Careers > Computer Hardware Engineers

Computer Hardware Engineers

$132.36K Median Salary 4.5K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 1.7% Job Growth

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About This Career

Research, design, develop, or test computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. May supervise the manufacturing and installation of computer or computer-related equipment and components.

Reported Job Titles

Design Engineer, Engineer, Field Service Engineer, Hardware Design Engineer, Hardware Engineer, Physical Design Engineer, Project Engineer, Staff Engineer, Systems Integration Engineer

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Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Written Comprehension

Problem Sensitivity

Written Expression

Near Vision

Category Flexibility

Originality

Speech Clarity

Fluency of Ideas

Speech Recognition

Visualization

Flexibility of Closure

Mathematical Reasoning

Number Facility

Knowledge

Computers and Electronics

Engineering and Technology

Design

Mathematics

English Language

Physics

Telecommunications

Skills

Critical Thinking

Reading Comprehension

Active Listening

Complex Problem Solving

Speaking

Writing

Active Learning

Judgment and Decision Making

Operations Analysis

Systems Analysis

Systems Evaluation

Mathematics

Coordination

Monitoring

Time Management

Instructing

Operations Monitoring

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software

Desktop communications software

Computer aided design CAD software

Development environment software

Object or component oriented development software

Operating system software

Data base user interface and query software

Spreadsheet software

Pattern design software

File versioning software

Office suite software

Internet browser software

Presentation software

Program testing software

Process mapping and design software

Information retrieval or search software

Compiler and decompiler software

Word processing software

Project management software

Tools

Signal generators

Electronic measuring probes

Network analyzers

Circuit tester

Integrated circuit testers

Frequency calibrator or simulator

Power meters

Oscilloscopes

Wave generators

Scanners

Impedance meters

General purpose motor AC

Heated walk in environmental or growth chambers

Frequency analyzers

Notebook computers

Magnifiers

Frequency counters or timer or dividers

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

Capacitance meters

Calibrated resistance measuring equipment

Level generators

Plotter printers

Digital testers

Voltage or current meters

Protocol analyzers

Brushless motor DC

Multimeters

Mainframe computers

Isolators

Desktop computers

Feeler gauges

Personal computers

Abilities

Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

Knowledge

Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Telecommunications: Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Skills

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Technology Skills

Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Desktop communications software: Edmodo
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Pattern design software: Tactile graphic production kits software
File versioning software: Apache Subversion SVN; Continuous integration software; Git; Version control software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Program testing software: Selenium
Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio
Information retrieval or search software: LexisNexis
Compiler and decompiler software: Compilers
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project

Tools

Signal generators: Function generators
Electronic measuring probes: Inductive probes
Network analyzers: Local area network LAN analyzers
Circuit tester: Continuity testers
Integrated circuit testers: Logic analyzers
Frequency calibrator or simulator: Signal analyzers
Power meters: Direct current DC power testers
Oscilloscopes: Sampling oscilloscopes
Wave generators: Arbitrary waveform generators
Scanners: Data input scanners
Impedance meters: Return loss calibrator RLC passive component testers
General purpose motor AC: Bench motors
Heated walk in environmental or growth chambers: Heated environmental chambers
Frequency analyzers: Spectrum analyzers
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Magnifiers: Hand lenses
Frequency counters or timer or dividers: Frequency counters
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers: Personal digital assistants PDA
Capacitance meters: Capacitance testers
Calibrated resistance measuring equipment: Digital resistance meters; Resistance meters; Resistivity meters
Level generators: Pulse generators
Plotter printers: Plotters
Digital testers: Bit error rate testers BERT
Voltage or current meters: Digital voltmeters DVM
Protocol analyzers:
Brushless motor DC: Direct current DC power supplies
Multimeters:
Mainframe computers:
Isolators:
Desktop computers:
Feeler gauges: Angled feeler gauges
Personal computers: