What are roles and responsibilities of a Computer Hardware Engineer

Question

What are the roles and responsibilities of a Computer Hardware Engineer? It would be nice to have some knowledge before starting off my career in that field.

Comments

These are the responsibilities of computer hardware engineer:-

• Design and oversee the production of computer hardware equipment.
• Test and re-test parts to ensure they work properly.
• Identify and isolate defects.
• Design and develop software systems that control computers.
• Design and test circuits and other electronic components.
• Test work and refine processes.

Answer 1

Computer Hardware Engineers are mainly responsible for system configurations and updates. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But when you look at their roles in depth it's pretty interesting and of course not that simple. I am listing down a few of their roles and responsibilities, other people working with similar fields can add up if I've missed out on any. 

• In a company, there are different sectors working with different fields and every field has different system's requirement. Computer Hardware Engineers plan and design the requirements that need to be fulfilled with every employee working in a different field in the company. 
• They plan and design the layout of systems and check on what modifications or changes have to be made.
• Analyze user and client requirements
• Gain continuous knowledge of how the system can be made better, efficient and faster, producing higher and better results. 
• Document the current system specs along with the bugs and defects and how can those overpowered. Design various mechanisms for overpowering those bugs. Shortlist one of the best mechanism and explain why. 
• Computer Hardware Engineers need to have excellent writing skills as documentation is one of their main tasks. 

Comments

@vishnu, wWhat documentation do they have to maintain?

But TBH, you should be aiming for a better career. There is not much growth here. And neither is it the most interesting of fields.

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Documentation is something that is mandatory at any job. Here the documentation would include writing about the discovery of the bug in the current system, how they are affecting the progress, the why and how of the bug occurrences , possible methods to eliminate them and the expected behavior after the update. There has to be a mandatory report on this and obviously would need higher authorities approval before taking a step forward.

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I agree with you @Vardhan, there are much better profiles with more interesting jobs, better pay and faster and better growth. But if this profile interests you then go for it. I would suggest exploring other fields and profiles as well.

Answer 2

@Ali, Computer Hardware Engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and testing computer hardware, including computer systems, circuit boards, computer chips, keyboards, routers etc. Supervises the manufacturing, production, and installation of the parts. Primary responsibilities includes:

• Design and oversee the production of computer hardware equipment.
• Test computer parts to ensure they work properly. Also identify and isolate defects.
• Design and test circuits and other electronic components.
• Integrate components into the final design and evaluate the effectiveness of the design and change if necessary.
• Estimate cost, reliability, and safety factors.
• Control the efficiency of processes.
• Supervise technicians and other engineers during development phase.
• Build, test and modify product prototypes.
• Analyze information and recommend appropriate hardware to users.
• Design support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
• Specify power supply requirements and configuration.
• Retrieve data for analysis of system capabilities.

Answer 3

Hi,

These are the roles and responsibilities of computer hardware Engineer:

• Design new computer hardware, creating blueprints of computer equipment to be built
• Test the completed models of the computer hardware they design
• Analyze the test results and modify the design as needed
• Update existing computer equipment so that it will work with new software
• Oversee the manufacturing process for computer hardware
• Maintain knowledge of computer engineering trends and new technology

Answer 4

Computer hardware engineers oversee the manufacture, installation, and testing of computer systems, servers, chips, and circuit boards

Responsibilities can depend on the needs and requirements of employers, but some common duties include:

• Diagnose and troubleshoot failed rotational media and solid-state storage devices.
• Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware.
• Modify hardware to enable forensic analysis of the media or to change the functionality of the hardware for other purposes.
• Participate in the design and development of electronic circuits and assemblies.
• Conduct technical exploitation and examination of high priority digital media.
• Test and peer review for technical accuracy, standards, and compliance to the design.

Computer Hardware Engineer Salary

The most highly compensated computer hardware engineers work in research and development.

• Median Annual Salary: $114,600 ($55.10/hour)
• Top 10% Annual Salary: More than $172,630 ($82.99/hour)
• Bottom 10% Annual Salary: Less than $66,700 ($32.07/hour)

Education: You'll need a bachelor's degree in computer engineering. Some employers will accept a degree in electrical engineering or computer science. Computer hardware engineers need a background in computer science 

Thanks & Regards