A typical day on our team includes Skype conference calls with strategic hardware partners, in person meetings to triage the week's issues, as well as hands on testing of a variety of hardware both being built by Xbox but also accessories being developed by our hardware partners. With over 100 active products being developed in parallel there is a lot of collaboration and opportunities to see many different technical disciplines working together.
CAREER
Computer Hardware Engineers
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$128,170
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+4.8% (slower than the average)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Computer Hardware Engineers Do
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.
Other Job Titles Computer Hardware Engineers May Have
Design Engineer, Engineer, Hardware Engineer, Systems Integration Engineer
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
A great day is initiating a new project, or completing a project, or making progress on a project, doing all of the little steps necessary for equipment to be turned up for service. I keep track of managing my budget, meeting my deadlines, and learning new processes. Some days the processes flow smoothly, the numbers come in on target, the dates are all met. I try to work in the most efficient manner, so that the work moves easily.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- 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.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Computer Hardware Engineers
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (48%)
Some college, no degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Computer Engineering, General
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Industrial Engineering
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
A passion for technology. The ability to switch between tasks and being willing to jump in and do whatever is needed to get the job done. Communication and people skills are key skills to continue to refine.
Business knowledge, logic, project management, communication skills. I need to be able to read and absorb technical documentation easily, and communicate what I've learned to others. Although there's an orderly process, flexibility is also a key part of making it through the day.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
Take school seriously. Don't do the minimum effort but put in 110% in everything you do. The lab report you do in school will be the baseline on how you think about requirements and technical specifications in the future. Be present and participate in clubs. Relating to people and being able to have real conversations with people is key to being successful regardless of how smart or technical you might be.
Take a variety of courses to be well rounded, but focus on the math and science. Speak to lots of people, tell them your hobbies, interests, and your favorite subjects. Visit corporations on days appropriate for students (there're lots of programs out there), keep expanding and researching various opportunities.
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
