Hardware Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Hardware engineer jobs in Illinois are in strong demand, concentrated in defense electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, embedded systems, and industrial automation across seniority levels from entry-level to principal engineer. Chicago, Champaign-Urbana, and the northwestern suburban corridor around Schaumburg and Rockford anchor most of the hiring, with established employers like Motorola Solutions, Caterpillar, and Abbott Laboratories maintaining significant hardware engineering workforces in the state. The most sought-after specialties in Illinois listings include embedded systems design, RF and antenna engineering, and FPGA development. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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At Panduit, we don’t just offer a job – we offer a career where your contributions directly impact our customers, the environment and our company’s success. You’ll have the opportunity to grow, innovate, and be a part of an inclusive team that celebrates both individual and collective achievements. If you’re ready to elevate your career and help us deliver exceptional experiences to our customers, apply today and make your mark with Panduit!
Panduit is seeking a Principal Hardware Design Engineer specializing in Power Electronics to drive the architecture and development of advanced power-conversion technologies. As part of the Advanced Electronics Engineering team within Research and Advanced Development, you will lead the design of complex AC/DC and DC/DC power systems, including multi-kilowatt power stages, front-end power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and emerging high-voltage DC distribution platforms.
This role offers the opportunity to influence next-generation power-electronics architectures, develop innovative solutions from concept through prototype validation, and solve complex engineering challenges across multiple product platforms. Working alongside cross-functional engineering teams, you will provide technical leadership, independently own critical hardware designs, and help advance technologies that support Panduit's evolving product portfolio.
What You Will Do
- Develop and lead power-electronics architectures for advanced AC/DC and DC/DC converters, including power factor correction (PFC), isolated converters, resonant topologies, and multi-kilowatt power stages.
- Drive circuit design and component selection, including schematics, sensing, protection circuits, gate drives, control interfaces, and power-stage development.
- Perform simulation and engineering analysis to evaluate converter performance, control loops, power losses, transient behavior, and overall design optimization.
- Lead PCB development and design using Altium Designer or comparable ECAD tools, addressing high-voltage, high-current, and EMI-sensitive design requirements.
- Design and specify magnetic components, including transformers and inductors, to support power-conversion performance, efficiency, and reliability.
- Lead prototype bring-up, troubleshooting, testing, and validation of complex power-electronics hardware, independently identifying and resolving technical challenges.
- Provide technical leadership and design ownership across development programs, driving design reviews, resolving technical risks, and delivering key engineering milestones.
- Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams across firmware, mechanical, test, safety/compliance, manufacturing, product development, and external suppliers to advance designs toward product implementation.
What You Will Bring
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline, with 10+ years of relevant hardware development experience, including substantial power-electronics design. A Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Power Electronics is preferred.
- Experience: Extensive experience designing AC/DC and DC/DC power converters, including PFC, isolated converters, resonant topologies, and multi-kilowatt power stages.
- Demonstrated ability to independently develop power-electronics architectures and circuit designs, including schematics, sensing, protection, gate drives, and control interfaces.
- Proficiency with power-electronics simulation tools such as SIMPLIS, LTspice, PSIM, or equivalent, including converter design, control-loop analysis, losses, and transient behavior.
- Experience with PCB design and ECAD tools, preferably Altium Designer, including high-voltage, high-current, and EMI-sensitive circuit layouts.
- Strong knowledge of magnetics design, including the specification and development of transformers and inductors.
- Demonstrated ability to independently develop, debug, test, and validate complex hardware, taking ownership of technical challenges and engineering deliverables.
- Strong technical problem-solving and collaboration skills, with the ability to evaluate complex engineering tradeoffs involving efficiency, power density, cost, safety, reliability, EMI/EMC, and thermal performance.
- Knowledge of advanced power technologies, including high-voltage DC distribution, UPS systems, data-center power architectures, SiC/GaN devices, bidirectional converters, high-frequency magnetics, and digital power control.
- Experience with advanced engineering design practices, including thermal design, EMI/EMC mitigation, functional safety, regulatory certification, and the development of reusable power-electronics platforms or innovative power-conversion technologies.
