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Hardware Design Engineer Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

This role collaborates closely with hardware engineers and product operations to deliver reliable integrated solutions. • Design, develop, and maintain embedded software for microcontroller and ...

This role collaborates closely with hardware engineers and product operations to deliver reliable integrated solutions. • Design, develop, and maintain embedded software for microcontroller and ...

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Showing results 1-20

Hardware Design Engineer information

See Iowa salary details

$65.3K

$138.6K

$201.9K

How much do hardware design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for hardware design engineer in Iowa is $138,552.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $112,700.00 and $163,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Hardware Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To excel as a Hardware Design Engineer, you generally need a strong background in electrical engineering, circuit design, and proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout, often supported by a relevant degree. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Altium Designer, Cadence, or OrCAD, and knowledge of simulation and testing equipment are typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills that help you innovate and troubleshoot efficiently. These skills and qualities ensure reliable hardware development, seamless collaboration, and successful project outcomes in a competitive tech industry.

What are Hardware Design Engineers?

Hardware Design Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and test physical components and systems for electronic devices. They work on creating circuit boards, microprocessors, memory devices, and other hardware used in computers, smartphones, and various electronic products. These engineers use specialized software tools to plan and simulate hardware designs before building and evaluating prototypes. Their work is essential for bringing new technology products to market and improving existing devices.

Is there a demand for hardware engineers?

Hardware Design Engineers are in high demand due to the growth of electronics, IoT, and embedded systems industries. Employers seek professionals skilled in circuit design, FPGA, and CAD tools, with job opportunities available across various sectors including consumer electronics, automotive, and telecommunications.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior hardware design engineers with extensive experience, advanced skills in FPGA, ASIC, or PCB design, and often in specialized industries like aerospace or semiconductor manufacturing can earn $500,000 or more annually. High compensation typically involves leadership roles, bonuses, stock options, or working in high-demand, high-cost regions.

What are some typical challenges Hardware Design Engineers face when collaborating with cross-functional teams?

Hardware Design Engineers often work closely with firmware, software, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless integration of their designs. A common challenge is aligning the hardware specifications with changing software requirements or manufacturing constraints, which may require iterative design adjustments. Effective communication and documentation are essential to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that all teams are synchronized throughout the product development cycle. Building strong relationships across disciplines can greatly enhance the efficiency and success of collaborative projects.

What do hardware design engineers do?

Hardware design engineers develop and test electronic circuits, components, and systems used in computers, consumer electronics, and industrial equipment. They create schematics, select appropriate components, and use CAD tools to design hardware that meets performance and safety standards, often collaborating with software engineers and testing teams.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior hardware design engineers, especially those with extensive experience, specialized skills in FPGA or ASIC design, and working in high-demand industries like aerospace or semiconductor manufacturing, can earn $300,000 or more annually. Compensation often includes bonuses, stock options, and other incentives, particularly at large tech companies or in leadership roles.

What Does a Hardware Design Engineer Do?

A hardware design engineer uses their advanced knowledge of computer systems and schematics to develop and build useful hardware. Their duties include identifying hardware needs, building new hardware pieces, and testing and analyzing the results to ensure the system works as desired. Hardware design engineers must have in-depth knowledge of computer components and processes to understand internet-ready computer systems. They must maintain their knowledge of the latest software and networking needs so they can design hardware that interacts with the internet appropriately. Hardware design engineers work in teams with software developers to ensure that all components are capable of working together.

What is the difference between Hardware Design Engineer vs Electronics Engineer?

AspectHardware Design EngineerElectronics Engineer
Primary FocusDesigning and developing hardware components and systemsDesigning, testing, and troubleshooting electronic circuits and devices
Required SkillsCircuit design, PCB layout, hardware testingCircuit analysis, component selection, electronic testing
Work EnvironmentHardware labs, manufacturing facilities, R&D departmentsElectronics labs, research centers, manufacturing
Common CertificationsIEEE certifications, PCB design certificationsCertified Electronics Technician (CET), IEEE certifications

While both roles involve working with electronic systems, Hardware Design Engineers focus on creating physical hardware components like circuit boards, whereas Electronics Engineers often work on electronic circuit design, testing, and troubleshooting. Both roles are essential in electronics development and often collaborate in product development cycles.

