SOC 17-2061 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Computer Hardware Engineers — Rochester
Rochester, NY · 4 metro areas compared
At $120,550, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Computer Hardware Engineers, 25.5% beneath the national figure of $161,740.
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 Rochester, NY.
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
At $120,550, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Computer Hardware Engineers, 25.5% beneath the national figure of $161,740. Pay ranges from under $72,130 at the tenth percentile to more than $188,750 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $100,950 to $166,750.
The area has 100 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.43 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, New York records the highest median at $160,300. Of the 562 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 51st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $72,130 | −55.4% |
| 25th | $100,950 | −37.6% |
| Median (50th) | $120,550 | −25.5% |
| 75th | $166,750 | +3.1% |
| 90th | $188,750 | +16.7% |
| Mean | $126,540 | −21.8% |
Other metro areas in New York
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Rochester run 3.0% below the national average, so the median of $120,550 goes as far as $124,278 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 23.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$120,550as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$124,278US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $120,550 a year, 25.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $72,130 to $188,750 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 100 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is New York, at $160,300.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Computer Hardware Engineers in Rochester, NY?
The median annual wage is $120,550, or $57.96 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 Rochester, NY is 25.5% 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 Rochester, NY earns more than $188,750 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $72,130 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 New York, at $160,300 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 100 jobs in this occupation in Rochester, NY. 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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