How to Become a Hardware Engineer in India?

If you’re fascinated by how computers work, you might enjoy a career as a hardware engineer. Hardware engineers design and test computer systems, and they are frequently creative in developing new hardware technologies that benefit businesses and people worldwide. Knowing more about this profession can help you decide if it fits you well. This article will explain how to become a hardware engineer and outline the skills and educational requirements needed to succeed in this field.

Why Become a Hardware Engineer?

A career as a hardware engineer has a number of advantages, some of which are listed below.

• High Earning Potential: Hardware engineers could make more than INR 400,000 annually. The pay, however, is entirely based on the job description, the location, and the employers. For instance, Chennai has the highest average salary for such people in India at over INR 531,000 per year. Hardware engineers can make INR 58 LPA on average in the USA, INR 24 LPA in the UK, INR 40.62 LPA in Australia, and so on.
• Future Employment Possibilities: The Indian government has made significant investments in the manufacturing industries, particularly in the hardware sector. Future employment opportunities will increase as a result of the INR 757 Crore investment in the hardware industry. The number of jobs available in the defence industry will also increase as FDI for defence manufacturing rises.
• Positive career effects: As hardware engineers, the candidates will have numerous opportunities to learn about cutting-edge technologies. These people have the chance to create newer designs that would enhance their manufacturing process and increase the performance efficiency of various machines. They directly contribute to the company’s performance improvement, which benefits their careers.
• Higher education: The hardware engineering candidates were always given the option to pursue higher education. Graduate engineers can enrol in the MTech courses, which offer a variety of specialisations. The PhD programme is open to PG engineers who want to conduct research in a variety of hardware engineering areas. After completing the course, they can begin working as a professor or lecturer in a college or as an R&D specialist in a prestigious company.
• Career progression: After earning an undergraduate degree, a hardware engineer’s career is just getting started. To expand their job options and opportunities for career advancement, the majority of engineers can enrol in various professional courses (offered both online and offline).

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Types of Hardware Engineers

The following list shows the different types of hardware engineers there are:

• Aerospace Engineers
• Manufacturing Engineers
• Mechatronics Engineer
• Automotive Engineers
• Computer Hardware Engineers

Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Hardware Engineer

If you want to learn how to become a hardware engineer, take the following steps:

Finish your Higher Secondary Education

Early in your career, you start preparing for a career as an engineer. Consider pursuing your 10+2 in the science stream from a reputable board after high school, with physics, chemistry, and mathematics as your primary subjects. Because many engineering colleges choose candidates based on their secondary school grades., doing well in your 10+2 board exam is essential.

Pass the engineering entrance exams

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the Common Entrance Test (CET) are two of the most common engineering entrance exams for undergraduate degree programmes such as Bachelor of Engineering and BTech. If you pass the JEE Main exam, you will be able to enrol in one of the country’s National Institutes of Technology (NITs). To get into one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), you will have to take the JEE Advanced exam 

Get a bachelor’s degree and work on projects

A bachelor’s degree is the next step towards becoming a hardware engineer. The majority of employers prefer to hire engineers who have a BTech or B.E. in computer science or electrical engineering. Instead of focusing all of your efforts on getting good grades, spend time developing projects that will catch the attention of future recruiters. While studying, you can build your portfolio and demonstrate your project development skills. Two project ideas are the Hardware redesign for a CPU (central processing unit) and the printed circuit board design of a computer.

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Get an internship

An internship can be beneficial during your undergraduate studies or immediately after graduation. Your collegiate programme may require you to complete an internship, but you can also do so voluntarily. Here, you can gain hands-on experience with computer hardware, learn more about developing hardware in a controlled environment, and make important networking contacts to help you find work.

Pursue higher education

While a master’s degree in hardware engineering is not generally required, some larger companies may prefer candidates with one. If you want to advance to management positions in the field, a master’s degree is also recommended. As these fields typically require a graduate degree, you can learn to work on systems like broadcasting, navigation, and communication during these studies. Another choice is a doctorate. A doctorate enables you to teach at the university level, even though master’s degrees and doctorates both typically result in higher pay.

Eligibility Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in computer science is typically required to apply for jobs in hardware engineering. If a candidate has a degree in electronics engineering, many companies will also hire hardware engineers. Consider including a few pertinent hardware engineering courses on your resume if you already have a degree. This will make you more distinctive from other applicants.

Many employers favour candidates with a master’s degree in computer engineering when hiring for senior positions. Even if you don’t have a master’s degree but have years of work experience, you might still be able to apply for senior positions.

Additional Requirements

If you want to improve your chances of getting a good job in hardware engineering, these are certain skills that you’ll need, along with academic credentials:

• A practical and theoretical understanding of design software such as Allegro, AutoCAD, and Altium is required for CompTIA A+ or CompTIA Network+ certification
• Comprehensive knowledge of embedded protocols like SPI, I2C, and USB DDR
• Basic understanding of radio frequencies
• Working knowledge of various power supply types, including regulators and LDOs
• Expertise in desktop management interfaces and online systems for cloud management
• Basic familiarity with Linux, JavaScript, PHP, CSS, and Microsoft Office.

Time Required

To become a hardware engineer after passing your Class 10th exam, it can take up to six years. This includes two years for completing your 10+2 and an additional four years to finish your engineering programme in electronics or computers. Finding a job as a hardware engineer can take between two and six months after that. You can look for jobs on your own even though the majority of colleges offer internal placements.

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Skills Required

Hardware engineers carry out their daily tasks by utilising a wide variety of skills. This involves finding discrepancies in hardware configurations, figuring out problems in electrical circuits, putting new hardware technologies into use, and creating new systems or updating old ones. The following are some crucial abilities needed::

• Analytical Skills
• Evaluation Skills
• Operations Monitoring
• Microprocessor specifics
• Reading Comprehension
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal Skills

Salary in India

For your reference, the average salary for a hardware engineer is tabulated below based on their job profile.

Job profile	Average Annual Salary (Starting Packages)
Aerospace Engineer	INR 4.6 Lakhs
Automotive Engineer	INR 0.2 Lakh
Manufacturing Engineer	INR 4.0 Lakhs
Mechatronics Engineer	INR 3.1 Lakhs
Computer Hardware Engineer	INR 2 Lakhs

Top Recruiters

Several of the leading businesses hiring people in this field are:

Thermax	Larsen & Toubro	The Godrej Group
Ashok Leyland	Kirloskar	General Motors
ThyssenKrupp	TATA Elxsi	Mercedes Benz Research and Development India

Is Becoming a Hardware Engineer Worth it?

Engineering for computer hardware is unquestionably a fantastic career choice. The need for these specialists will increase over time as a result of the development of cellular devices, high-tech computers, tablets, and laptops, as well as artificial intelligence systems. Hardware engineers design and build computer systems and all of their parts, such as circuit boards, hard drives, networks, and processors. They engage in research, design, development, testing, and production related to the development of hardware.

In addition to overseeing the production of their designs, these engineers frequently spend their days creating blueprints, testing prototypes, and updating and improving outdated machinery. They frequently collaborate with a team and typically work in an office environment. To make sure their equipment is compatible with the most recent software updates, hardware engineers frequently collaborate closely with software engineers.

FAQs

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