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The differences between senior hardware engineers and senior computer engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior hardware engineer and a senior computer engineer. Additionally, a senior computer engineer has an average salary of $127,660, which is higher than the $116,383 average annual salary of a senior hardware engineer.
The top three skills for a senior hardware engineer include C++, RF and PCB. The most important skills for a senior computer engineer are C++, CAD, and infrastructure.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Computer Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,383 | $127,660 |
| Hourly rate | $55.95 | $61.38 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 55,261 | 42,662 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Senior Hardware Engineer is responsible for designing computer hardware. They define and coordinate corrective action changes, as well as provide technical support to team members.
A senior computer engineer's main goal is to conduct research and design different types of computer hardware and software systems. They must know to manage servers and create automation in projects. They should also know how to resolve network issues and troubleshoot problems.
Senior hardware engineers and senior computer engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Computer Engineer | |
| Average salary | $116,383 | $127,660 |
| Salary range | Between $89,000 And $151,000 | Between $94,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Netflix | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior hardware engineer and a senior computer engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Computer Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior hardware engineers' and senior computer engineers' demographics:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Senior Computer Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 29.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 29.7% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |