Hardware Project Engineer Salary in the United States
How much does a Hardware Project Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Hardware Project Engineer in the United States is $81,939 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.
However, a Hardware Project Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $94,638
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $74,972 to $88,586
Key Factors That Influence Hardware Project Engineer Salaries
A Hardware Project Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Hardware Project Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Hardware Project Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Hardware Project Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Hardware Project Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $90,722.
California: $90,378.
Massachusetts: $89,174.
District of Columbia$90,722
California$90,378
Massachusetts$89,174
Washington$88,846
New Jersey$88,813
Alaska$88,698
Connecticut$87,568
New York$87,109
Hawaii$85,642
Rhode Island$84,954
Maryland$84,487
Minnesota$83,848
Colorado$83,602
Illinois$83,520
Oregon$83,209
Delaware$82,979
New Hampshire$82,835
Virginia$82,512
Pennsylvania$81,570
Nevada$81,095
North Dakota$80,939
Michigan$80,693
Wisconsin$80,603
Vermont$80,423
Texas$79,923
Maine$79,890
Arizona$79,841
Ohio$79,784
Georgia$79,030
Indiana$78,653
Wyoming$78,579
Utah$78,464
Iowa$78,415
Kansas$78,022
Louisiana$77,907
North Carolina$77,866
Missouri$77,850
Florida$77,530
Montana$77,358
Nebraska$77,194
Kentucky$77,104
South Carolina$76,776
Tennessee$76,572
Idaho$76,490
New Mexico$75,891
Oklahoma$75,760
Alabama$75,277
South Dakota$74,466
Arkansas$74,023
West Virginia$73,786
Mississippi$73,073
Top Paying Cities for Hardware Project Engineers
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $103,349
San Francisco: $102,217
Oakland: $100,063
San Jose, CA$103,349
San Francisco, CA$102,217
Oakland, CA$100,063
New York, NY$94,343
Paramus, NJ$93,196
Queens Village, NY$93,192
Passaic, NJ$93,114
Bergenfield, NJ$93,107
Stamford, CT$92,926
Huntington, NY$92,893
Newark, NJ$92,287
Bridgeport, CT$92,114
Vallejo, CA$91,951
New Brunswick, NJ$91,919
Petaluma, CA$91,869
Middlesex, NJ$91,714
Somerset, NJ$91,656
Santa Cruz, CA$91,550
Boston, MA$91,050
Monterey, CA$90,762
Seattle, WA$90,575
Santa Rosa, CA$90,558
Los Angeles, CA$90,534
Juneau, AK$90,321
Washington, DC$90,231
Orange, CA$89,939
Santa Ana, CA$89,723
Long Beach, CA$89,641
Anaheim, CA$89,624
Anchorage, AK$89,583
Santa Maria, CA$89,338
Everett, WA$89,321
Danbury, CT$89,033
Bremerton, WA$88,920
Tacoma, WA$88,625
New Suffolk, NY$88,623
Sacramento, CA$88,600
Santa Barbara, CA$88,510
Trenton, NJ$88,420
San Diego, CA$88,420
Brockton, MA$88,330
Fairbanks, AK$88,129
Lompoc, CA$87,920
Lowell, MA$87,854
Ventura, CA$87,838
Nashua, NH$87,822
Stockton, CA$87,813
Modesto, CA$87,215
Poughkeepsie, NY$87,035
Olympia, WA$86,879
Kennewick, WA$86,879
New Haven, CT$86,847
Lawrence, MA$86,552
Hartford, CT$86,470
Riverside, CA$86,453
New Bedford, MA$86,371
Richland, WA$86,371
Bakersfield, CA$86,257
San Bernardino, CA$86,224
New Britain, CT$86,216
Atlantic City, NJ$86,216
New London, CT$86,183
Norwich, CT$86,158
Portsmouth, NH$86,142
Boulder, CO$85,968
Portland, OR$85,855
Worcester, MA$85,847
Minneapolis, MN$85,593
Philadelphia, PA$85,478
Honolulu, HI$85,208
Saint Paul, MN$85,169
Vineland, NJ$85,150
Providence, RI$84,913
Chicago, IL$84,675
Bellingham, WA$84,577
Springfield, MA$84,511
Baltimore, MD$84,487
Chico, CA$84,282
Pittsfield, MA$84,061
Manchester, NH$83,905
Spokane, WA$83,544
Denver, CO$83,536
Albany, NY$83,151
Troy, NY$83,118
Nassau, NY$83,031
Schenectady, NY$82,946
Wilmington, DE$82,881
Burlington, VT$82,766
Salem, OR$82,733
Portland, ME$82,479
Yakima, WA$82,397
Rochester, MN$82,143
Reno, NV$82,102
Fresno, CA$82,102
Milwaukee, WI$82,029
Detroit, MI$81,947
Ann Arbor, MI$81,933
Allentown, PA$81,922
Colorado Springs, CO$81,783
Syracuse, NY$81,742
Carson City, NV$81,742
Houston, TX$81,627
Eugene, OR$81,586
Gary, IN$81,488
Springfield, OR$81,422
Bismarck, ND$81,406
Galveston, TX$81,349
Medford, OR$81,226
Fort Collins, CO$81,193
Concord, NH$81,152
Austin, TX$81,127
