardware installer. Hardware installers usually study business, electrical engineering, or information technology. 31% of hardware installers hold a associate degree, and 29% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 379 real hardware installer resumes to see exactly what hardware installer education sections show.

The most common colleges for hardware installers are the Louisiana Tech University and the Louisiana Tech University.

There are also many online hardware installer courses to help get the education required to be a hardware installer.

What education do you need to become a hardware installer?

What degree do you need to be a hardware installer?

The most common degree for hardware installers is associate degree, with 31% of hardware installers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 29% and high school diploma degree at 24%.

Associate, 31%

High School Diploma, 29%

Bachelor's, 24%

Diploma, 10%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a hardware installer?

You should major in business to become a hardware installer. 16% of hardware installers major in business. Other common majors for a hardware installer include electrical engineering and information technology.

Business, 16%

Electrical Engineering, 12%

Information Technology, 9%

Computer Information Systems, 8%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for hardware installers

Hardware installers often get their degrees at Louisiana Tech University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Remington College. Here are the most common colleges for hardware installers in the US based on their resumes.

Hardware installer common college	Percentages
Louisiana Tech University	10.71%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	7.14%
Remington College	7.14%
University of Phoenix	7.14%
University of New Hampshire	7.14%

Show more common hardware installer colleges

Best majors for hardware installers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.5%
2	Electrical Engineering	12.4%
3	Information Technology	9.3%
4	Computer Information Systems	8.2%
5	Computer Networking	6.2%

Show more common hardware installer majors

Best colleges for hardware installers

The best colleges for hardware installers are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A hardware installer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for hardware installers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become hardware installers.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

5. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,785

Enrollment

7,711

6. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

7. Milwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$40,749

Enrollment

2,582

8. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

9. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

20 best online courses for hardware installers

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15. Microsoft 70-740 - Install, Storage & Compute w/ Server 2016

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Installation Storage & Compute with Windows Server 2016 IT certification course...

16. Learn How to Fix Wi-Fi, Computer, and Networking problems!

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19. Variable Frequency Drive PowerFlex 525 VFD Programming Setup

4.7

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Electrical Hardware Engineering & Variable Frequency Drive Programming PLC, HMI, Allen Bradley RSLogix 5000...

20. Arduino Programming and Hardware Fundamentals with Hackster

4.6

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Learn electrical engineering basics to build circuits and program Arduino to make wearables, robots, and Io T devices...

Top 10 most affordable universities for hardware installers

The most affordable schools for hardware installers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for hardware installers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for hardware installers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

9. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hardware installers

The hardest universities for hardware installers to get into are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for hardware installers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for hardware installers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hardware installers

The easiest schools for hardware installers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hardware installer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for hardware installers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

4. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

9. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average hardware installer salary by education level

According to our data, hardware installers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $52,044 annually. Hardware installers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $49,405.

Hardware installer education level	Hardware installer salary
Master's Degree	$52,044
High School Diploma or Less	$39,311
Bachelor's Degree	$44,482
Doctorate Degree	$49,405
Some College/ Associate Degree	$40,276

Hardware installer education FAQs

What is the best college for Hardware Installers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for hardware installer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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