Computer Hardware Engineers
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2061
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 17-2061 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 14.5%
- High · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 50/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $161,740
- H-1B offered wage $167,575; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 5,200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +7.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 1,289
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 9,418 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~72.7% of this role but only ~14.5% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Design Engineer, Engineer, Field Service Engineer, Hardware Design Engineer, Hardware Engineer, Physical Design Engineer
Representative Tasks
- •Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
- •Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
- •Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
- •Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
- •Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Update technical knowledge.
- •Design electronic or computer equipment or instrumentation.
- •Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
- •Create physical models or prototypes.
- •Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 14.5% | 4.5% |
| Outlook | Average | 15% Bright |
| Median Salary | $161,740 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 85/100 | N/A |