How to Become a Hardware Engineer?

6 min readDec 19, 2021

With the development of technology, engineering began to take its place in almost every field. The biggest reason for this is that projects are started to be made in every sector and engineers are needed to prepare these projects. Hardware engineers are also one of the important engineering branches needed. Although the software is often needed in long-term projects, hardware is also needed on the other hand. At this point, hardware engineering is needed as much as software engineering.

Hardware engineers are people who follow the design process of computer components, including circuit boards, processors, and memory cards. In order to become a hardware engineer, it is required to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Computer Engineering, Electrical — Electronics Engineering, and one of the related departments, which provide four-year education at universities. It is also important that they continue their development processes uninterruptedly since their graduation.

What is a hardware engineer? What does a hardware engineer do? How much salary does a hardware engineer earn? You can find the answers you are looking for to questions:

What is a Hardware Engineer?

Hardware engineer is the person who follows the design, development, and testing processes. To the designs in this process; including the design of all computer components, including circuit boards, processors, and memory cards. The main task of the hardware engineer is to design and manufacture all the hardware of the computer. Hardware engineer is one of the engineering branches most affected by technology. Although the software is mentioned more in most projects, the need for hardware is too high to be ignored.

Candidate students who want to be hardware engineers must have a 4-year undergraduate degree from related departments at universities. After graduation, they should continue to improve themselves in this field. It is expected that they should follow the technologies closely and examine the sectoral changes well. Some important professional qualifications are also sought for candidates who want to continue their careers as hardware engineers.

These qualities can be listed as follows.

They are expected to have the creativity to design new information technologies.
They must demonstrate critical thinking skills.
Mathematical intelligence and analytical thinking skills should be strong.
Must demonstrate the ability to create prototypes.
They must demonstrate the ability to communicate verbally and in writing, able to explain technical issues clearly.
Must be able to provide teamwork and management.

What Does a Hardware Engineer Do?

The biggest responsibility of the hardware engineer is to design and manufacture all the hardware of the computer. Thanks to the education they received to be a hardware engineer, they grow up with the equipment to take all the responsibilities in their profession. Although their duties vary according to the characteristics of the institutions, their basic responsibilities are almost the same.

The general duties and responsibilities of professional professionals can be listed as follows:

They design and develop computer hardware parts, including the processor (CPU), microprocessor, microchip, printers, and disk drives.
They test completed models of designed computer hardware.
They check the operation of the equipment and make the necessary changes to ensure that the system works in accordance with the technical specifications.
They determine power supply needs.
They analyze user needs and recommend appropriate equipment to relevant persons or organizations.
They update existing computer equipment to work with new software.
They evaluate factors such as the need for cost and security constraints to determine hardware configuration.
In the product development and application process; they provide technical support to the design team, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, other engineers, and all team members.
They prepare statistical reports and present them to the management department.
They follow the innovations in the field of hardware and continue their professional development.

Hardware Engineer Salaries

The minimum education requirement to become a hardware engineer is usually a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering or a similar discipline. However, having a master’s degree can increase their success in the profession. Graduating from a Higher Education approved program can also attract the attention of a hiring manager. For hardware engineers who want to work in a leadership position, having an MBA will be the right move.

It is very important to follow the developments in this field and to continue the development in order to be aware of the technological advances. It is possible to talk about better job opportunities for graduates who improve themselves. Some institutions provide support training for personal development. In addition, companies that care about language education primarily prefer candidates with high foreign language knowledge. Let’s examine the salaries of hardware engineers.

According to the opinion of the Occupational Statistics Bureau, the average annual salary for hardware engineers is around 115,000 TL.

The lowest hardware engineer salary is seen as 66,000 TL per year in Turkey.
The highest-earning hardware engineer earns a salary of approximately 177,000 TL per year.
In 2019, approximately 74,000 Americans continued their work as hardware engineers. It is predicted that this number will increase to approximately 78,000 in 2029. The resulting increase in the number of common devices using embedded computer chips seems likely to add to the need for hardware engineers.

How to Become a Hardware Engineer

Candidates who want to be a hardware engineer first research what kind of education they should get. Apart from this, they also research what kind of career path they will have as a result of the education they receive. Information about both their education and career paths is as follows; In order to become a hardware engineer, it is necessary to graduate from the four-year education programs of universities, Computer Engineering, Electrical — Electronics Engineering, and related departments. There is a requirement to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from these pieces of training.

With its most basic definition, a hardware engineer is one of the people who design the technology of the future. These computer experts have an important role in the development of many useful products using their knowledge of computer components and how they function. For example; works for new video game consoles make improvements in mobile phones or develops smart automotive systems.

It is possible to talk about a wide range of job opportunities in private and public institutions. Hardware engineers generally work in laboratories and high-tech manufacturing companies located in large metropolitan areas. Some hardware engineers hold positions in academia or government. The career journey of a hardware engineer; may continue as a senior hardware design engineer or as a computer and information systems administrator. In addition to these, engineers working as design engineering managers are also common.

What are the Duties and Responsibilities of a Hardware Engineer?

They are responsible for testing completed models of designed computer hardware. They control the operation of the equipment and are the person responsible for making changes to ensure that the system operates in accordance with the specifications. They also determine the needs of its sources.

What are the Qualifications a Hardware Engineer Should Have?

They are expected to have the creativity and mathematical intelligence to design new information technologies. They must exhibit critical thinking skills and have strong analytical thinking skills. They are expected to demonstrate the ability to create prototypes and they need to work in harmony in teamwork.