AI Hardware/Chip Design Engineer.
Manchester.
$223,000
median salary, 7% above the national average
$166,000 to $294,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a AI Hardware/Chip Design Engineer offer in Manchester, NH, here is the reality: $166,000 to $294,000, with $223,000 as the midpoint. 7% above the national average. Pay reflects deep expertise in ASIC or FPGA design optimized for neural network inference. Do not accept the first number.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $201,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$145,000
to $178,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$190,000
to $234,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$245,000
to $290,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$279,000
to $346,000
Salary trend
+8% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $109,000 to the total package.
Base
$223,000
Equity
$67,000
Bonus
$29,000
Signing
$13,000
Estimated total: $332,000
How Manchester compares
Manchester, NH
$223,000
Cost of living: 6% above average
National Average
$208,000
Manchester is $15,000 above
AI Hardware/Chip Design Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Manchester
What you should know
Here is what the AI Hardware/Chip Design Engineer market actually looks like in Manchester. Manchester is New Hampshire's largest city and a growing satellite hub for Boston's tech economy. The lack of state income tax and sales tax makes it highly attractive for professionals who commute to or work remotely for Boston area employers. Defense, healthcare, and small tech firms anchor the local economy. Pay reflects deep expertise in ASIC or FPGA design optimized for neural network inference. Engineers with tape-out experience and knowledge of transformer-specific architectures command top compensation. Geographic concentration in Silicon Valley and Austin inflates salaries 10% to 20% above national averages.
Entry-level chip design engineers start near $155,000 on verification and testing. Mid-level engineers owning functional blocks earn $200,000 to $230,000. Principal architects defining next-generation AI accelerator microarchitectures reach $275,000 to $350,000 at leading firms. In Manchester, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at AI chip startups can represent 30% to 50% of total compensation. RSU grants at established semiconductor firms vest over four years, with annual refreshers adding $50,000 to $100,000 in value. And on the tax side: new Hampshire has no state income tax on wages and no sales tax. Manchester has no city income tax. This makes it one of the lowest taxed metros in the Northeast. When someone quotes you $223,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the no income tax advantage to negotiate. Many professionals live in Manchester and work remotely for Boston companies, keeping the higher salary with zero state tax. The range for AI Hardware/Chip Design Engineers in Manchester runs from $166,000 to $294,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A AI Cloud Architect in Manchester earns $222,000 (0% more)
- The highest-paying role in Manchester is Chief AI Officer at $325,000
Common questions.
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