Mesa, AZ$80,955
Reading, PA$80,947
Phoenix, AZ$80,939
Dallas, TX$80,914
Saint Cloud, MN$80,836
Madison, WI$80,726
Utica, NY$80,505
Rochester, NY$80,373
Des Moines, IA$80,365
Raleigh, NC$80,357
Atlanta, GA$80,234
Battle Creek, MI$80,210
Salt Lake City, UT$80,185
Lancaster, PA$80,062
Harrisburg, PA$79,947
Kansas City, MO$79,865
Champaign, IL$79,849
Kansas City, KS$79,849
Fort Worth, TX$79,841
Columbus, OH$79,827
Boca Raton, FL$79,808
Pittsburgh, PA$79,775
Richmond, VA$79,743
Indianapolis, IN$79,726
Cleveland, OH$79,718
Las Vegas, NV$79,620
Cincinnati, OH$79,620
Petersburg, VA$79,497
Huntsville, AL$79,374
Lansing, MI$79,319
Lebanon, PA$79,308
Pueblo, CO$79,300
Appleton, WI$79,275
Buffalo, NY$79,243
Dayton, OH$79,218
Racine, WI$79,202
Charlotte, NC$79,194
Saint Louis, MO$79,169
York, PA$79,120
Elkhart, IN$79,120
Gastonia, NC$79,104
Billings, MT$79,085
Beaumont, TX$79,062
Lorain, OH$79,046
Benton Harbor, MI$79,030
Toledo, OH$79,013
Binghamton, NY$78,972
Rock Hill, SC$78,964
Rockford, IL$78,923
Springfield, IL$78,890
Elyria, OH$78,882
Fargo, ND$78,882
Flagstaff, AZ$78,825
Fort Lauderdale, FL$78,776
Duluth, MN$78,727
Miami, FL$78,727
Cheyenne, WY$78,669
Grand Forks, ND$78,669
Bangor, ME$78,489
Cedar Rapids, IA$78,399
Durham, NC$78,364
Louisville, KY$78,358
Grand Rapids, MI$78,341
Hialeah, FL$78,333
Casper, WY$78,218
Scranton, PA$78,120
New Orleans, LA$78,096
Virginia Beach, VA$78,087
Akron, OH$78,046
Peoria, IL$77,940
Sarasota, FL$77,924
Nashville, TN$77,866
Omaha, NE$77,866
Green Bay, WI$77,866
Baton Rouge, LA$77,825
Charleston, SC$77,809
Jamestown, NY$77,768
Davenport, IA$77,768
Tucson, AZ$77,727
Saint Petersburg, FL$77,678
Tampa, FL$77,661
Evansville, IN$77,612
Port Arthur, TX$77,612
Bradenton, FL$77,579
Santa Fe, NM$77,432
Orlando, FL$77,284
Clearwater, FL$77,260
Canton, OH$77,088
La Crosse, WI$77,088
Albuquerque, NM$77,039
Newport News, VA$77,030
High Point, NC$77,006
Ogden, UT$76,973
Corpus Christi, TX$76,907
Norfolk, VA$76,858
Laramie, WY$76,858
Rock Island, IL$76,809
Saginaw, MI$76,793
Jacksonville, FL$76,785
Salisbury, NC$76,768
Boise, ID$76,752
Moline, IL$76,711
Fort Myers, FL$76,686
Memphis, TN$76,670
Tulsa, OK$76,629
Waterloo, IA$76,580
Spartanburg, SC$76,498
Lincoln, NE$76,457
Fort Wayne, IN$76,440
Provo, UT$76,432
Cedar Falls, IA$76,334
San Antonio, TX$76,301
Greensboro, NC$76,268
South Bend, IN$76,260
Savannah, GA$76,170
Muskegon, MI$76,137
Birmingham, AL$76,129
Winston Salem, NC$76,089
Lake Charles, LA$75,891
Anderson, IN$75,875
Lexington, KY$75,850
Augusta, GA$75,826
Greenville, SC$75,826
Lima, OH$75,760
Wichita, KS$75,752
Tuscaloosa, AL$75,752
Columbia, SC$75,678
Springfield, OH$75,662
Asheville, NC$75,531
Bloomington, IN$75,474
Knoxville, TN$75,179
Shreveport, LA$75,170
Wilmington, NC$75,064
Roanoke, VA$75,064
Topeka, KS$74,916
Frankfort, KY$74,907
Oklahoma City, OK$74,851
Chillicothe, OH$74,818
Longview, TX$74,810
Melbourne, FL$74,802
Sioux Falls, SD$74,671
Mobile, AL$74,662
Terre Haute, IN$74,630
Altoona, PA$74,580
Amarillo, TX$74,523
Killeen, TX$74,498
Fayetteville, AR$74,433
Chattanooga, TN$74,408
Sioux City, IA$74,335
Idaho Falls, ID$74,318
Lynchburg, VA$74,253
Gainesville, FL$74,146
Portsmouth, OH$74,105
Little Rock, AR$74,089
Lafayette, LA$74,056
Youngstown, OH$74,056
Daytona Beach, FL$74,007
Clarksville, TN$73,999
Pensacola, FL$73,990
Temple, TX$73,985
Hopkinsville, KY$73,745
Erie, PA$73,728
Florence, SC$73,695
Charleston, WV$73,564
Great Falls, MT$73,523
Macon, GA$73,409
Tallahassee, FL$73,401
Fayetteville, NC$73,384
Waco, TX$73,368
Helena, MT$73,310
Pine Bluff, AR$73,279
Vincennes, IN$73,179
Lubbock, TX$73,146
Alamogordo, NM$73,097
Twin Falls, ID$73,024
Rapid City, SD$72,999
Jackson, MS$72,852
Huntington, WV$72,846
Greenville, MS$72,843
Parkersburg, WV$72,760
Montgomery, AL$72,745
Wichita Falls, TX$72,663
Springfield, MO$72,663
Biloxi, MS$72,622
Monroe, LA$72,540
Johnstown, PA$72,483
Sumter, SC$72,450
Columbus, GA$72,442
Pascagoula, MS$72,286
Abilene, TX$72,286
Kingsport, TN$72,073
Albany, GA$72,073
Gulfport, MS$72,049
Alexandria, LA$71,778
Fort Smith, AR$71,573
El Paso, TX$71,352
Las Cruces, NM$70,983
Harlingen, TX$70,775
Pocatello, ID$70,762
Florence, AL$70,656
