How to become a computer engineer

1. 1Take advanced math, physics and programming in high school

   Time: 4 years (high school)Sources 1

   Engineering programs expect students to be ready for calculus in the first semester, so take as much math as your school offers, along with physics and chemistry. Programming classes and hands-on projects with microcontroller boards, robotics clubs or electronics kits give you an early feel for how hardware and code work together, and they help college applications to engineering schools.

2. 2Earn an ABET-accredited bachelor's degree

   Time: 4 yearsCost: $11,226/yr median public in-state tuitionSources 5, 4, 1

   Choose a computer engineering or electrical engineering program accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission; accreditation is the standard path to a PE license and is valued by employers. Core courses include circuits, digital logic, computer architecture, signals, embedded systems and programming, with plenty of lab work. College Scorecard lists 393 computer engineering bachelor's programs.

3. 3Complete internships or co-ops

   Time: 1-3 summers or co-op termsCost: Usually paidSources 1

   Internships at chip companies, electronics makers, defense contractors and research labs are often the route to a first job offer. Look for work that puts you on real boards and design tools: running simulations, writing test scripts, bringing up prototypes. Senior design projects in which you build working hardware are worth describing in detail on your resume.

4. 4Consider a master's degree for chip design or research roles

   Time: 1-2 yearsCost: Varies by schoolSources 1, 6

   BLS notes that some employers require or prefer a master's degree in computer engineering, and about a third of hardware engineers surveyed by O*NET hold one. A master's lets you specialize in VLSI design, computer architecture, verification or embedded systems. Many engineers earn one part time while working, sometimes with employer tuition help.

5. 5Optionally pursue the FE exam and a PE license

   Time: FE near graduation; PE after about 4 years of experienceCost: $225 FE; $400 PE exam (NCEES)Sources 2, 3, 7

   Most hardware engineers never need a license, but it helps for consulting or for work on systems that affect public safety. The FE Electrical and Computer exam is a 110-question computer-based test given year round at Pearson centers. Most states then require four years of progressive experience before the PE Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering exam, an 85-question exam offered one day a year.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Digital logic and computer architecture

Designing a processor, memory interface or controller depends on knowing exactly how gates, timing and data paths behave.

Hardware description languages

Most digital hardware today is written in Verilog or VHDL and verified in simulation long before it becomes silicon or a board.

Lab debugging

First prototypes rarely work, and finding a timing glitch or noisy signal with an oscilloscope is a core daily task.

Programming in C and Python

Hardware engineers write firmware, test scripts and data analysis tools to check that designs meet the specification.

Technical communication

Specifications and design reviews must be clear to software, manufacturing and management teams who depend on the hardware.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, writing, speaking.

Training cost

$44.9K–$45.5K

Before financial aid

Time

4-6 years (bachelor's, often followed by a master's)

Typical path

Median pay

$161,740

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

Under 1 year

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: 4 years x College Scorecard median published in-state tuition at public colleges for computer engineering bachelor's programs, $11,226 = $44,904. High: the same degree plus the optional NCEES FE exam ($225) and PE Computer Engineering exam ($400). Out-of-state and private tuition, fees, housing, books and any master's degree are not included. Graduates' median federal loan debt is $21,187.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Senior, staff or principal hardware engineer

  Years of shipped designs and deep expertise in an area such as verification or chip architecture lead to technical leadership roles.

• Engineering manager

  BLS notes that some hardware engineers move into engineering management, leading design teams and budgets.

• Software engineer$135,980 median

  Computer engineering graduates can shift to embedded, systems or general software development, often with little extra training.

• Electrical engineer$120,630 median

  Engineers with strong circuit backgrounds can move into broader electrical engineering roles such as power or analog design.