Computer Hardware Engineers Salary
Computer Hardware Engineers in Waterbury-Shelton, CT make a median of $93,590 a year, or about $45 an hour. The range runs from $85K at the entry level to $167K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.78), that's roughly $93,796 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,788/month, about 30.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $94K get you in Waterbury-Shelton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterbury-Shelton’s Regional Price Parity (99.78). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About computer hardware engineers
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What this looks like in Waterbury-Shelton
Pay for computer hardware engineers in Waterbury-Shelton runs about 42% below the U.S. median of $162K. Rent runs $1,788/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 99.78) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for computer hardware engineers in metros near Waterbury-Shelton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $202K | $189K |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $123K | $120K |
| New Haven | $108K | $103K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $168K | $155K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterbury-Shelton, CT
Entry-level computer hardware engineers (10th percentile) start around $85K. Mid-career wages sit at $94K. Top earners bring in $167K or more, a $82K spread from bottom to top.
Computer Hardware Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Computer Hardware Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $185K | +14% | 19,820 |
| Washington | $169K | +5% | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $168K | +4% | 3,150 |
| New Mexico | $165K | +2% | 5,260 |
| Texas | $164K | +1% | 7,390 |
| New York | $163K | +1% | 3,020 |
| District of Columbia | $163K | +1% | 210 |
| Hawaii | $160K | -1% | 90 |
| Arizona | $158K | -2% | 3,110 |
| Colorado | $156K | -3% | 2,660 |
| Maryland | $153K | -6% | 1,720 |
| New Jersey | $143K | -12% | 580 |
| Virginia | $139K | -14% | 1,720 |
| Alabama | $137K | -15% | 680 |
| Delaware | $136K | -16% | 30 |
| Nebraska | $135K | -17% | 80 |
| North Carolina | $135K | -17% | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $134K | -17% | 770 |
| Florida | $134K | -17% | 3,290 |
| Illinois | $133K | -18% | 1,420 |
| Idaho | $132K | -19% | 920 |
| Tennessee | $131K | -19% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $129K | -20% | 310 |
| Iowa | $125K | -23% | 130 |
| South Carolina | $125K | -23% | 690 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -26% | 160 |
| Michigan | $120K | -26% | 1,420 |
| Rhode Island | $120K | -26% | 390 |
| Ohio | $118K | -27% | 580 |
| Nevada | $117K | -28% | 160 |
| Kentucky | $116K | -28% | 500 |
| Utah | $107K | -34% | 430 |
| Missouri | $104K | -36% | 900 |
| Kansas | $102K | -37% | 220 |
| South Dakota | $101K | -37% | 160 |
| Georgia | $100K | -38% | 650 |
| Indiana | $98K | -39% | 320 |
| Oklahoma | $96K | -41% | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $84K | -48% | 270 |
| Louisiana | $84K | -48% | 270 |
| Mississippi | $78K | -52% | 150 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track computer hardware engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Waterbury-Shelton numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a computer hardware engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterbury-Shelton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $94K, rent takes 30.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,788/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for computer hardware engineers in Waterbury-Shelton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new computer hardware engineers typically earn — is $85K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,129/month. At HUD’s $1,788/month FMR, rent would take 35% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is computer hardware engineer a high-paying job in Waterbury-Shelton?
Local pay runs 42% below the national median — $94K here vs. $162K nationally.
How does Waterbury-Shelton compare to the national average for computer hardware engineers?
Waterbury-Shelton pays $94K median vs. the U.S. average of $162K — that’s -42%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — below the national median.
How much do computer hardware engineers make in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
The median is $93,590 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $85,490, and experienced computer hardware engineers can clear $167,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $94K enough to live in Waterbury-Shelton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,794/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,788/month, which eats 30.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a computer hardware engineers salary go in Waterbury-Shelton?
Waterbury-Shelton has a Regional Price Parity of 99.78 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median computer hardware engineers salary is worth about $93,796 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do computer hardware engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.