State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Electrical Engineer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Electrical Engineers earn a median of $120,630 per year ($58.00/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 7.2% through 2034, with about 11,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 17-2071Architecture and EngineeringLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $120,630
- Projected growth
- +7.2%
- Openings a year
- 11,700
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Circuits Engineer, Design Engineer, Electrical Controls Engineer, Electrical Design Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Electrical Project Engineer.
How much do Electrical Engineers make?
10th percentile$76,550
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$92,830
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$120,630
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$152,950
Upper quartile
90th percentile$184,300
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $120,630 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $58.00/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $125,100 |
| People employed | 198,750 |
Versus all US occupations
At $120,630, Electrical Engineers earn 137% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $69,650 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
Inside the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $102,440, this is 18% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $184,300 or more while the bottom 10% earn $76,550, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 88% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Mexico pays the most at $158,520, and still leads at $171,908 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Electrical Engineers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $158,520 | $171,908 | 2,560 |
| California | $144,040 | $130,094 | 24,230 |
| District of Columbia | $143,000 | $130,117 | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $135,710 | $130,284 | 1,600 |
| Washington | $132,710 | $124,013 | 7,610 |
| Texas | $129,450 | $133,375 | 20,870 |
| Idaho | $129,340 | $135,443 | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $127,720 | $120,767 | 5,040 |
| Delaware | $126,970 | $127,214 | 660 |
| Alaska | $125,970 | $123,067 | 350 |
Is Electrical Engineer a growing career?
Electrical Engineers7.2%
All US occupations3.1%
+7.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Electrical Engineers to change 7.2% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.3× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 13,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 11,700 openings are projected each year, 6.1% of the 192,000 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of electrical and electronics engineers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment growth is expected as companies increasingly utilize the expertise of engineers for projects involving electrical and electronic devices, systems, and infrastructure. These engineers are expected to have key roles in developing sophisticated consumer electronics, solar arrays, semiconductors, and communications technologies.
How to become an Electrical Engineer
Electrical and electronics engineers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in a related engineering field. Employers also value practical experience, such as internships or participation in cooperative engineering programs.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as electrical engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree81.6%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)11.0%
- Master's Degree7.3%
What does an Electrical Engineer do?
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Electrical and electronics engineers design, develop, and test electrical and electronic equipment, components, and systems.
Day-to-day tasks
- Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems.
- Supervise or train project team members, as necessary.
- Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Estimate labor, material, or construction costs for budget preparation purposes.
- Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where electrical engineers work
| Engineering services | 21% |
|---|---|
| Electric power generation, transmission and distribution | 11% |
| Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences | 5% |
| Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing | 5% |
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Writing4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Monitoring3.5/5
- Mathematics3.4/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Coordination3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3/5
- Systems Analysis3.3/5
- Systems Evaluation3.3/5
- Operations Analysis3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
- Instructing3.0/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- File versioning software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Electrical Engineer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.0
Investigativeprimary5.5
Artistic2.1
Social1.7
Enterprising2.4
Conventionalprimary4.4
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Electrical Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Electrical Engineers make?
Electrical Engineers earn a median of $120,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 137% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $58.00/hr. The middle half earn between $92,830 and $152,950. The top 10% earn $184,300 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Electrical Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Electrical Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 81.6% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Electrical Engineer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.2% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 11,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Electrical Engineer do?
Electrical and electronics engineers design, develop, and test electrical and electronic equipment, components, and systems. A core O*NET task: investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Electrical Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Electrical Engineers are New Mexico ($158,520), California ($144,040), District of Columbia ($143,000) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Electrical Engineer?
O*NET scores Electrical Engineers highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.