Electrical Engineer
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Also called: 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)
O*NET-SOC 17-2071.00 (Electrical Engineers)
Electrical Engineer salary
Wages for electrical engineers across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $58.
Electrical Engineer pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $81,840 | $144,040 | $217,760 |
| Texas | $76,120 | $129,450 | $210,160 |
| Florida | $65,090 | $104,780 | $164,210 |
| New York | $74,870 | $119,010 | $168,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,650 | $110,820 | $167,260 |
| Illinois | $75,470 | $107,860 | $164,290 |
| Ohio | $72,690 | $100,620 | $149,390 |
| North Carolina | $66,800 | $110,130 | $203,490 |
| Michigan | $75,880 | $106,070 | $159,090 |
Electrical Engineer job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 199,700 jobs in 2025 to 219,500 in 2035 (10% change).
- About 11,400 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Bright (Rapid Growth).
How to become an electrical engineer
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma.6%
- High school diploma or equivalent3.7%
- Some college, no degree4.9%
- Associate's degree6.5%
- Bachelor's degree51.2%
- Master's degree27.2%
- Doctoral or professional degree6%
Related training programs
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, Other
- Electromechanical Engineering
What does an electrical engineer do?
Common 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.
- Collect data relating to commercial or residential development, population, or power system interconnection to determine operating efficiency of electrical systems.
- Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.
- Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems.
Most important skills
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Electrical Engineer certifications
8 of 13 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- Exemplar Global · Advanced
- International Council on Systems Engineering · Advanced
- Global Information Assurance Certification · Advanced
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · Core
- Machine Vision Systems 1 (C-362)Smart Automation Certification Alliance · Product/Equipment
- Exemplar Global · Advanced
- Robotics Education and Competition Foundation · Skill
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · Advanced
See all 13certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Electrical Engineer jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more engineering jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Engineering jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Mechanical Engineer
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
- Mechatronics Engineers
- Industrial Engineers
- Solar Energy Systems Engineers
- Microsystems Engineers
More engineering careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Electrical Engineers. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.