SOC 17-2061 · Architecture and engineering
Computer Hardware Engineers prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $180,294 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA down to $82,992 in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, a spread of $97,302 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
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.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $152,173 | $180,294 | $208,437 | $236,558 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $137,426 | $167,565 | $197,725 | $227,864 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $117,520 | $151,299 | $185,058 | $218,837 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $121,576 | $151,050 | $180,523 | $209,997 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $122,512 | $150,030 | $177,528 | $205,046 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $116,958 | $145,558 | $174,179 | $202,779 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $112,445 | $140,046 | $167,648 | $195,250 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $114,670 | $139,402 | $164,154 | $188,885 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $105,477 | $132,579 | $159,702 | $186,805 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $106,995 | $132,184 | $157,352 | $182,541 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $105,539 | $131,248 | $156,957 | $182,666 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $100,110 | $127,982 | $155,875 | $183,747 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $96,803 | $123,510 | $150,197 | $176,904 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $107,266 | $120,016 | $132,746 | $145,496 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $98,654 | $119,746 | $140,837 | $161,928 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $98,987 | $118,269 | $137,571 | $156,853 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $92,227 | $116,168 | $140,109 | $164,050 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $87,443 | $112,902 | $138,382 | $163,842 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $92,810 | $112,278 | $131,747 | $151,216 |
| Columbus, OH | $85,946 | $111,966 | $137,987 | $164,008 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $82,805 | $110,906 | $139,027 | $167,128 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $83,720 | $109,803 | $135,907 | $161,990 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $79,539 | $106,850 | $134,181 | $161,491 |
| Richmond, VA | $79,997 | $106,704 | $133,411 | $160,118 |
| Cleveland, OH | $83,491 | $104,333 | $125,174 | $146,016 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $80,350 | $104,208 | $128,066 | $151,923 |
| Rochester, NY | $81,536 | $103,938 | $126,318 | $148,720 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $88,982 | $101,754 | $114,504 | $127,275 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $74,714 | $98,696 | $122,699 | $146,682 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $72,030 | $98,654 | $125,299 | $151,923 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $75,566 | $94,827 | $114,088 | $133,349 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $71,386 | $93,350 | $115,315 | $137,280 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $63,253 | $82,992 | $102,710 | $122,450 |
33 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 183 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level II. The median wage actually offered was $182,000 a year, from 210 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 10 | 5.5% |
| Level II | 66 | 36.1% |
| Level III | 63 | 34.4% |
| Level IV | 44 | 24.0% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Computer Hardware Engineers with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.