Hardware Engineer

💰 $135K–$223K salary range

Median: $175K  ·  Based on 313 public job postings  ·  Updated August 22, 2026

---

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: $175K median ($135K–$223K typical range)
• San Francisco: $199K median, $175K–$230K range (+13% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $136K median, $124K–$154K range (-22% vs. national)
• Boston: $150K median, $137K–$215K range (-14% vs. national)
• New York: $226K median, $165K–$300K range (+29% vs. national)
• San Diego: $202K median, $164K–$229K range (+15% vs. national)
• Seattle: $149K median, $129K–$176K range (-15% vs. national)
• Austin: $167K median, $123K–$220K range (-5% vs. national)
• Denver: $170K median, $133K–$181K range (-3% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Anthropic: $363K median
• OpenAI: $247K median
• Crusoe: $234K median
• Oura: $202K median
• Astranis: $133K median

New York

• Normal Computing: $300K median

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

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 69% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 76% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 54% of postings
• Parental leave: 34% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 7% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 5% of postings

Typical experience required: 6–6 years.

Security salaries by seniority

• Security Engineer: $150K
• Senior Security Engineer: $165K
• Security Engineering Manager: $173K
• Hardware Engineer: $175K
• Security Lead: $195K
• Staff Security Engineer: $218K
• Head of Security / CISO: $239K

What does a Hardware Engineer do?

Hardware Engineers are security engineers and analysts who protect infrastructure, data, and applications. 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 $173K for Hardware Engineer roles, ranging $148K–$205K, across 2,184 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 $175K, with a typical range of $135K–$223K, based on 313 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 313 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 August 22, 2026.

Hiring Hardware Engineers? RFS recruiters specialize in Security placements at AI-native and high-growth startups. Talk to an RFS recruiter →

Are you a Hardware Engineer? See open Hardware Engineer roles →