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Computer Hardware Engineers

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

Research, design, develop, or test computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. May supervise the manufacturing and installation of computer or computer-related equipment and components.

What you’d do

  • Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
  • Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
  • Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
  • Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
  • Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
  • Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
  • Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed.
  • Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.

Skills that matter

  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Speaking
  • Writing

How to get there

Considerable preparation: most need a four-year bachelor's degree

Also called

  • Design Engineer
  • Engineer
  • Hardware Engineer
  • Systems Integration Engineer
  • Field Service Engineer
  • Hardware Design Engineer

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