What is Computer Engineering?

Computer engineering (CE) is a branch of engineering that integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software. This field of engineering not only focuses on how computer systems themselves work but also how they integrate into the larger picture. Computer engineering is more than a blend of the two other fields. The major technical areas of CE are:

• Biomedical
• Computer software
• Cyber-security
• Design automation
• Embedded Systems
• Machine intelligence
• Networking

Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering (or electrical engineering), software design, and hardware-software integration instead of only software engineering or electronic engineering. Computer engineers are involved in many hardware and software aspects of computing, from circuit design, the design of individual micro-controllers, microprocessors, personal computers, to supercomputers.

Generally, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum education required of a computer engineer. Most employers require students to hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer programming, computer engineering, computer information systems, electrical engineering, or a similar computer-related field. However, the growth of online education and in-person boot camps makes it much easier to become a computer engineer or programmer without a formal degree.

History of Computer Engineering

Computer engineering began in 1939 when John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry began developing the world’s first electronic digital computer through physics, mathematics, and electrical engineering. Together, they created the Atanasoff-Berry computer, also known as the ABC which took 5 years to complete. While the original ABC was dismantled and discarded in the 1940s a tribute was made to the late inventors, a replica of the ABC was made in 1997 where it took a team of researchers and engineers four years and $350,000 to build.

The ABC looked nothing like today’s computers: It was the size of a big desk, weighed 750 pounds, and featured rotating drums for memory, glowing vacuum tubes, and a read/write system that recorded numbers by scorching marks on cards.

But, the machine also was the first to use several innovations that are still a part of today’s computers: a binary system of arithmetic, separate memory and computing functions, regenerative memory, parallel processing, electronic amplifiers as on-off switches, circuits for logical addition and subtraction, clocked control of electronic operations, and a modular design.

The modern personal computer emerged in the 1970s, after several breakthroughs in semiconductor technology. These include the first working transistor by William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain at Bell Labs in 1947, the silicon surface passivation process (via thermal oxidation) by Mohamed Atalla at Bell Labs in 1957, the monolithic integrated circuit chip by Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1959, the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, or MOS transistor) by Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs in 1959, and the single-chip microprocessor (Intel 4004) by Federico Faggin, Marcian Hoff, Masatoshi Shima and Stanley Mazor at Intel in 1971.

Computer Engineering Education

While associate’s degrees are a great way to cut down on college costs, you won’t necessarily want to stop at a two-year degree. Job opportunities for computer engineers that only require an associate’s degree are fairly rare. The ones that are available, such as computer support specialists, generally pay much less than the jobs at the next educational tier.

Computer engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, or software engineering to be able to work in the field, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While some young programmers may bypass this step through extensive programming or building experience, it’s more common to get a degree.

Students considering the field may want to look for programs accredited through the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This accreditation assures students that the programs offer a quality education, and meet other requirements for graduate-level admissions, credentialing, or to be hired by some employers. ABET-accredited programs include both online and on-campus offerings at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels.

Computer engineering programs offer an education that is helpful to finding a job and seeking one of the multivariate certifications available. Countless bachelor’s degree programs in computer engineering are available in the U.S. and accredited through ABET, but also are available in other related fields such as computer engineering technology or electrical and computer engineering. Students also may be able to find schools that offer a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree through five-year programs. Internship experiences may also be part of a computer engineering program to provide practical, hands-on experiences.

Computer Engineering Careers

Computer engineers create the technologies that facilitate computers such as systems, networks and artificial intelligence. This field is versatile and professionals can work for industries in telecommunications, software technology or digital hardware. As with all engineering disciplines, computer engineers use mathematics and science to solve a variety of technical problems. Due to the constant advancements in computer technology, these engineers must be able to adapt to changes.

Jobs

According to the BLS, the demand for software developers is expected to grow by 21% between 2018 and 2028, while demand for computer hardware engineers is expected to grow by 6% in the same period. Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher should be able to find excellent career opportunities, especially if they keep up-to-date with new advances in technology.

