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Hardware Engineer Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do Hardware Engineers expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Hardware Engineers in a startup is 128k per year, with a range from 55k to 215k. The salary range for Hardware Engineers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
128.4k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Hardware Engineer salary is $128,417, which is 13.8% higher than the average startup salary of $112,833. Hardware Engineer salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$198,125/yr
Range $165k - $215k
Average
$128,417/yr
Range $80k - $153k
Below Average
$94,042/yr
Range $55k - $120k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Hardware Engineer can get in Seattle, that is $153,500. This pay is 19.5% higher than the average Hardware Engineer salary in startups, which is $128,417. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Seattle (avg $153,500 per year), San Francisco Bay Area (avg $130,000 per year), Los Angeles (avg $119,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Seattle
$153.5k
Los Angeles
$119k
San Diego
$110k
Boston
$100k
New York
$100k
Minneapolis
View SalariesAustin
View SalariesChicago
View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Hardware Engineer can get in Logistics / Transportation / Shipping, that is $215,000. This pay is 5.6% higher than the average Hardware Engineer salary, which is $203,600. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Logistics / Transportation / Shipping (avg $215,000 per year), Trucking (avg $215,000 per year), Ground Transportation (avg $215,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Hardware Engineer can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $100,000. This pay is 22.1% lower than the average Hardware Engineer salary, which is $128,417. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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