Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Computer engineers (excluding software engineers and designers) research, design, plan, develop, test and modify computer and telecommunications hardware and related equipment, such as computer processors.
People in this occupation:
- Work on information and communication system networks, including mainframe systems, local and wide area networks, fibre-optic networks, wireless communication networks, intranets, the internet and other data communications systems
- Are employed by computer and telecommunication hardware manufacturers, engineering, manufacturing and telecommunications firms, information technology consulting firms, governmental, educational and research institutions, information technology units and the health industry throughout both the public and private sectors
- Have good communication and teamwork skills
- Should be curious about how to make computers work better, and have an interest in logic design, microprocessor system design, computer architecture and interfacing, and system requirements and design
- Require good problem solving, advanced math and innovation skills
Job Titles
Duties
Computer hardware and telecommunications engineers:
- Analyze user requirements for computer hardware
- Design and develop system architecture and specifications, including current hardware, software and networking capabilities, along with long-range plans and priorities for upgrading or replacing dated equipment and software
- Research, design, develop and integrate computer and telecommunications hardware, such as microprocessors, integrated circuit boards and semiconductor lasers
- Develop and conduct tests to make sure their new designs and components function as expected
- Supervise, inspect and provide design support during the manufacturing, installation and implementation of computer and telecommunications hardware
- Establish and maintain relationships with suppliers and clients, and may lead and co-ordinate teams of engineers, technologists, technicians and drafters in the design and development of computer and telecommunications hardware
Network system and data communication engineers:
- Research, design and develop information and communication system network architecture
- Research, evaluate and integrate network system and data communication hardware and software
- Assess, document and optimize the capacity and performance of information and communication system networks
- May also be required to lead and co-ordinate teams of design professionals in the development and integration of information and communication system architecture, hardware and software
Special duties
Computer engineers may specialize in a number of areas, including analog and digital signal processing, fibre optics, integrated circuits, lasers, microprocessors, microwaves and radio astronomy.
Duties of many computer engineers may require that they work with software and electrical systems, although the focus of these engineers is related to computer and telecommunications hardware or to network system and data communication.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
2,440% Employed Full Time
80%Computer engineers (excluding software engineers and designers) work mostly in Information technology (IT) laboratories and offices. These workers typically work 40 hours per week, however, solving some problems or working to deadlines may require working extra hours.
These engineers may also work with engineers and designers in other disciplines (i.e., computer engineers in B.C. may work with oceanographers to collect marine environmental data), or in a wide variety of industry cultures.
Some computer engineering tasks require the hands-on building of systems, installation and testing and close vision work. This work is team-oriented and cross-disciplinary, requiring close work with other IT professionals, managers and customers.
Career Pathways
Recent computer engineer graduates may obtain employment in programming positions or as junior testers, junior engineers in hardware development or as electrical engineers.
Computer engineers can go on to senior consulting engineer positions, senior management positions such as chief information officer or chief technology officer or the president or CEO of an IT company with additional education and experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Computer Engineers are required to complete a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or an appropriate related discipline, and must be registered by a professional association which registers computer engineers. Other training may include:
- Participation in an undergraduate co-op program
- Network certification
- Master's or doctoral degree in a related discipline
Once academic qualifications are met, a computer engineering graduate can apply for an Engineer-In-Training membership through the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC) while acquiring the four years of experience that is required to register as a professional engineer. Continuing professional development is always encouraged and may be required for membership in APEGBC, which offers courses, self-directed studies, seminars and other educational opportunities for its members.
Academic requirements to become an information systems professional (I.S.P.) can be satisfied by graduating from an accredited computer science or information systems program or by passing the examination offered by the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals. In order to maintain I.S.P. certification, applicants must demonstrate that they are continuing to upgrade their IT knowledge through activity such as classes, conferences or technical reading, and that their work continues to be IT-related.
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations and the environment will affect outcomes.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, while meeting the goals of the system.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
2,440Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 0.4% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 0.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 2,080 | 85.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 15 | 0.6% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 85 | 3.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 240 | 9.8% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
1,600Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | 20 | 1.9% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,400 | 2.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 50 | 2.7% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 130 | 1.7% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 1,090 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 140 |
| Wholesale Trade | 70 |
| Manufacturing | 60 |
| Retail Trade | 50 |
Insights from Industry
The growing use of information technologies will drive the need for more workers in this profession, and demand for workers in this occupation is expected to steadily increase in the longer term. Job openings will also come from the need to replace those who retire.
Industry sources report there is currently an insufficient supply of new graduates in this occupation.
The demand for new information and communications technologies continues locally, nationally, and globally. Companies in the Lower Mainland of B.C. are involved in engineering motherboards, sound cards, and other computer peripherals. Many of these companies are also expanding their trading and manufacturing relationships with computer companies in Asia.
Companies in B.C. have been facing increased competition in hardware engineering from Asia and Europe, which has resulted in closures of B.C. facilities. As such, B.C.'s computer engineers will likely find themselves working in positions that do not have a complete focus on hardware, but also work with processes, electrical engineering, and software implementation.
Employment trends in this occupational group depend on the industries that purchase hardware products. Fluctuation in industries such as telecommunications will affect the demand for these products, which may in turn affect the demand for the professionals who develop them.
Computer engineering is a constantly changing field. As such, individuals in this occupation group should pursue continuing education to update their skills throughout their careers. Individuals tend to practice computer engineering in the context of a particular field such as hydroelectric power, finance, or health. Therefore, they may wish to learn about their own particular fields in order to have a framework for making decisions on the job. New programming languages, technologies and industry needs will require them to constantly update their skills.
Sources also indicate that computer engineers often change jobs to work for employers who offer higher wages. This movement creates more job openings, allowing new qualified graduates to enter the job market.
Resources
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Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)www.acm.org
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Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of British Columbia (ACEC-BC)www.acec-bc.ca
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Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC) – Careerswww.apeg.bc.ca/careers
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BC Tech Associationwww.wearebctech.com
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Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) of British Columbiabc.cips.ca
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Canadian Technology Immigration Network (CTIN)www.ctin.ca
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Engineering Careerswww.engineeringcareers.ca
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Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC)www.eic-ici.ca
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Engineers & Geoscientists BCwww.egbc.ca
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Engineers Canadawww.engineerscanada.ca
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IEEE Computer Societywww.computer.org
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Information and Communications Technology Councilwww.ictc-ctic.ca
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Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Canadawww.ieee.ca
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Iranian Engineers of British Columbia Association (IEBCA)www.iebca.ca/
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Society of Punjabi Engineers and Technologists of British Columbia (SPEATBC)www.speatbc.org
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Technology Registrations Canada (TRC)www.technologyregistrationscanada.ca
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The Canadian Advanced Technology Allianceinnovationsoftheworld.com/canadian-advanced-technology