Also called: Hardware Design Engineer, Board Design Engineer
Designs processors, circuit boards, memory and other physical parts of computers and servers.
You plug a brand-new circuit board for an AI server into a test bench and it won't boot. You probe signals with an oscilloscope, find a timing glitch on one memory line, and work with the layout designer on a fix for the next board revision.
BLS May 2024 OEWS.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in computer or electrical engineering; master's common at chip companies.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 7% over 10 years). BLS 2024-34 projection.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI chip-design tools automate layout, verification and test writing, squeezing junior roles; architecture and bring-up of real hardware stay human.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, AP Physics, AP Calculus, Electronics class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2061.
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