Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Computer engineers (excluding software engineers and designers) design, develop, test and modify computer and telecommunications hardware, as well as embedded software systems.
People in this group work on information and communication system networks, including:
- Mainframe systems
- Local (LAN) and wide area (WAN) networks
- Fibre-optic networks
- Wireless communication networks
- Intranets, the Internet and other data communications systems
The focus of this group is computer and telecommunications hardware or network system and data communication. Many computer engineers also work with software and electrical systems to design, develop and test embedded systems.
Computer engineers work for computer and telecommunication hardware manufacturers, engineering, manufacturing and telecommunications firms, information technology (IT) consulting firms, governmental, educational and research institutions, IT units and the health industry.
Job Titles
Duties
Computer hardware and telecommunications engineers:
- Analyze user requirements for computer hardware
- Design and develop system architecture and specifications, including hardware, software and networking capabilities
- Develop long-range plans and priorities for upgrading or replacing dated equipment and software
- Design, develop, test and integrate computer and telecommunications hardware, such as microprocessors, integrated circuit boards and semiconductor lasers
- Supervise, inspect and provide design support during the manufacturing, installation and implementation of computer and telecommunications hardware
- Build and maintain relationships with suppliers and clients
- May lead and co-ordinate teams of engineers, technologists, technicians and drafters
Network system and data communication engineers:
- Research, design and develop information and communication system network architecture
- Evaluate and integrate network system and data communication hardware and embedded software
- Assess, document and optimize the capacity and performance of information and communication system networks
- May lead and co-ordinate design teams during the development of information and communication system architecture, hardware and software
Computer engineers’ work integrates skills in logic design, microprocessor system design, computer architecture and interfacing, embedded systems, and system requirements and design.
Computer engineers may specialize in analog and digital signal processing, fibre optics, integrated circuits, lasers, microprocessors, microwaves and radio astronomy.
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 (except software engineers and designers) work mostly in Information Technology (IT) laboratories and offices. They may also work with engineers and designers in a variety of other disciplines—for example, with oceanographers to collect marine environmental data.
People in this group typically work 40 hours per week. However, solving certain problems or meeting deadlines may mean working extra hours.
Some computer engineering projects require the hands-on building, installation and testing of systems. This work is team-oriented and cross-disciplinary, requiring close collaboration with other IT professionals, managers and customers.
Career Pathways
New computer engineer graduates find work in programming positions or as junior testers, junior engineers in hardware development or as electrical engineers.
Computer engineers can progress to senior consulting engineer positions or senior management positions such as chief information officer or chief technology officer. With significant additional education and experience, some go on to run their own IT companies.
Computer engineers often work in multidisciplinary environments and gain knowledge and skills that may lead to work in specialized areas of science, engineering, sales, marketing or management.
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 (except software engineers and designers) must complete a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related discipline.
Other training may include:
- Participation in an undergraduate co-operative education program
- Network certification
- A master's or doctoral degree in a related discipline
Computer engineers must be registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. To apply for registration, applicants must meet academic, experience, English language competency, legal, ethical and other character requirements. Licenses are renewed annually. For more information, please visit Engineers and Geoscientists BC.
Computer engineers who are in good standing and hold an active P.Eng. licence with another Canadian regulator may apply for registration through an expedited application pathway. A streamlined application pathway may also be available to licensed computer engineers from the United States, Australia, Hong Kong and Ireland.
For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment, and recognize internationally trained applicants.
Contact Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia for details on how to apply for registration in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
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.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
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.
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, while meeting the goals of the system.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
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 (2025-2035)
1,700Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2025-2035)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | 20 | 1.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,490 | 2.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 40 | 1.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 150 | 2.1% |
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 (2025-2035) |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 1,340 |
| Wholesale Trade | 60 |
| Manufacturing | 50 |
| Public Administration | 40 |
| Retail Trade | 40 |
Insights from Industry
A significant number of job openings are expected due to the growing use of information technologies, as well as the need to replace retiring workers. Industry sources report there is a need for new graduates.
Jobs in this group depend on the industries that purchase hardware products. Changing trends and technologies influence demand. For this reason, workers are encouraged to continually update their skills through continuing education.
Companies in B.C.’s Lower Mainland engineer motherboards, sound cards and other computer peripherals. As a result of increased competition from Asia and Europe, some B.C. manufacturing facilities have expanded their manufacturing relationships with companies in Asia. This expansion means that B.C.'s computer engineers will likely find themselves working in positions that do not just focus on the manufacture of hardware but also work with processes, electrical engineering and software implementation.
Computer engineers typically practice in a specific field such as hydroelectric power, finance or health. Learning about these fields can give workers a competitive edge.
Computer engineers often change jobs to work for employers who offer higher wages. This movement creates job openings for new qualified graduates.
Resources
-
Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)www.acm.org
-
Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of British Columbia (ACEC-BC)www.acec-bc.ca
-
BC Tech Associationwww.wearebctech.com
-
Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA)innovationsoftheworld.com/canadian-advanced-technology
-
Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) of British Columbiabc.cips.ca
-
Engineering Careerswww.engineeringcareers.ca
-
Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC)www.eic-ici.ca
-
Engineers & Geoscientists BCwww.egbc.ca
-
Engineers Canadawww.engineerscanada.ca
-
Engineering Technology Canadawww.engineeringtechnologycanada.ca/en/CTINlanding
-
IEEE Computer Societywww.computer.org
-
Information and Communications Technology Councilwww.ictc-ctic.ca
-
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Canadawww.ieee.ca
-
Iranian Engineers of British Columbia Association (IEBCA)www.iebca.ca/
-
Society of Punjabi Engineers and Technologists of British Columbia (SPEATBC)www.speatbc.org
-
Technology Registrations Canada (TRC)www.technologyregistrationscanada.ca