Hardware Engineer

💰 $125K–$200K salary range

Median: $157K  ·  Based on 312 public job postings  ·  Updated July 1, 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: $157K median ($125K–$200K typical range)
• San Francisco: $175K median, $149K–$204K range (+11% vs. national)
• Seattle: $164K median, $146K–$174K range (+4% vs. national)
• Austin: $158K median, $152K–$168K range (+1% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $149K median, $135K–$156K range (-5% vs. national)
• Boston: $150K median, $130K–$170K range (-5% vs. national)
• Denver: $180K median, $162K–$191K range (+14% vs. national)
• New York: $175K median, $160K–$215K range (+11% vs. national)
• Atlanta: $117K median, $117K–$117K range (-25% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

Seattle

• Amazon: $163K median

Austin

• Amazon: $157K median

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

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 81% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 79% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 57% of postings
• Parental leave: 40% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 6% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 1% of postings

Typical experience required: 5–6 years.

Engineering salaries by seniority

• Junior Software Engineer: $105K
• Software Engineer: $155K
• Hardware Engineer: $157K
• Embedded Systems Engineer: $165K
• Tech Lead: $170K
• Data Infrastructure Engineer: $170K
• Senior Hardware Engineer: $175K
• Senior Software Engineer: $180K
• Senior Embedded Engineer: $180K
• Engineering Manager: $181K
• Site Reliability Engineer: $188K
• Infrastructure Engineer: $190K
• Senior SRE: $192K
• Senior Infrastructure Engineer: $193K
• Senior Platform Engineer: $196K
• Forward Deployed Engineer: $196K
• Platform Engineer: $200K
• Founding Engineer: $200K
• Founding PM: $203K
• Staff Software Engineer: $225K
• Director of Engineering: $244K

What does a Hardware Engineer do?

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

Common questions

What is the average Hardware Engineer salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $157K, with a typical range of $125K–$200K, based on 312 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 312 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 July 1, 2026.

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