SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. Excludes “Computer Hardware Engineers” (17-2061).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-2071.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $76,550 | $6,379 | $1,472 | $36.80 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $92,830 | $7,736 | $1,785 | $44.63 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $120,630 | $10,052 | $2,320 | $58.00 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $152,950 | $12,746 | $2,941 | $73.53 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $184,300 | $15,358 | $3,544 | $88.61 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Electrical Engineers is $120,630, which is 137% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 8 by median pay. With 198,750 jobs, it makes up about 13 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Electrical Engineers pay by state
The highest median pay was in New Mexico ($158,520), California ($144,040) and District of Columbia ($143,000). The lowest was in Guam ($64,190), Puerto Rico ($74,250) and Montana ($87,360). The most jobs were in California (24,230), Texas (20,870) and Michigan (10,840). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 2.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 2,560 | $158,520 | $155,400 | $76.21 |
| California | 24,230 | $144,040 | $151,180 | $69.25 |
| District of Columbia | 330 | $143,000 | $142,760 | $68.75 |
| New Hampshire | 1,600 | $135,710 | $142,360 | $65.25 |
| Washington | 7,610 | $132,710 | $136,970 | $63.81 |
| Texas | 20,870 | $129,450 | $135,580 | $62.24 |
| Idaho | 1,000 | $129,340 | $126,200 | $62.18 |
| Massachusetts | 5,040 | $127,720 | $130,190 | $61.40 |
| Delaware | 660 | $126,970 | $122,850 | $61.04 |
| Alaska | 350 | $125,970 | $122,500 | $60.56 |
| Alabama | 4,600 | $125,630 | $126,380 | $60.40 |
| New Jersey | 2,940 | $125,370 | $126,990 | $60.27 |
| Oregon | 2,540 | $125,160 | $124,140 | $60.17 |
| Maryland | 4,650 | $125,150 | $129,390 | $60.17 |
| Louisiana | 990 | $123,710 | $124,290 | $59.48 |
| Colorado | 4,200 | $120,760 | $126,480 | $58.06 |
| Virginia | 7,260 | $119,030 | $123,830 | $57.23 |
| New York | 8,770 | $119,010 | $122,140 | $57.22 |
| Missouri | 2,410 | $118,670 | $122,690 | $57.06 |
| Maine | 1,150 | $114,620 | $118,510 | $55.11 |
| West Virginia | 500 | $113,420 | $114,260 | $54.53 |
| Wyoming | 280 | $111,740 | $111,490 | $53.72 |
| Vermont | 820 | $111,310 | $122,250 | $53.51 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,970 | $110,820 | $118,310 | $53.28 |
| North Dakota | 260 | $110,810 | $112,380 | $53.28 |
| North Carolina | 7,090 | $110,130 | $121,380 | $52.95 |
| Minnesota | 3,150 | $109,510 | $118,190 | $52.65 |
| Illinois | 5,460 | $107,860 | $114,640 | $51.85 |
| Oklahoma | 2,080 | $107,760 | $118,440 | $51.81 |
| Nevada | 1,100 | $107,400 | $115,770 | $51.64 |
| Nebraska | 1,060 | $107,260 | $107,140 | $51.57 |
| Hawaii | 1,080 | $106,350 | $111,270 | $51.13 |
| Michigan | 10,840 | $106,070 | $112,740 | $51.00 |
| Iowa | 1,280 | $105,820 | $113,330 | $50.87 |
| Utah | 1,680 | $105,720 | $118,630 | $50.83 |
| Mississippi | 1,130 | $104,990 | $108,700 | $50.48 |
| Florida | 9,220 | $104,780 | $111,430 | $50.38 |
| Tennessee | 2,830 | $104,450 | $114,680 | $50.21 |
| Connecticut | 2,930 | $104,160 | $114,730 | $50.08 |
| Indiana | 4,000 | $102,670 | $107,710 | $49.36 |
| Kansas | 2,100 | $102,630 | $110,860 | $49.34 |
| Ohio | 6,360 | $100,620 | $106,150 | $48.38 |
| Arizona | 5,370 | $100,550 | $113,710 | $48.34 |
| Wisconsin | 3,550 | $99,700 | $103,550 | $47.93 |
| South Dakota | 530 | $98,980 | $102,770 | $47.59 |
| Kentucky | 1,540 | $98,550 | $99,530 | $47.38 |
| South Carolina | 3,490 | $98,440 | $104,580 | $47.33 |
| Arkansas | 900 | $96,860 | $99,960 | $46.57 |
| Montana | 790 | $87,360 | $98,930 | $42.00 |
| Puerto Rico | 330 | $74,250 | $79,260 | $35.70 |
| Guam | 200 | $64,190 | $72,280 | $30.86 |
| Georgia | 5,950 | not published | not published | not published |
| Rhode Island | 670 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$130,220 a year
- Chemical Engineers$125,040 a year
- Engineers, All Other$122,930 a year
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors$115,160 a year
- Materials Engineers$112,860 a year
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects$112,230 a year
Common questions
How much do Electrical Engineers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $120,630 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $76,550 and the highest-paid 10% more than $184,300.
How many people work as Electrical Engineers?
About 198,750 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.