Electrical engineers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $76,550 | $36.80 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $120,630 | $58.00 |
| Mean (average) | $125,100 | $60.15 |
| 90th percentile | $184,300 | $88.61 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Electrical engineers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $125,630 | $77,840 | $180,220 | 4,600 | 1.7 |
| Alaska | $125,970 | $82,360 | $177,110 | 350 | 0.83 |
| Arizona | $100,550 | $75,560 | $165,510 | 5,370 | 1.3 |
| Arkansas | $96,860 | $67,920 | $136,770 | 900 | 0.54 |
| California | $144,040 | $81,840 | $217,760 | 24,230 | 1.04 |
| Colorado | $120,760 | $81,720 | $177,310 | 4,200 | 1.14 |
| Connecticut | $104,160 | $82,300 | $162,290 | 2,930 | 1.35 |
| Delaware | $126,970 | $83,600 | $152,060 | 660 | 1.07 |
| District of Columbia | $143,000 | $87,450 | $195,190 | 330 | 0.37 |
| Florida | $104,780 | $65,090 | $164,210 | 9,220 | 0.73 |
| Georgia | Data unavailable | 5,950 | 0.95 | ||
| Guam | $64,190 | $51,770 | $104,170 | 200 | 2.32 |
| Hawaii | $106,350 | $73,890 | $156,580 | 1,080 | 1.35 |
| Idaho | $129,340 | $77,070 | $165,410 | 1,000 | 0.91 |
| Illinois | $107,860 | $75,470 | $164,290 | 5,460 | 0.7 |
| Indiana | $102,670 | $69,290 | $152,480 | 4,000 | 0.98 |
| Iowa | $105,820 | $76,720 | $155,460 | 1,280 | 0.64 |
| Kansas | $102,630 | $72,230 | $159,650 | 2,100 | 1.14 |
| Kentucky | $98,550 | $63,270 | $138,460 | 1,540 | 0.6 |
| Louisiana | $123,710 | $77,210 | $178,330 | 990 | 0.4 |
| Maine | $114,620 | $78,930 | $161,230 | 1,150 | 1.4 |
| Maryland | $125,150 | $76,650 | $194,810 | 4,650 | 1.32 |
| Massachusetts | $127,720 | $78,140 | $176,470 | 5,040 | 1.08 |
| Michigan | $106,070 | $75,880 | $159,090 | 10,840 | 1.93 |
| Minnesota | $109,510 | $78,750 | $167,030 | 3,150 | 0.84 |
| Mississippi | $104,990 | $60,130 | $156,140 | 1,130 | 0.76 |
| Missouri | $118,670 | $77,620 | $166,710 | 2,410 | 0.64 |
| Montana | $87,360 | $72,910 | $133,180 | 790 | 1.21 |
| Nebraska | $107,260 | $66,820 | $135,270 | 1,060 | 0.81 |
| Nevada | $107,400 | $77,000 | $167,330 | 1,100 | 0.56 |
| New Hampshire | $135,710 | $92,700 | $202,790 | 1,600 | 1.83 |
| New Jersey | $125,370 | $80,630 | $174,450 | 2,940 | 0.54 |
| New Mexico | $158,520 | $102,880 | $202,680 | 2,560 | 2.3 |
| New York | $119,010 | $74,870 | $168,820 | 8,770 | 0.71 |
| North Carolina | $110,130 | $66,800 | $203,490 | 7,090 | 1.12 |
| North Dakota | $110,810 | $77,350 | $155,520 | 260 | 0.47 |
| Ohio | $100,620 | $72,690 | $149,390 | 6,360 | 0.9 |
| Oklahoma | $107,760 | $74,060 | $187,140 | 2,080 | 0.96 |
| Oregon | $125,160 | $83,500 | $166,240 | 2,540 | 1.01 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,820 | $77,650 | $167,260 | 6,970 | 0.9 |
| Puerto Rico | $74,250 | $48,370 | $122,300 | 330 | 0.28 |
| Rhode Island | Data unavailable | 670 | 1.05 | ||
| South Carolina | $98,440 | $69,260 | $156,330 | 3,490 | 1.18 |
| South Dakota | $98,980 | $69,580 | $138,210 | 530 | 0.91 |
| Tennessee | $104,450 | $73,850 | $166,210 | 2,830 | 0.68 |
| Texas | $129,450 | $76,120 | $210,160 | 20,870 | 1.16 |
| Utah | $105,720 | $77,100 | $171,580 | 1,680 | 0.76 |
| Vermont | $111,310 | $81,040 | $175,710 | 820 | 2.11 |
| Virginia | $119,030 | $80,320 | $173,400 | 7,260 | 1.38 |
| Washington | $132,710 | $85,540 | $185,690 | 7,610 | 1.68 |
| West Virginia | $113,420 | $76,830 | $156,250 | 500 | 0.55 |
| Wisconsin | $99,700 | $74,850 | $132,990 | 3,550 | 0.94 |
| Wyoming | $111,740 | $60,760 | $146,990 | 280 | 0.78 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for electrical engineers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 11,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for electrical engineers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering CIP 14.1001
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, Other CIP 14.1099
- Electromechanical Engineering CIP 14.4101
- Electrical and Computer Engineering CIP 14.4701
Licenses and certifications
Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
Professional Engineer (PE) License
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
Requirements for regulated professions are set by each state. Always confirm with the state regulator.
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
- Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.
- Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- Autodesk Revit (in demand)
- C++ (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Python (in demand)
- The MathWorks MATLAB (in demand)
- ETAP (in demand)
- SKM Systems Analysis Power Tools (in demand)
- Apache Subversion SVN (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Bash (hot technology)
- Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- C (hot technology)
- C# (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Operations Analysis.
Common job titles: Circuits Engineer, Design Engineer, Electrical Controls Engineer, Electrical Design Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Electrical Project Engineer, Engineer, Instrumentation and Electrical Reliability Engineer (I&E Reliability Engineer), Project Engineer, Test Engineer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do electrical engineers make?
The national median annual wage for electrical engineers was $120,630 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $76,550 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $184,300. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do electrical engineers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is electrical engineers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of electrical engineers to change +9.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 11,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay electrical engineers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Mexico ($158,520), California ($144,040), District of Columbia ($143,000). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.