Top 10 Hardware Companies To Work At In 2022
1. Tesla
Salary: Intern: $28-35/hour - Out of College: 82k-102k
There is a reason Tesla is ranked as the most attractive company for engineering graduates. They are leading the way to a sustainable future and doing so with S3XY cars, solar panels, and innovative battery technology (and now an AI bot). They offer a wide range of roles for mechanical engineers, between manufacturing, design, and test engineering on all of their product lines. They hire a ton of interns (500+) and it can be a great way to get 3-8 months of hardcore engineering experience. Maybe you will even see the Technoking himself in the factory!!!
Locations: Fremont CA, Palo Alto CA, Austin TX, Los Angeles CA, Sparks NV
2. SpaceX
Salary: Intern: $28-$33/hour - Out of College: 82k-120k
Reusable rockets, 5k low atmosphere wifi satellites, and human space flight! Yes we are talking about SpaceX, a true marvel of American engineering. They employ over a thousand mechanical engineers to design the future of space exploration. Known for being a fast-paced work environment that is vertically integrated (different than other aerospace companies), SpaceX provides very technical work and lots of responsibility to its interns making them one of the best destinations to learn!
Locations: Los Angeles CA, Seattle WA, Boca Chica TX
3. Apple
Salary: Intern: $31-50/hour - Out of College: 100k-142k
The most valuable company on the planet, Apple continues to find a way to sell more iPhones, Macs, and AirPods. And, unlike Google or Microsoft, all of their biggest revenue generators are hardware products, and that means they need you! They are also rumored to be working on autonomous vehicles and AR/VR glasses. Their interview process in known to be arduous and technical, but the result is a high paying, exciting job with great benefits.
Locations: Cupertino CA, San Francisco CA, Austin TX
4. Rivian
Salary: Intern: $31-$40/hour - Out of College: 90k-120k
What’s better than a Cybertruck? Well if you want the classic truck look or need it anytime soon… Rivian’s R1T is the right car for you. Rivian is worth more than $80 billion and is quickly becoming the biggest competitor to Tesla. They have an order from Amazon for more than 100,000 delivery vehicles along with 71,000+ consumer preorders. But… they have only delivered a few hundred to date. Regardless, as a mechanical engineer, this is a great company to work for with good compensation along with a fast paced work environment that rivals Tesla. All the classic vehicle engineering roles are available to aspiring mechanical engineers.
Locations: Irvine CA, Detroit MI, San Jose CA
5. Relativity
Salary: Intern: $25-30/hour - Out of College: 80k-100k
It seems like a crazy notion that we would be 3D printing rockets in 2022, but that is exactly what Relativity Space is doing. And… they have raised more than $1.3 billion at a $4.2 billion evaluation. They are hiring at a ridiculous speed right now and as a mechanical engineers, you will be designing high precision parts for either propulsion, structures, or additive manufacturing teams.
Locations: Long Beach CA, Seattle Washington
6. Anduril
Salary: Intern: $25-$45/hour - Out of College: 90k-140k
Founded by Oculus creator Palmer Lucky, Anduril has raised more than $800 million to develop the future of the military battlefield (AI, Drones, Anti Drone Drones, etc). They are worth close to $5 billion, have more than 500 employees, and are backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Founder’s Fund, and General Catalyst among others. They are a fast paced prototyping and production environment where mechanical engineers are pushed to leverage their design, electrical, and manufacturing skills.
Locations: Irvine CA, Costa Mesa CA
7. Lucid
Salary: Intern: $22-25/hour - Out of College: 100k-120k
Lucid manufactures high end electric vehicles that compete with Tesla’s Model S. They recently SPACed and are worth more than 50 billion, having delivered more than 1000 cars in 2021. They have a wide range of mechanical roles in battery engineering, motor design, and interior and exteriors engineering (mostly injection molding).
Locations: San Francisco CA, Casa Grande AZ
8. Joby
Salary: Intern: $20-$35/hour - Out of College: 80k-110k
Joby is the leader in the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) race, competing against companies like Archer, Lillium, and Volocopter to build consumer facing electric aerial transport. With manufacturing help from, Toyota, they hope to launch their air taxi service by 2024. The mechanical engineering roles are similar to that of a electric vehicle company, but the engineering goals align more with safety first instead production. There are plenty of roles in battery engineering, rotor design, and interior and exterior engineering.
Locations: Palo Alto CA, Santa Cruz CA
9. Zipline
Salary: Intern: $24-38/hour - Out of College: 90k-110k
Zipline has raised 550 million in total and is currently valued at 2.75 billion They build long range drones launched out of a slingshot that deliver medical supplies to hard to reach areas in third world countries. They have recently begun to expand their offerings to deliver medical supplies in rural areas of the US and ecommerce products across the country. Roles for a mechanical engineer might include drone and launcher design and payload engineering. Given the company has about 600 employees, new hires and interns can expect to make a big impact quickly.
Locations: San Francisco CA
10. Amazon
Salary: Intern: $37-$64/hour - Out of College: 75k-120k
Amazon has a wide range of mechanical engineering roles across numerous subsidiaries. At Amazon Robotics one might work on their warehouse and delivery automation technology. At Zoox, a level 5 autonomous vehicle company, there are roles in battery engineering, drivetrain design, and interior and exterior roles that rely heavily on injection molding. Other hardware Amazon is responsible for includes, Alexa, tablets, and Kindle.
Locations: Seattle WA, Boston MA