Check my payHardware Engineer salary by level
Hardware Engineering pay in 2026, from entry level to VP, in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, Senior Hardware Engineer, top-tier markets
From entry level to VP, medians run from $102k to $407k.
Individual contributor track
Median base salary in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Hardware EngineerIC1 Associate / Entry | $102k |
| Hardware EngineerIC2 Mid-level | $141k |
| Senior Hardware EngineerIC3 Senior | $185k |
| Staff Hardware EngineerIC4 Staff / Lead | $226k |
| Principal Hardware EngineerIC5 Senior Staff / Principal | $263k |
| Distinguished Hardware EngineerIC6 Distinguished | $306k |
Management track
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Manager, Hardware EngineeringM2 Associate Manager | $195k |
| Manager, Hardware EngineeringM3 Manager | $226k |
| Senior Manager, Hardware EngineeringM4 Senior Manager | $263k |
| Director, Hardware EngineeringM5 Director | $311k |
| Senior Director, Hardware EngineeringM6 Senior Director | $352k |
| VP, Hardware EngineeringE1 Vice President | $407k |
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
Included with Pro, along with ranges for all 100 roles and the pay coach.
See the full rangeSee where your pay sits
Pick your level and city, enter your salary, and get your percentile in seconds. Free, and nothing you type is stored.
Check my payOther Hardware Engineering roles
Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.