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Senior Hardware Engineer

Q: What is the average Senior Hardware Engineer salary at an AI startup?

The median pay for a Senior Hardware Engineer at an AI-native startup is $183K, with a range of $166K to $198K based on 107 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

Senior Hardware Engineers at high-growth companies earn $166K–$198K. Median: $183K. Based on 107 public job postings (2025–2026). US DOL certified wage filings (FY2025): $161K median (▲ +11% since 2019).

💰 $166K–$198K salary range

Median: $183K · Based on 107 public job postings · Updated August 30, 2026

Driving the physical realization of artificial intelligence, Senior Hardware Engineers at high-growth companies are pivotal for designing and optimizing custom silicon and high-performance computing architectures specifically tailored for machine learning workloads. Their expertise ensures the efficient execution of complex AI models, from initial concept to scalable production. Analysis of 19 recent job postings indicates a salary range of $187K–$233K, with a median compensation of $205K. Professionals commanding the highest pay in this field typically possess deep expertise in custom ASIC/FPGA design, proficiency with high-speed memory interfaces like HBM or DDR5, and a strong background in architecting complex System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions optimized for AI acceleration. This role demands a robust understanding of both hardware design principles and the unique computational requirements of advanced AI algorithms.

📊 Salary breakdown

Senior Hardware Engineer salary by location

All locations: $183K median ($166K–$198K typical range)
San Francisco: $188K median, $183K–$210K range (+3% vs. national)
Los Angeles: $175K median, $173K–$185K range (-4% vs. national)
New York: $173K median, $170K–$180K range (-5% vs. national)
Austin: $172K median, $153K–$187K range (-6% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

Astranis: $183K median

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

What's typically included

Health insurance: 80% of postings
Equity (RSU/options): 82% of postings
Flexible PTO: 55% of postings
Parental leave: 40% of postings
Learning/education budget: 11% of postings
Visa sponsorship: 5% of postings

Typical experience required: 6–7 years.

Engineering salaries by seniority

What does a Senior Hardware Engineer do?

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

Government wage data

For corroboration, U.S. Department of Labor certified wage filings (FY2025) show a median of $161K for Senior Hardware Engineer roles, ranging $145K–$178K, across 203 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Senior Hardware Engineer salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $183K, with a typical range of $166K–$198K, based on 107 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 107 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 30, 2026.

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