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Is Computer Hardware Engineering a good paying job?

When I get older, I want to work with computers. I have looked around and decided that I may want to be computer hardware engineer. I have a question though, does it pay good?

Public Comments

1. 'Working with computers' at the moment is like saying " I work in medicine " - But what do you specialise in? Computer hardware is a very big field that nowadays is linked to electronics engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence, and so on... But make no mistake, all these titles sound very nice - but the reality isn't always that good. Working in this field is very challenging and needs lots of hard work. But - Is it rewarding - Oh yeah... However, the trend at the moment is with the software-side of things, not so much with the hardware. But then it really depends on which industry do you want to progress to. For example, higher education sector is more interested in software than hardware, but the manufacturing industry is interested in both pretty much equally. Many people think of computers as working with really cool stuff - but in real life this is not always the case. I work in the computing industry, and guess what, I have an office and wear a suit, and not work in a lab with ten monitors in front of me... Nowadays employers are looking for people who not only can they write programs , but more importantly how to make computing relevant to the business - in other words, how to make money out of it. So to sum up, yes - computer h/w engineering pays well, but the opportunities are more limited than other areas of computing, mainly because computer hardware is generally too specialised to be used on low scale, and therefore small companies don't really look for hardware engineers. Please note that fixing computers is NOT engineering - that would be just repairing broken stuff. Engineering is about following a structured process to create something useful, or improve something that already exists. I suggest that you research the computing field in general and try to speak to people who work in it. Good luck
2. It really depends on what exactly you do. The computer field is huge. You won't even hear about most types of jobs until you actually get into the work force. Know that Computer Engineers do more than just create hardware. They may work on firmware, software, drivers, OS, end-user applications, embedded systems. They may work with manufacturing to help design systems to build products, or create software to do circuit layouts, or work with a soldering gun and voltmeter fixing broken products to ship back to customers. In general engineers make good money - but that really shouldn't be why you want to be an engineer. You should really enjoy solving problems, creating solutions, building things with your hands, tinkering with things - figuring out how they work, breaking them, fixing them, making them better. You should be able to communicate your ideas orally and through writing. You need to be a good team player and able to work with a variety of different people - not just engineers like yourself. In college you'll be taking a lot of math. Not just calculus, but classes on statistics, logic and abstract proofs. It's a lot of long hours banging your head against the table trying to understand this week's problem set and then going down to the lab to work on your next project late into the night. Then waking up the next day and doing it all over again - because you love it. If that doesn't scare you off, you'll probably make a good engineer.
3. Having good technical skills with computer hardware means little. 1. Hardware is getting easier to replace 2. Hardware is more and more manufactured in cheap countries 3. Hardware is getting cheaper 4. There are plenty of engineering graduates out there , a glut So the answer is no, unless you have the personal and business influence and acumen to match it Do you want to be a manager or techinical manager? If yes, study engineering If not, get a trade licence and then work your way to a technical role