How much do Computer Hardware Engineers make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

Percentile spread

For Computer Hardware Engineers, the published 10th percentile is $141,590 and the 90th percentile is $284,400. The difference is $142,810, which is 68.1% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $171,200 to the 75th at $230,510, covers $59,310.

The mean annual wage is $208,700, which sits below the median of $209,860. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median is 29.8% higher than the national median of $161,740 for Computer Hardware Engineers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $190,051, which is 17.5% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 13.3% higher than the California median of $185,180.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is 110.423, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $209,860 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Computer Hardware Engineers at $190,051 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

4 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Computer Hardware Engineers. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ranks 1st of 5 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is 36 miles away, with a median of $169,370 and employment of 80. That median is 19.3% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $154,118, against $190,051 here.
• San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is 78 miles away, with a median of $203,890 and employment of 2,810. That median is 2.8% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $176,356, against $190,051 here.
• Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is 180 miles away, with a median of $148,440 and employment of 60. That median is 29.3% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $136,436, against $190,051 here.

Employment share

Computer Hardware Engineers accounts for 0.70% of wage-and-salary employment in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (7,940 of 1,134,970). Nationally the occupation is 0.05% of employment (76,660 of 155,495,730). The local share is 14.19 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.