Salary distribution
Where California computer hardware engineers fall on the wage curve.
Distribution not available
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.
Computer Hardware Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 817 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $187,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 50 | $141,981 |
| Level II — qualified | 209 | $176,696 |
| Level III — experienced | 183 | $205,000 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 125 | $225,834 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Computer Hardware Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google LLC | Silicon Generalist | 274 | $187,000 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Hardware Engineer | 76 | $210,000 |
| Intel Corporation | Graphics Hardware Engineer | 50 | $163,778 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Hardware Development Engineer II | 47 | $180,000 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Silicon Engineering | 31 | $190,929 |
| Apple Inc. | FE Engineering | 22 | $199,492 |
| AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC | HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER II | 18 | $182,645 |
| Annapurna Labs (U.S.) Inc. | ASIC II | 16 | $184,500 |
| Palo Alto Networks, Inc. | Principal Engineer Hardware | 12 | $167,232 |
| OpenAI OpCo, LLC | Member of Technical Staff (Hardware Engineer) | 11 | $380,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Hardware Engineer at Achronix Semiconductor Corporation$135,000Santa ClaraDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503096
- Test Engineer at NVIDIA Corporation$210,642Santa ClaraDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503459
- Silicon Design Verification Engineer at Google LLC$221,000Mountain ViewDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502235
- FE Engineering at Apple Inc.$205,072Santa ClaraDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-500800
- Sr. Silicon Generalist at Google LLC$229,960SunnyvaleDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25354-500006
- Senior PCB Design Engineer at Delart Technology Services LLC$118,498Santa MonicaDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25354-499703
- Silicon Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$203,133Mountain ViewDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-496949
- Silicon Digital Design Engineer at Google LLC$215,000Mountain ViewDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-499503
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Computer Hardware Engineers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Computer Hardware Engineers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 471 certified offers. The most common variant is Hardware Engineer at a median of $173,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware Engineer | Google LLC | 89 | $173,000 |
| Silicon Generalist | Google LLC | 59 | $189,000 |
| Hardware Development Engineer | Amazon.com Services LLC | 57 | $166,525 |
| Graphics Hardware Engineer | Intel Corporation | 44 | $164,008 |
| Principal Engineer | Tenstorrent USA Inc. | 37 | $197,041 |
| Silicon Design Verification Engineer | Google LLC | 33 | $179,000 |
| ASIC Engineer | Meta Platforms, Inc | 33 | $210,642 |
| Member of Technical Staff (Hardware Engineer) | OpenAI OpCo, LLC | 27 | $229,600 |
| ASIC | Annapurna Labs (U.S.) Inc. | 25 | $185,000 |
| Silicon Engineer | Google LLC | 24 | $204,500 |
| Silicon Engineering | Microsoft Corporation | 22 | $187,757 |
| Technical Program Manager | Google LLC | 21 | $197,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Computer Hardware Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 817 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $189,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Google LLC | 502 | $189,000 |
| Manufacturing | Intel Corporation | 179 | $177,986 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 92 | $183,250 |
| Professional services | OpenAI OpCo, LLC | 43 | $216,000 |
| Finance and insurance | PayPal, Inc. | 1 | $187,626 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.7 / 5
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge
- 4.7 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
- 4.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
- 02
Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
- 03
Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
- 04
Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
- 05
Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
- 06
Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
- 07
Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed.
- 08
Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+7.3%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for computer hardware engineers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$197,090
- San Francisco$172,920
- San Diego$169,230
- Los Angeles$140,890
- Riverside$82,060
Compare Computer Hardware Engineers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Computer Hardware Engineers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Computer Hardware Engineers in California is $179,880.
- How does California compare to the national median for Computer Hardware Engineers?
- The California median is +16.3% versus the BLS national figure of $154,616.
- Is Computer Hardware Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 7.3% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Computer Hardware Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.