Quick answer: The San Jose metro employs about 7,940 computer hardware engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state engineering licensing board.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Computer engineering is not a licensed occupation for most hardware work, so no board gates entry. The credential that matters is an ABET-accredited bachelor’s, from the Engineering Accreditation Commission. Professional Engineer licensure exists and a minority pursue it, but hardware and embedded work is largely exempt because it does not produce stamped drawings.
See the California licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 90 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Computer Hardware Engineers in the San Jose area earn a median $209,860 per year, above the national median of $161,740 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Computer Engineering Pay in San Jose, CA
Metric
San Jose metro
California
National
Median annual wage
$209,860
$185,180
$161,740
10th percentile
$141,590
$126,590
$92,940
25th percentile
$171,200
$150,700
$126,090
75th percentile
$230,510
$219,980
$202,990
90th percentile
$284,400
$281,210
$225,330
Employment
7,940
19,820
76,660
Location quotient
14.19
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The San Jose median of $209,860 is above the national median of $161,740, and above the California statewide median of $185,180 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 14.19 means computer hardware engineers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Computer hardware work concentrates around semiconductor fabs, defense and federal laboratory sites, and the large technology employers, so local employment is far more uneven than in the building trades
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do computer hardware engineers make in San Jose?
The median annual wage for computer hardware engineers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area is $209,860, above the national median of $161,740 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many computer hardware engineers work in the San Jose area?
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area employs about 7,940 computer hardware engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do computer hardware engineers in San Jose need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Computer engineering is not a licensed occupation for most hardware work, so no board gates entry. The credential that matters is an ABET-accredited bachelor's, from the Engineering Accreditation Commission. Professional Engineer licensure exists and a minority pursue it, but hardware and embedded work is largely exempt because it does not produce stamped drawings. Confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Can I study computer engineering online from San Jose?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
Is San Jose a better market than the rest of California?
The San Jose metro median is $209,860 against a statewide median of $185,180 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Computer Hardware Engineers (SOC 17-2061), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