Technological innovation in the computer industry is focused more on software than on hardware. This fact exerts negative pressure on the job outlook and demand for computer hardware engineers. Declining employment in the manufacturing industries that hire many of these engineers will also hinder growth in the field. This loss, however, may be somewhat tempered by openings at computer consulting and hardware start-up firms, to which some manufacturers outsource their hardware design.

While intense competition from foreign companies may diminish overall domestic opportunities, demand for the expertise of computer hardware engineers may rise from the need to embed computer chips in new-generation automobiles, household appliances, medical equipment, and other devices. Competition for all available positions is projected to be strong, due to an occupational growth rate which is below average and a rapidly increasing number of degrees granted in this discipline.

Salaries

An entry-level computer hardware engineer with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $71,786. An early career computer hardware engineer with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $77,922. A mid-career computer hardware engineer with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $91,647. An experienced computer hardware engineer with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $114,126. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $118,987.

The top respondents for the job title Computer Hardware Engineer are from the companies Intel Corporation, International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. and Google, Inc.. Reported salaries are highest at Microsoft Corp where the average pay is $102,615. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role include Intel Corporation and International Business Machines (IBM) Corp., earning around $102,537 and $99,000, respectively. Northrop Grumman Corporation pays the lowest at around $68,784. Hewlett-Packard Company and Google, Inc. also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $77,419 and $79,000, respectively, according to Payscale.com.

What Do Computer Engineers Do?

Responsibilities

Computer engineers work to improve the capabilities of computers and find new ways to apply computers to other machines and systems. These engineers generally need knowledge of computer hardware and software and combine many concepts from the fields of electrical engineering and computer science. These engineers may work with computer hardware, software, computer architecture, programming, and computer-based systems.

Several different job titles, including computer hardware engineer, software engineer, and computer architect, could fall under computer engineering. While job duties may vary with the specific job title and area of specialty, in general, computer engineers may be responsible for:

• Design, develop and build computer hardware and software systems
• Perform routine checks to ensure hardware and systems are stable and operating efficiently
• Identify and resolve software problems as they arise
• Determine opportunities to improve efficiency and stability in data processing and workflow
• Work with other teams to ensure software and hardware systems are designed to support organizational goals
• Develop protocols for checking for and repairing software bugs
• Navigate workload ticketing system and resolve tickets in order of urgency
• Stay up to date on industry trends and technologies in order to ensure the organization is taking advantage of the most current technology

Skills

The career of a computer engineer requires a great deal of skills and qualities, training, and certain level of formal education to be good on the job. Since the computer engineering field is quite broad, the required technical skills listed in the job postings you come across will vary, depending on whether the job is more hardware or software-focused.

Some of the skills needed to become a computer engineer are:

• Communication
• Hardware experience
• Learning
• Management
• Mathematics
• Patience
• Problem solving
• Programming languages
• Software engineering
• Troubleshooting

Future of Computer Engineering

As long as there is technology, there will be a need for computer hardware engineers, and it is safe to say that there will always be technology. It’s also safe to say that at the turn of the 20th century, nobody imagined Artificial Intelligence (AI), even though airplanes and automobiles were being created. Who knows what lies ahead? Computers are getting smaller and smaller, but they still have hardware. This is one of the many reasons why the BLS predicts an increasing need in the US for computer engineers all the way to 2026.

Better computer hardware with more power will mean programmers will have to wait less time for their code to finish compiling.

New technology will definitely grow the field of computer engineering, because while more businesses adopt computers into the workplace and new computer programs, they’ll need more computer engineers to ensure everything will run smoothly. Businesses will also hire more programmers so code can be written faster and new programs will be released consistently.    

Instead of sitting at computers, it’s possible computer engineering will be done using holograms in the far future. Then you can write some code in an office, in your home, or while waiting for the bus.

In order to prepare for the future of computer engineering, one simply needs to keep up to date on the new programs that are being used for creating programs, and the updates made to those programs.

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