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What is a senior hardware engineer and how to become one
Senior hardware engineers use their advanced knowledge of computer components and parts to develop computer products. They lead a team of hardware engineers in designing and developing CPUs, system components, and media processors, to name a few.
Other essential skills that senior hardware engineers should have are analytical skills, leadership skills, problem solving skills, a profound knowledge of hardware engineering, attention to detail, and communication skills.
Senior hardware engineers usually work very closely with other departments within an organization such as software development, research and development, marketing, IT, and quality assurance. Senior hardware engineers have the choice to work in an array of companies, including equipment manufacturers, computer systems designers, semiconductor manufacturers, or even the government.
Senior hardware engineers mostly work in a laboratory. They work a maximum of 40 hours a week: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The job also involves a bit of field work, though, and they may be required to travel from time to time.
What general advice would you give to a senior hardware engineer?
Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Robotics Engineering, Lake Superior State University
Avg. Salary $116,383
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%
Asian 29.91%
Black or African American 6.16%
Hispanic or Latino 9.82%
Unknown 2.87%
White 50.80%
Genderfemale 6.51%
male 93.49%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Senior hardware engineer career paths
Key steps to become a senior hardware engineer
Explore senior hardware engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific senior hardware engineer skills
Skills Percentages C++ 5.93% RF 5.88% PCB 5.50% Analog 4.17% Test Equipment 3.32% Complete relevant senior hardware engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior hardware engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior hardware engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior hardware engineer resumes.Research senior hardware engineer duties and responsibilities
- Generate synthesis reports and automate simulation using Perl scripts.
- Provide primarily register-transfer level (RTL) design, IP integration, verification, and IP validation for delivery.
- Create schematics and provide guidance of PCB layout fabrication including signal integrity and power distribution.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to participate in mechanical design and implementation; assist in software debugging and design verification testing.
Get senior hardware engineer experience
Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior hardware engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior hardware engineer include hardware engineer, hardware design engineer team lead and design engineer.Prepare your senior hardware engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior hardware engineer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior hardware engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable senior hardware engineer resume templates
Build a professional senior hardware engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior hardware engineer resume.
Apply for senior hardware engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a senior hardware engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first senior hardware engineer job
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Average senior hardware engineer salary
The average senior hardware engineer salary in the United States is $116,383 per year or $56 per hour. Senior hardware engineer salaries range between $89,000 and $151,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do senior hardware engineers rate their job?
Senior hardware engineer reviews
very little
Repairing rebuilding and diagnosising laptop and desktop computers. Along with trouble shooting and giving sound advice
Can't think of anything
Hardware Design Engineer's are few intellectuals in a company who has exposure to all the aspects of product life cycle. It needs versatile knowledge of all most of the things. I feel passionate dealing with electronics components and analyzing them. It is a flexible job. It is a Real time job.
At times software development team questions on hardware design without looking the code running the stuff irritates Must have some knowledge of coding as well
Updated January 8, 2025
