As a Computer Hardware Engineer, you will need to master following:

• abide by regulations on banned materials
• design hardware
• environmental threats
• hardware architectures
• hardware materials
• hardware platforms
• manage intellectual property rights
• model hardware
• operate open source software

More generally, a computer hardware engineer is also versed in:

• adjust engineering designs
• analyse test data
• apply for research funding
• apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities
• approve engineering design
• communicate with a non-scientific audience
• computer engineering
• computer technology
• conduct literature research
• conduct quality control analysis
• conduct research across disciplines
• demonstrate disciplinary expertise
• design drawings
• design prototypes
• develop professional network with researchers and scientists
• disseminate results to the scientific community
• draft scientific or academic papers and technical documentation
• electricity
• electricity principles
• electronics
• engineering principles
• environmental legislation
• evaluate research activities
• hardware components
• hardware testing methods
• increase the impact of science on policy and society
• interact professionally in research and professional environments
• manage findable accessible interoperable and reusable data
• manage open publications
• manage personal professional development
• manage research data
• mathematics
• mentor individuals
• operate scientific measuring equipment
• perform data analysis
• perform project management
• perform scientific research
• prepare production prototypes
• printed circuit boards
• promote inclusion in research
• promote open innovation in research
• promote the participation of citizens in scientific and research activities
• promote the transfer of knowledge
• publish academic research
• read engineering drawings
• record test data
• report analysis results
• speak different languages
• synthesise information
• test hardware
• think abstractly
• think analytically
• use technical drawing software
• write scientific publications

It also helps to know the following:

• ABAP
• AJAX
• APL
• ASP.NET
• Assembly (computer programming)
• C#
• C++
• COBOL
• CoffeeScript
• Common Lisp
• Erlang
• Groovy
• Haskell
• Java (computer programming)
• JavaScript
• Lisp
• MATLAB
• ML (computer programming)
• Microsoft Visual C++
• Objective-C
• OpenEdge Advanced Business Language
• PHP
• Pascal (computer programming)
• Perl
• Prolog (computer programming)
• Python (computer programming)
• R
• Ruby (computer programming)
• SAP R3
• SAS language
• Scala
• Scratch (computer programming)
• Smalltalk (computer programming)
• Swift (computer programming)
• TypeScript
• VBScript
• Visual Studio .NET
• align software with system architectures
• define manufacturing quality criteria
• develop product design
• implement anti-virus software
• maintain safe engineering watches
• CAE software
• apply blended learning
• apply technical communication skills
• assemble hardware components
• build business relationships
• communicate with customers
• computer programming
• coordinate engineering teams
• create technical plans
• design firmware
• draft bill of materials
• electrical engineering
• firmware
• install operating system
• install software
• mechatronics
• microelectronics
• perform resource planning
• perform test run
• process customer orders
• program firmware
• provide technical documentation
• quality standards
• teach in academic or vocational contexts
• train employees
• use CAD software
• use CAM software