What We Can Offer You
- Competitive Pay & Benefits: Enjoy a robust Total Rewards Program that includes health, financial benefits, and more.
- Work-Life Balance: Flexible work options to help you achieve the perfect work-life balance. This role will require you to be in the office 50% of the time (schedule based on manager's discretion).
- Generous Time Off: Take advantage of our generous vacation, sick days, holidays, plus a volunteer day to give back to the community.
- Retirement & Growth: 401(k) match, profit sharing, and abundant growth and development opportunities to help you advance your career.
- Parental Leave: Because we care about your family and your future.
Compensation: The expected annual base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $160,000. This role qualifies for an incentive plan based on individual and company performance. Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Compensation is negotiable based upon candidate skills, experience, qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.
Making the connections that matter. Join us and apply online to be part of the Panduit team. We believe great ideas thrive when every voice is welcomed, valued, and empowered. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to fostering a workplace culture where inclusion, belonging, and accountability are woven into everything we do. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Panduit will not sponsor applicants for work visas now or in the future. All roles, including remote positions, require an in-person interview as part of the hiring process.
Work Shift
Day (United States of America)At Panduit, we don’t just offer a job – we offer a career where your contributions directly impact our customers, the environment and our company’s success. You’ll have the opportunity to grow, innovate, and be a part of an inclusive team that celebrates both individual and collective achievements. If you’re ready to elevate your career and help us deliver exceptional experiences to our customers, apply today and make your mark with Panduit!
Panduit is seeking a Principal Hardware Design Engineer specializing in Power Electronics to drive the architecture and development of advanced power-conversion technologies. As part of the Advanced Electronics Engineering team within Research and Advanced Development, you will lead the design of complex AC/DC and DC/DC power systems, including multi-kilowatt power stages, front-end power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and emerging high-voltage DC distribution platforms.
This role offers the opportunity to influence next-generation power-electronics architectures, develop innovative solutions from concept through prototype validation, and solve complex engineering challenges across multiple product platforms. Working alongside cross-functional engineering teams, you will provide technical leadership, independently own critical hardware designs, and help advance technologies that support Panduit's evolving product portfolio.
What You Will Do
- Develop and lead power-electronics architectures for advanced AC/DC and DC/DC converters, including power factor correction (PFC), isolated converters, resonant topologies, and multi-kilowatt power stages.
- Drive circuit design and component selection, including schematics, sensing, protection circuits, gate drives, control interfaces, and power-stage development.
- Perform simulation and engineering analysis to evaluate converter performance, control loops, power losses, transient behavior, and overall design optimization.
- Lead PCB development and design using Altium Designer or comparable ECAD tools, addressing high-voltage, high-current, and EMI-sensitive design requirements.
- Design and specify magnetic components, including transformers and inductors, to support power-conversion performance, efficiency, and reliability.
- Lead prototype bring-up, troubleshooting, testing, and validation of complex power-electronics hardware, independently identifying and resolving technical challenges.
- Provide technical leadership and design ownership across development programs, driving design reviews, resolving technical risks, and delivering key engineering milestones.
- Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams across firmware, mechanical, test, safety/compliance, manufacturing, product development, and external suppliers to advance designs toward product implementation.
What You Will Bring
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline, with 10+ years of relevant hardware development experience, including substantial power-electronics design. A Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Power Electronics is preferred.
- Experience: Extensive experience designing AC/DC and DC/DC power converters, including PFC, isolated converters, resonant topologies, and multi-kilowatt power stages.
- Demonstrated ability to independently develop power-electronics architectures and circuit designs, including schematics, sensing, protection, gate drives, and control interfaces.
- Proficiency with power-electronics simulation tools such as SIMPLIS, LTspice, PSIM, or equivalent, including converter design, control-loop analysis, losses, and transient behavior.
- Experience with PCB design and ECAD tools, preferably Altium Designer, including high-voltage, high-current, and EMI-sensitive circuit layouts.
- Strong knowledge of magnetics design, including the specification and development of transformers and inductors.
- Demonstrated ability to independently develop, debug, test, and validate complex hardware, taking ownership of technical challenges and engineering deliverables.
