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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 145k per year, with a range from 95k to 228k. The salary range for Hardware Engineers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
145.0k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Hardware Engineer salary is $145,000, which is 12.4% higher than the average startup salary of $129,000. 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
$207,375/yr
Range $198k - $228k
Average
$145,000/yr
Range $127k - $155k
Below Average
$108,125/yr
Range $95k - $120k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Hardware Engineer can get in Santa Monica, that is $216,000. This pay is 49.0% higher than the average Hardware Engineer salary in startups, which is $145,000. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Santa Monica (avg $216,000 per year), Seattle (avg $153,500 per year), Denver (avg $139,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Santa Monica
$216k
Seattle
$153.5k
Denver
$139k
Los Angeles
$119k
San Diego
$110k
Vancouver
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View SalariesAustin
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View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Hardware Engineer can get in Digital Media, that is $237,000. This pay is 6.2% higher than the average Hardware Engineer salary, which is $223,200. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Digital Media (avg $237,000 per year), Social Media (avg $237,000 per year), Venture Capital (avg $228,000 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 31.0% lower than the average Hardware Engineer salary, which is $145,000. 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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