Hardware technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hardware technician. Hardware technicians usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or information technology. 40% of hardware technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 40% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,373 real hardware technician resumes to see exactly what hardware technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for hardware technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

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

There are certain hardware technician certifications that you should consider. These hardware technician certifications include Network 5 Certification and Certified Network Computer Technician (CNCT).

What education do you need to become a hardware technician?

What degree do you need to be a hardware technician?

The most common degree for hardware technicians is bachelor's degree, with 40% of hardware technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 40% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 40%

Associate, 40%

High School Diploma, 8%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a hardware technician?

You should major in computer science to become a hardware technician. 17% of hardware technicians major in computer science. Other common majors for a hardware technician include electrical engineering and information technology.

Computer Science, 17%

Electrical Engineering, 13%

Information Technology, 12%

Computer Information Systems, 10%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for hardware technicians

Hardware technicians often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Phoenix, and Western Washington University. Here are the most common colleges for hardware technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Hardware technician common college	Percentages
DeVry University	15.44%
University of Phoenix	13.24%
Western Washington University	7.35%
Strayer University	6.62%
Purdue University	5.15%

Show more common hardware technician colleges

Best majors for hardware technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	16.9%
2	Electrical Engineering	13.0%
3	Information Technology	12.3%
4	Computer Information Systems	10.2%
5	Computer Networking	8.7%

Show more common hardware technician majors

Best colleges for hardware technicians

The best colleges for hardware technicians are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A hardware technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

5. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for hardware technicians

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4.7

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Networking Course, UDP, TCP IP protocol Suite, Flow and Congestion Control, CCNA and others, TCP/IP Complete Course...

Top 10 most affordable universities for hardware technicians

The most affordable schools for hardware technicians are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for hardware technicians 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 technicians.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hardware technicians

The hardest universities for hardware technicians to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for hardware technicians 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 technicians 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

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

The easiest schools for hardware technicians to get into are Capitol Technology University, oregon institute of technology, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hardware technician 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 technicians.

1. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

5. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

6. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

9. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average hardware technician salary by education level

Hardware technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $60,202 annually. With a Doctorate degree, hardware technicians earn a median annual income of $56,815 compared to $50,550 for hardware technicians with an Bachelor's degree.

Hardware technician education level	Hardware technician salary
Master's Degree	$60,202
High School Diploma or Less	$44,055
Bachelor's Degree	$50,550
Doctorate Degree	$56,815
Some College/ Associate Degree	$45,259

Hardware technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Hardware Technicians?

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

Search for hardware technician 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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