About This Career

Researches, designs, develops, or tests computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. May supervise the manufacturing and installation of computer or computer-related equipment and components.

This career is part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics cluster Engineering and Technology pathway.

A person in this career:

• Updates knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
• Designs and develops computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
• Confers with engineering staff and consults specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
• Builds, tests, and modifies product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
• Writes detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
• Tests and verifies hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
• Directs technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed.
• Provides technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.
• Selects hardware and material, assuring compliance with specifications and product requirements.
• Stores, retrieves, and manipulates data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel