Aerospace Engineers vs Computer Hardware Engineer: $135K vs $162K Median Pay

Aerospace Engineers vs Computer Hardware Engineer: what changes?

Consider Aerospace Engineers if you want to perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. Consider Computer Hardware Engineer if you would rather research, design, develop, or test computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Aerospace Engineers and Computer Hardware Engineer. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Aerospace Engineers

National median pay (2025): $134,960
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,800

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Aerospace Engineers brief

Computer Hardware Engineer

National median pay (2025): $161,740
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 4,100

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Computer Hardware Engineer brief

How the national numbers differ

Computer Hardware Engineer has the edge on median pay

Computer Hardware Engineer is at $161,740, compared with $134,960 for Aerospace Engineers.

Computer Hardware Engineer has the edge on annual openings

Computer Hardware Engineer is at 4,100 annual openings, compared with 3,800 annual openings for Aerospace Engineers.

Computer Hardware Engineer has the edge on projected growth

Computer Hardware Engineer is at 9.1% projected growth, compared with 8.3% projected growth for Aerospace Engineers.

67.9/ 100

Aerospace Engineers

69.8/ 100

Computer Hardware Engineer

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Aerospace Engineers vs Computer Hardware Engineer

Dimension	Aerospace Engineers	Computer Hardware Engineer
Median pay (2025)	$134,960	$161,740
Pay percentile	93.2 percentile	96 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	8.3%	9.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	3,800	4,100
2025 employment	68,700	76,100
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Aerospace Engineers brief Read Computer Hardware Engineer brief

Aerospace Engineers vs Computer Hardware Engineer: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Aerospace Engineers

Computer Hardware Engineer

How the national numbers differ

Computer Hardware Engineer has the edge on median pay

Computer Hardware Engineer has the edge on annual openings

Computer Hardware Engineer has the edge on projected growth

Aerospace Engineers vs Computer Hardware Engineer

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