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A Hardware Manager is responsible for overseeing the development of hardware products, ensuring quality and efficiency. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $140,910 annually, translating to approximately $68 an hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience level, geographic location, and the specific industry. For instance, entry-level positions may start around $90,000, while those with extensive experience can exceed $180,000.
States like California, Texas, and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the concentration of tech companies and demand for skilled professionals. Additionally, hardware managers in sectors such as aerospace and defense often command top-tier compensation. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers target their efforts effectively.
Career progression can lead to roles such as Director of Hardware Engineering or Chief Technology Officer, which offer even greater earning potential. Continuous learning and adaptation to new technologies are essential for success in this evolving field.
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The average hardware manager salary in Washington, California, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average hardware manager salary states are Ohio, Florida, and Michigan.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $173,002 | $83.17 |
| 2 | California | $158,094 | $76.01 |
| 3 | Alaska | $143,898 | $69.18 |
| 4 | New York | $144,172 | $69.31 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $141,724 | $68.14 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $130,800 | $62.88 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $142,085 | $68.31 |
| 8 | Kansas | $142,492 | $68.51 |
| 9 | Maine | $153,965 | $74.02 |
| 10 | Maryland | $139,104 | $66.88 |
| 11 | Vermont | $141,887 | $68.21 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $127,909 | $61.49 |
| 13 | Texas | $129,255 | $62.14 |
| 14 | Colorado | $139,666 | $67.15 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $141,443 | $68.00 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $140,482 | $67.54 |
| 17 | Oregon | $136,875 | $65.81 |
| 18 | Arizona | $128,895 | $61.97 |
| 19 | Idaho | $136,196 | $65.48 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $126,848 | $60.98 |
| 21 | Virginia | $126,905 | $61.01 |
| 22 | Utah | $124,713 | $59.96 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $127,134 | $61.12 |
| 24 | Montana | $129,554 | $62.29 |
| 25 | Alabama | $120,048 | $57.72 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $121,958 | $58.63 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $121,851 | $58.58 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $123,097 | $59.18 |
| 29 | Missouri | $118,366 | $56.91 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $117,083 | $56.29 |
| 31 | Illinois | $115,502 | $55.53 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $116,869 | $56.19 |
| 33 | Delaware | $119,625 | $57.51 |
| 34 | Georgia | $112,044 | $53.87 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $116,876 | $56.19 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $119,490 | $57.45 |
| 37 | Florida | $101,030 | $48.57 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $111,738 | $53.72 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $119,056 | $57.24 |
| 40 | Iowa | $114,643 | $55.12 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $110,343 | $53.05 |
| 42 | Indiana | $102,879 | $49.46 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $114,587 | $55.09 |
| 44 | Ohio | $102,010 | $49.04 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $114,456 | $55.03 |
| 46 | Michigan | $100,590 | $48.36 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $112,187 | $53.94 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $109,561 | $52.67 |
| 49 | Nevada | $99,132 | $47.66 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $84,910 | $40.82 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $82,458 | $39.64 |
The highest-paying cities for hardware managers are Seattle, WA, Palo Alto, CA, and Colorado Springs, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $175,118 | $84.19 |
| 2 | Palo Alto, CA | $164,032 | $78.86 |
| 3 | Colorado Springs, CO | $139,960 | $67.29 |
| 4 | Mahwah, NJ | $127,515 | $61.31 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | $124,227 | $59.72 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $121,945 | $58.63 |
| 7 | Birmingham, AL | $120,581 | $57.97 |
| 8 | Asheville, NC | $116,750 | $56.13 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $115,465 | $55.51 |
A hardware manager's salary ranges from $95,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $208,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $208,000 | $17,333 | $100 |
| 75th Percentile | $173,000 | $14,417 | $83 |
| Average | $140,910 | $11,743 | $68 |
| 25th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 10th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
The highest paying types of hardware managers are manager, hardware engineering, computer hardware designer, and principal hardware engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verification Engineer | $104,158 | $8,680 | $50.08 | 38,261 |
| Design Verification Engineer | $117,277 | $9,773 | $56.38 | 65,429 |
| Computer Hardware Developer | $99,546 | $8,296 | $47.86 | 116,915 |
| Hardware Engineering Internship | $63,154 | $5,263 | $30.36 | 100,276 |
| Manager, Hardware Engineering | $148,792 | $12,399 | $71.53 | 63,636 |
| Hardware Development Engineer | $119,370 | $9,948 | $57.39 | 100,593 |
Top companies hiring hardware managers now:
Hardware manager salaries at Palo Alto Networks and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average hardware manager salary at companies like ZOOM+Care and NVIDIA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto Networks | $164,069 | $78.88 |
| 2 | Apple | $162,782 | $78.26 |
| 3 | ZOOM+Care | $157,732 | $75.83 |
| 4 | NVIDIA | $155,748 | $74.88 |
| 5 | Zoom Video Communications | $147,987 | $71.15 |
| 6 | Pluribus Networks | $146,417 | $70.39 |
| 7 | Ace Hardware | $144,926 | $69.68 |
| 8 | KLA | $140,356 | $67.48 |
| 9 | Qualcomm | $136,341 | $65.55 |
| 10 | Sandia National Labs | $124,930 | $60.06 |
| 11 | Amazon | $112,627 | $54.15 |
| 12 | NeuroStar | $101,765 | $48.93 |
| 13 | Northrop Grumman | $98,087 | $47.16 |
| 14 | Faraday Future | $97,178 | $46.72 |
| 15 | Brown University | $77,943 | $37.47 |
| 16 | Cyient | $74,842 | $35.98 |
| 17 | Riverhead Building Supply | $52,439 | $25.21 |
The average hardware manager salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $118,711 | $57.07 |
| 2 | Transportation | $118,356 | $56.90 |
| 3 | Construction | $115,871 | $55.71 |
| 4 | Technology | $110,804 | $53.27 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $97,976 | $47.10 |
The average hardware manager salary has risen by $24,691 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average hardware manager earned $116,219 annually, but today, they earn $140,910 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for hardware managers over the last decade.
Compare hardware manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare hardware manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $141,000 | $67.75 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $138,000 | $66.42 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $135,000 | $64.93 | -0.5% |
| 2022 | $136,000 | $65.23 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | $136,000 | $65.21 | +2.9% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | Lab Hardware Manager | Boone, CO | 04/29/2025 | $101,900 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Robotics Hardware Manager, Amazon Robotics | Reading, MA | 02/18/2025 | $135,900 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Robotics Hardware Manager, Amazon Robotics | Seattle, WA | 01/29/2025 | $135,900 |
| Amazon | Robotics Hardware Manager, Amazon Robotics | Reading, MA | 12/10/2024 | $135,900 |
| Balance of Nature | Hardware Manager | Saint George, UT | 12/09/2024 | $58,436 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Manager III, Hardware Development | Bellevue, WA | 11/08/2024 | $185,037 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Manager III, Hardware Development | Sunnyvale, CA | 11/08/2024 | $216,590 |
| Bae Systems | Hardware Manager II-Hybrid | Dallas, TX | 10/24/2024 | $127,900 |
| Bae Systems | Space Systems Hardware Manager II-Hybrid | Manassas, VA | 10/23/2024 | $140,690 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Manager III, Hardware Development | Sunnyvale, CA | 09/27/2024 | $216,590 |
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