- Strong technical problem-solving and collaboration skills, with the ability to evaluate complex engineering tradeoffs involving efficiency, power density, cost, safety, reliability, EMI/EMC, and thermal performance.
- Knowledge of advanced power technologies, including high-voltage DC distribution, UPS systems, data-center power architectures, SiC/GaN devices, bidirectional converters, high-frequency magnetics, and digital power control.
- Experience with advanced engineering design practices, including thermal design, EMI/EMC mitigation, functional safety, regulatory certification, and the development of reusable power-electronics platforms or innovative power-conversion technologies.
What We Can Offer You
- Competitive Pay & Benefits: Enjoy a robust Total Rewards Program that includes health, financial benefits, and more.
- Work-Life Balance: Flexible work options to help you achieve the perfect work-life balance. This role will require you to be in the office 50% of the time (schedule based on manager's discretion).
- Generous Time Off: Take advantage of our generous vacation, sick days, holidays, plus a volunteer day to give back to the community.
- Retirement & Growth: 401(k) match, profit sharing, and abundant growth and development opportunities to help you advance your career.
- Parental Leave: Because we care about your family and your future.
Compensation: The expected annual base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $160,000. This role qualifies for an incentive plan based on individual and company performance. Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Compensation is negotiable based upon candidate skills, experience, qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.
Making the connections that matter. Join us and apply online to be part of the Panduit team. We believe great ideas thrive when every voice is welcomed, valued, and empowered. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to fostering a workplace culture where inclusion, belonging, and accountability are woven into everything we do. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Panduit will not sponsor applicants for work visas now or in the future. All roles, including remote positions, require an in-person interview as part of the hiring process.
Work Shift
Day (United States of America)See All 12 Hardware Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Hardware Engineer JobsHardware Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Hardware Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in hardware engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a closely related technical field
- Hands-on experience designing and validating PCBs, embedded systems, or mixed-signal circuits
- Proficiency with hardware design tools such as Cadence, Altium Designer, or Mentor Graphics
- Experience writing firmware or low-level software in C or C++ alongside hardware development
- Familiarity with hardware verification methods including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG debugging
- Strong collaboration skills for cross-functional work with software, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering teams
Hardware Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a hardware engineer in Illinois?
Most hardware engineer roles in Illinois require a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related discipline. Illinois does not require a state license to work as a hardware engineer in private industry, though engineers who stamp public-infrastructure designs must hold a Professional Engineer license issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Building practical skills through senior capstone projects, internships with Illinois employers, and hands-on lab experience accelerates hiring.
How much do hardware engineers make in Illinois?
Hardware engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $133,220 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $77,420 for the lowest 10% to over $210,100 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire hardware engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring hardware engineers in Illinois right now include Unisys, Molex, and Chowbus, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's defense and communications sectors, anchored by firms in the Chicago metro and Schaumburg corridor, generate some of the most consistent hardware engineering demand in the Midwest.
Which Illinois cities have the most hardware engineer jobs?
Chicago, Lisle, and Aurora are the Illinois cities with the most hardware engineer openings. Chicago and its northwestern suburbs drive the largest share, home to Motorola Solutions, major defense contractors, and a deep manufacturing base, while Champaign-Urbana draws hardware roles tied to the University of Illinois research ecosystem and the startups and mid-size firms that cluster around it.
Are there remote hardware engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're rare. Hardware engineering is inherently hands-on, requiring access to lab equipment, prototypes, and test benches, which limits remote arrangements more than desk-based roles. About 50% of hardware engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those that are tend to involve design review, documentation, or systems architecture work rather than bench-level development.
How can I get hired as a hardware engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a formal internship or new-graduate rotational program at a large Illinois employer. Motorola Solutions, Abbott Laboratories, and Caterpillar all run structured early-career programs that place candidates with limited professional experience into hardware teams. Entry-level openings are also common under titles like associate hardware engineer, electrical engineering associate, or test engineer, and a strong senior capstone project, competition experience, or a documented personal hardware project gives candidates a clear edge.
Where can I find and apply to hardware engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to hardware engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 12 Hardware Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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