What are the most commonly searched types of Hardware Design Engineer jobs in Iowa? The most popular types of Hardware Design Engineer jobs in Iowa are:
What job categories do people searching Hardware Design Engineer jobs in Iowa look for? The top searched job categories for Hardware Design Engineer jobs in Iowa are:
What cities in Iowa are hiring for Hardware Design Engineer jobs? Cities in Iowa with the most Hardware Design Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Hardware Design Engineer job openings in Iowa as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 97% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $138,552 per year, or $66.6 per hour.
Electrical Engineer II - Hardware (Onsite)

Electrical Engineer II - Hardware (Onsite)

Raytheon Technologies

Cedar Rapids, IA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 26 days ago


Job description

Date Posted:
2026-05-28
Country:
United States of America
Location:
US-IA-CEDAR RAPIDS-137 ~ 855 35Th St NE ~ BLDG 137
Position Role Type:
Onsite
U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:
The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance
Security Clearance Type:
DoD Clearance: Secret
Security Clearance Status:
Active and existing security clearance required after day 1
The Resilient Connectivity Products (RCP) Hardware Technologies team is seeking a Hardware Electrical Engineer II to help develop the next generation of advanced communication systems in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In this role, you will contribute to high-speed digital electronics that power mission-critical communication products supporting the defense of our nation-including advanced software-defined radios and data links used across ground, airborne, and space platforms.
We are looking for a driven and curious Electrical Engineer with a passion for digital circuit card design and a desire to work on technologies that operate in some of the most demanding aerospace environments. In this role, you will support the full lifecycle of circuit card development-from requirements and schematic capture through PCB layout, build, integration, testing, and final design verification in the lab.
The ideal candidate is motivated, collaborative, and detail-oriented, with a strong foundation in electrical circuits and PCB design. You'll work closely with a multidisciplinary team of engineers and program partners, helping deliver innovative, reliable solutions that enable resilient connectivity for critical missions.
This position is onsite in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where you'll be part of a team shaping the future of aerospace and defense communications.
What You will do
  • Perform circuit card design lifecycle activities including requirements capture, schematic capture, design documentation, signal integrity analysis, creation of board stackup and routing instructions, coordination and review of printed wiring board layout, creation of test plans, root cause analysis, test, and integration.
  • Design, document, verify, support, test and troubleshoot digital hardware for communication products using electrical engineering principles and techniques. Designs may include the use of FPGA, processors, and DDR memory components, and industry interfaces, such as Ethernet, I2C, SPI, and UART.
  • Collaborate with a multi-discipline team of Engineers to develop proven hardware designs that meet system performance and operational specifications
  • Contribute to new product development, as well as both engineering and production test hardware that include circuit card assemblies (CCAs), test fixtures, test interface adapters, cabling

What You Will Learn
  • Take the steps to become a subject matter expert in the domain area of high-speed digital design.
  • Gain hands on experience with technologically advanced communication/radio hardware in production that will help propel your career.
  • This role will help you broaden your knowledge and opens the door to many possibilities - becoming a leader, promotional opportunities, and direct interfacing with customers. We are growing so can you.

Qualifications You Must Have
  • Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 2 years of prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field
  • Prior experience with schematic capture of electrical circuit designs and PCB layout. Includes familiarity with a schematic capture tool (examples may include Siemens/Mentor Graphics Xpedition, Altium, Cadence Allegro, EAGLE, KiCAD, etc.) for creation of circuit card designs.

Qualifications We Prefer
  • Experience with electrical designs that contain digital electronics such as processors, FPGAs, high-speed transceivers, DDR, and flash memories.
  • Experience with generating Printed Wiring Board (PWB) layout constraint guidelines and overseeing the routing, layout, fabrication, and assembly of the design
  • Experience with using Hyperlynx (or similar) for performing signal integrity and timing analyses for creation of robust circuit card designs.
  • Familiarity with Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Test Equipment, such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power supplies, etc.
  • Familiarity with designing and integrating circuit cards, test fixtures, and/or cables.
  • Experience with Agile for Hardware Development, including planning, tracking, and managing hardware development projects in JIRA is a plus.

What We Offer
Some of our competitive benefits package includes:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees
  • Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option
  • Tuition reimbursement program
  • Student Loan Repayment Program
  • Life insurance and disability coverage
  • Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection
  • Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
  • Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Autism Benefit
  • Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions
  • Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program
  • Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits
  • Bright Horizons, child and elder care services
  • Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program
  • This role may be eligible for relocation
  • And more!

Do you want to be a part of something bigger? A team whose impact stretches across the world, and even beyond? At Collins Aerospace, our Mission Systems team helps civilian, military and government customers complete their most complex missions - whatever and wherever they may be. Our customers depend on us for intelligent and secure communications, missionized systems for specialized aircraft and spacecraft and collaborative space solutions. By joining our team, you'll have your own critical part to play in ensuring our customer succeeds today while anticipating their needs for tomorrow. Are you up for the challenge? Join our mission today.
*Please ensure the role type (defined below) is appropriate for your needs before applying to this role.
Onsite: Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products.
At Collins, the paths we pave together lead to limitless possibility. And the bonds we form - with our customers and with each other -- propel us all higher, again and again.
Apply now and be part of the team that's redefining aerospace, every day.
As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.
The salary range for this role is 68,900 USD - 131,100 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.
Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.
Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company's performance.
This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.
RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.
RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act.
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