Brownsville, TX$70,639
Mcallen, TX$70,467
Dothan, AL$70,352
Columbus, MS$69,866
Altus, OK$69,484
Lawton, OK$69,328
Pierre, SD$69,033
What Skills Can Increase a Hardware Project Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 5.61% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Hardware Design (Mentioned in 2.88% Job Postings): Hardware design may be viewed as algorithm, which considers all of the systems present and foreseeable requirements and arranges the necessary hardware components into a workable set of cleanly bounded subsystems with no more parts than are required.
Circuit Design (Mentioned in 1.82% Job Postings): The process of circuit design can cover systems ranging from complex electronic systems all the way down to the individual transistors within an integrated circuit. For simple circuits the design process can often be done by one person without needing a planned or structured design process, but for more complex designs, teams of designers following a systematic approach with intelligently guided computer simulation are becoming increasingly common. In integrated circuit design automation, the term "circuit design" often refers to the step of the design cycle which outputs the schematics of the integrated circuit. Typically this is the step between logic design and physical design.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Hardware Project Engineer's salary.
Decision Making: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Team Development: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Hardware Project Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Hardware Project Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 35% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Hardware Project Engineer positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Hardware Project Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Hardware Project Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$98,326
$47.0
20%
Financial Services
$96,687
$46.0
18%
Business Services
$90,132
$43.0
10%
Healthcare
$90,132
$43.0
10%
Pharmaceuticals
$90,132
$43.0
10%
How Education impacts a Hardware Project Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Hardware Project Engineers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Hardware Project Engineer with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$74,925
and $78,169).
Hardware Project Engineer Salaries by Degree Level
Understanding how a Hardware Project Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$74,972
Average$81,939/year
$88,586
$6,248
Average$6,828/month
$7,382
$1,442
Average$1,576/week
$1,704
$36
Average$39/hour
$43
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$88,586
$7,382
$1,704
$43
Average
$81,939
$6,828
$1,576
$39
25th Percentile
$74,972
$6,248
$1,442
$36
Salaries of Jobs related to Hardware Project Engineer
Hardware Design Engineer V$163,900
Hardware R&D Engineer V$163,853
Hardware Engineer - Expert/Consultant$163,840
Hardware Engineer V$163,838
Hardware Engineer IV$138,795
Hardware Engineer - Project Lead$138,790
Hardware R&D Engineer III$114,303
Hardware Design Engineer III$114,300
Senior Hardware Engineer$114,290
Hardware Development Engineer III$114,290
Hardware Engineer III$114,281
Salary Trends for Hardware Project Engineer
Salaries for a Hardware Project Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $78,439 in 2023
to around $76,838 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Hardware Project Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Hardware Project Engineer Over Time
$???
$78,439
$77,780
$76,838
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$78,439
2024
$77,780
2025
$76,838
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Hardware Project Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Hardware Project Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Hardware Project Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Hardware Project Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Hardware Project Engineer?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Hardware Project Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
