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Computer Hardware Engineers: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 17-2061.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Computer Hardware Engineers, trained competency-based. The shortest approved term is 3,000 hours, for Hardware Engineer (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware Engineer | 3050 | Competency-Based: 3,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What computer hardware engineers earn, by state
California has the highest state median for computer hardware engineers ($185,180) and Mississippi the lowest ($78,320), across the 42 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $185,180 | $89.03 | 19,820 |
| Washington | $169,120 | $81.31 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $167,600 | $80.58 | 3,150 |
| New Mexico | $165,350 | $79.50 | 5,260 |
| Texas | $163,860 | $78.78 | 7,390 |
| New York | $163,470 | $78.59 | 3,020 |
| District of Columbia | $163,360 | $78.54 | 210 |
| Hawaii | $159,880 | $76.87 | 90 |
| Arizona | $158,280 | $76.10 | 3,110 |
| Colorado | $156,080 | $75.04 | 2,660 |
| Maryland | $152,730 | $73.43 | 1,720 |
| New Jersey | $142,880 | $68.69 | 580 |
| Virginia | $139,030 | $66.84 | 1,720 |
| Alabama | $136,990 | $65.86 | 680 |
| Delaware | $135,690 | $65.24 | 30 |
| Nebraska | $134,950 | $64.88 | 80 |
| North Carolina | $134,670 | $64.74 | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $134,300 | $64.57 | 770 |
| Florida | $134,160 | $64.50 | 3,290 |
| Illinois | $133,220 | $64.05 | 1,420 |
| Idaho | $131,570 | $63.26 | 920 |
| Tennessee | $130,830 | $62.90 | Not published |
| New Hampshire | $129,140 | $62.09 | 310 |
| Iowa | $125,120 | $60.15 | 130 |
| South Carolina | $125,110 | $60.15 | 690 |
| Arkansas | $120,290 | $57.83 | 160 |
| Michigan | $119,670 | $57.53 | 1,420 |
| Rhode Island | $119,510 | $57.46 | 390 |
| Ohio | $118,160 | $56.81 | 580 |
| Nevada | $116,530 | $56.03 | 160 |
| Kentucky | $116,200 | $55.86 | 500 |
| Utah | $106,950 | $51.42 | 430 |
| Missouri | $103,980 | $49.99 | 900 |
| Kansas | $101,750 | $48.92 | 220 |
| South Dakota | $101,400 | $48.75 | 160 |
| Georgia | $100,210 | $48.18 | 650 |
| Indiana | $98,350 | $47.28 | 320 |
| Oklahoma | $95,600 | $45.96 | 180 |
| Puerto Rico | $85,660 | $41.18 | 370 |
| Wisconsin | $83,670 | $40.23 | 270 |
| Louisiana | $83,550 | $40.17 | 270 |
| Mississippi | $78,320 | $37.66 | 150 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).