SOC 17-2061 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Computer Hardware Engineers — Cleveland
Cleveland, OH · 4 metro areas compared
The median wage for Computer Hardware Engineers in Cleveland, OH is $119,450 per year, substantially below the national median of $161,740 — a gap of 26.1%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +7.3%
- Openings per year
- 4,700
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Cleveland, OH.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Computer Hardware Engineers in Cleveland, OH is $119,450 per year, substantially below the national median of $161,740 — a gap of 26.1%. Half of workers earn between $94,060 and $151,690. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $76,150 and the ninetieth at $175,640.
Employment stands at 110, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Dayton records the highest median at $121,030. Of the 616 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 44th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $76,150 | −52.9% |
| 25th | $94,060 | −41.8% |
| Median (50th) | $119,450 | −26.1% |
| 75th | $151,690 | −6.2% |
| 90th | $175,640 | +8.6% |
| Mean | $125,390 | −22.5% |
Other metro areas in Ohio
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dayton | $121,030 | 220 | |
| 2 | Columbus | $120,950 | 90 | |
| 3 | Akron | $118,130 | 30 | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | $109,120 | 80 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Cleveland run 6.1% below the national average, so the median of $119,450 goes as far as $127,210 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 21.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$119,450as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$127,210US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $119,450 a year, 26.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $76,150 to $175,640 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 110 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Dayton, at $121,030.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Computer Hardware Engineers in Cleveland, OH?
The median annual wage is $119,450, or $57.43 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $161,740, so pay in Cleveland, OH is 26.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Cleveland, OH earns more than $175,640 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $76,150 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Dayton, at $121,030 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 110 jobs in this occupation in Cleveland, OH. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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