Hardware Engineer

💰 $139K–$212K salary range

Median: $170K  ·  Based on 542 public job postings  ·  Updated October 17, 2026

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Designing and optimizing the physical infrastructure that powers advanced AI models is the core responsibility for these engineers. They develop and integrate specialized hardware components, from custom ASICs and GPUs to sensor arrays and edge devices, crucial for efficient AI computation and deployment. Based on 60 recent job postings, compensation for this critical function typically spans $145K to $262K, with a median salary reported at $197K. Expertise in custom ASIC design, FPGA development, and high-speed PCB layout commands top compensation. Their contributions are essential for pushing the boundaries of AI performance and efficiency in next-generation systems.

📊 Salary breakdown

Hardware Engineer salary by location

• All locations: $170K median ($139K–$212K typical range)
• San Francisco: $198K median, $165K–$230K range (+16% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $149K median, $135K–$166K range (-12% vs. national)
• New York: $196K median, $168K–$233K range (+15% vs. national)
• Denver: $174K median, $170K–$187K range (+3% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Anthropic: $383K median
• OpenAI: $238K median
• Cssmerge: $198K median
• Oura: $188K median
• Zipline: $183K median

Based on companies with 3+ active postings. Median of publicly advertised salary range.

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 74% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 80% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 56% of postings
• Parental leave: 42% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 4% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 3% of postings

Typical experience required: 5–6 years.

Engineering salaries by seniority

• Junior Software Engineer: $100K
• Software Engineer: $159K
• Hardware Engineer: $170K
• Tech Lead: $176K
• Engineering Manager: $180K
• Senior Hardware Engineer: $187K
• Senior Software Engineer: $188K
• Infrastructure Engineer: $189K
• Senior Infrastructure Engineer: $193K
• Senior Embedded Engineer: $195K
• Senior Platform Engineer: $200K
• Founding Engineer: $200K
• Platform Engineer: $205K
• ASIC / Chip Design Engineer: $215K
• Staff Software Engineer: $225K
• Data Infrastructure Engineer: $238K
• Director of Engineering: $248K

What does a Hardware Engineer do?

Hardware Engineers are engineers who design, build, and operate the core software systems. This benchmark reflects Mid-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Government wage data

For corroboration, U.S. Department of Labor certified wage filings (FY2026) show a median of $172K for Hardware Engineer roles, ranging $148K–$205K, across 2,211 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Hardware Engineer salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $170K, with a typical range of $139K–$212K, based on 542 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

Where does this salary data come from?
It is aggregated from public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. We require a minimum of 15 postings per role.

Methodology

Figures are the midpoint of each posting's advertised USD salary range, aggregated from 542 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Equity is separate and not included; where a posting's range reflects on-target earnings (OTE) for commission roles, that is included in the midpoint. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed October 17, 2026.

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