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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 141k per year, with a range from 87k to 223k. The salary range for Hardware Engineers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
141.0k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Hardware Engineer salary is $141,042, which is 9.3% 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
$206,083/yr
Range $198k - $223k
Average
$141,042/yr
Range $107k - $153k
Below Average
$105,375/yr
Range $87k - $120k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Hardware Engineer can get in Santa Monica, that is $216,000. This pay is 53.1% higher than the average Hardware Engineer salary in startups, which is $141,042. 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 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 29.1% lower than the average Hardware Engineer salary, which is $141,042. 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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