Electrical Engineers: salary, outlook & degrees
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Middle half $92,830–$152,950. 198,750 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 11,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | $158,520 |
| California | $144,040 |
| District of Columbia | $143,000 |
| New Hampshire | $135,710 |
| Washington | $132,710 |
| Texas | $129,450 |
| Idaho | $129,340 |
| Massachusetts | $127,720 |
| Delaware | $126,970 |
| Alaska | $125,970 |
| Alabama | $125,630 |
| New Jersey | $125,370 |
| Oregon | $125,160 |
| Maryland | $125,150 |
| Louisiana | $123,710 |
| Colorado | $120,760 |
| Virginia | $119,030 |
| New York | $119,010 |
| Missouri | $118,670 |
| Maine | $114,620 |
| West Virginia | $113,420 |
| Wyoming | $111,740 |
| Vermont | $111,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,820 |
| North Dakota | $110,810 |
| North Carolina | $110,130 |
| Minnesota | $109,510 |
| Illinois | $107,860 |
| Oklahoma | $107,760 |
| Nevada | $107,400 |
| Nebraska | $107,260 |
| Hawaii | $106,350 |
| Michigan | $106,070 |
| Iowa | $105,820 |
| Utah | $105,720 |
| Mississippi | $104,990 |
| Florida | $104,780 |
| Tennessee | $104,450 |
| Connecticut | $104,160 |
| Indiana | $102,670 |
| Kansas | $102,630 |
| Ohio | $100,620 |
| Arizona | $100,550 |
| Wisconsin | $99,700 |
| South Dakota | $98,980 |
| Kentucky | $98,550 |
| South Carolina | $98,440 |
| Arkansas | $96,860 |
| Montana | $87,360 |
| PR | $74,250 |
| GU | $64,190 |
Largest metro areas for this job
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA$139,780
- New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ$128,340
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MI$114,390
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX$131,070
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX$124,390
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA$140,210
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV$126,420
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN$113,520
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA$187,060
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX$145,360
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH$128,610
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD$127,730
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- Design
- English Language
- Mathematics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Innovation
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Electrical Engineers: questions
How much do electrical Engineers make?
Electrical Engineers earn a U.S. median $120,630 a year; the middle half earn $92,830 to $152,950 (BLS, May 2025).
Is electrical Engineers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 9.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an electrical Engineer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 89% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required.
How much do electrical Engineers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $104,780 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $120,630 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 17-2071. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Electrical Engineers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/electrical-engineers.