Computer Hardware Engineers pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $141,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $284,400 or more. The middle half of computer hardware engineers in San Jose earn between $171,200 and $230,510.
- $142K10th
- $171K25th
- $210KMedian
- $231K75th
- $284K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $208,700 | $17,392 | $100.34 |
| Median | $209,860 | $17,488 | $100.89 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $171,200 | $14,267 | $82.31 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $230,510 | $19,209 | $110.82 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Computer Hardware Engineers salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $208,700, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $140,017 a year, or $11,668 a month and $5,385 every two weeks. Taxes take 33% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Jose a good place for computer hardware engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $208,700 buys what about $189,000 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.5 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 7.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Computer Hardware Engineers salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 1st of 9 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- San Jose$208,700
- San Francisco$198,010
- San Diego$177,800
- Los Angeles$164,390
- Santa Cruz$159,600
- Santa Maria$154,060
- Riverside$143,240
- Oxnard$129,860
- Bakersfield$127,700
Highest-paying cities for computer hardware engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($208,700).
- San Jose, CA$208,700
- San Francisco, CA$198,010
- Allentown, PA$188,740
- Durham, NC$185,400
- Seattle, WA$180,820
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Computer Hardware Engineers salary in San Jose: questions
How much do computer hardware engineers make an hour in San Jose?
$100.34 an hour on average, and $100.89 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level computer hardware engineers salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $141,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $171,200, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the computer hardware engineers take-home pay in San Jose?
About $140,017 a year ($11,668 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $208,700. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do computer hardware engineers earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?
The average here is 27% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($164,979).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-2061; area San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 14.19, this job is 14.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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