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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Computer Hardware Engineers

Part of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, in the Engineering and Technology pathway.

Bright outlookJob zone 4: considerable preparationO*NET 17-2061.00

What the work is

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.

On a typical day

  • Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
  • Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.
  • Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
  • Monitor functioning of equipment and make necessary modifications to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications.
  • Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
  • Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware.

What it pays

$126,510
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $74,870
Experienced workers reach $178,980
  1. $75k10th
  2. $85k25th
  3. $127kMedian
  4. $164k75th
  5. $179k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $74,870, 25th $84,960, Median $126,510, 75th $164,280, 90th $178,980

About 150 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+19.9%

employment change in the Alamo region, 161 to 193 jobs · U.S. +7%

13

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 4,700

161

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 76,800

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Reading Comprehension4.5
  2. Critical Thinking4.1
  3. Writing4.1
  4. Complex Problem Solving4.1
  5. Speaking4.0
  6. Active Listening3.9
  7. Active Learning4.1
  8. Judgment and Decision Making3.9

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. Some college7%
  2. Bachelor's degree48%
  3. Master's degree34%
  4. Doctoral or professional10%

Job zone 4, considerable preparation: Usually a bachelor's degree, sometimes a strong associate plus experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

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Does this fit you?

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