Electrical Engineer Salary Guide: What You Can Expect to Earn in 2025

The BLS reports a median annual wage of $111,910 for electrical engineers, placing this profession firmly among the higher-paying engineering disciplines [1].

The BLS projects 7.2% growth for electrical engineers through 2034, with 11,700 annual openings expected to keep demand steady across power systems, electronics, telecommunications, and emerging fields like renewable energy [2]. That growth means hiring managers will be reviewing stacks of resumes for each opening — and your ability to quantify your engineering impact on paper directly affects whether you land interviews at the top of the pay scale or settle for less.

Key Takeaways

• Broad salary range: Electrical engineers earn between $74,670 at the 10th percentile and $175,460 at the 90th percentile, meaning specialization, location, and experience create a gap of over $100,000 between the lowest and highest earners [1].
• Median sits above six figures: At $111,910, the median salary reflects strong earning potential even at the midpoint of the profession [1].
• Location matters significantly: Engineers in states with dense tech, defense, or energy sectors consistently out-earn the national median, sometimes by $20,000 or more.
• Industry selection is a salary lever: The industry you work in can shift your compensation by tens of thousands of dollars — utility companies, semiconductor manufacturers, and defense contractors each pay differently for similar skill sets.
• Negotiation power is real: With 188,790 electrical engineers employed nationally and steady projected growth, qualified candidates hold meaningful bargaining power, especially those with niche specializations or a Professional Engineer (PE) license [1][2].

What Is the National Salary Overview for Electrical Engineers?

Understanding where you fall on the salary distribution helps you set realistic expectations and identify what it takes to move up. The BLS breaks electrical engineer compensation into five percentile bands, and each one tells a different story about career stage and specialization [1].

10th Percentile: $74,670 [1] This bracket typically represents engineers in their first year or two after completing a bachelor's degree — the standard entry-level education for this field [2]. At this stage, you're likely working under the supervision of senior engineers, learning company-specific design standards, and building fluency with tools like AutoCAD Electrical, MATLAB, or ETAP. Graduates entering smaller firms or working in regions with lower costs of living often start here.

25th Percentile: $87,590 [1] Engineers earning around this figure have generally moved past the pure entry-level phase. You might have two to four years of experience, have completed a few projects from concept through commissioning, and started developing a specialization — whether that's power distribution, control systems, or RF design. Some engineers at this level are also pursuing their Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, which signals upward trajectory.

Median (50th Percentile): $111,910 [1] The midpoint of the profession. Half of all electrical engineers earn more, half earn less. Engineers at the median often have five to ten years of experience, hold responsibility for project-level decisions, and may mentor junior staff. The mean (average) wage sits higher at $120,980, pulled upward by high earners in lucrative industries and metro areas [1]. That gap between median and mean tells you the top end of this profession pays disproportionately well.

75th Percentile: $141,630 [1] Reaching this level usually requires a combination of deep technical expertise, industry-specific knowledge, and either a management track or a highly specialized individual contributor role. Engineers here often hold a PE license, work in high-paying industries like semiconductor manufacturing or aerospace, or have transitioned into lead engineer or principal engineer positions. Many also hold a master's degree in a focused area like power electronics or embedded systems.

90th Percentile: $175,460 [1] The top 10% of earners. These are engineering managers, directors of engineering, or deeply specialized consultants whose expertise commands premium compensation. At this level, you're likely influencing company-wide technical strategy, holding patents, or leading teams of 10+ engineers. Geographic location and industry compound here — a principal electrical engineer at a semiconductor firm in the San Francisco Bay Area or a defense contractor in the D.C. metro area can reach this bracket.

The total national employment of 188,790 electrical engineers means this is a sizable profession with room across multiple industries and geographies [1]. The median hourly wage of $53.80 also makes contract and consulting work a viable — and sometimes more lucrative — alternative to salaried positions [1].

How Does Location Affect Electrical Engineer Salary?

Geography is one of the most powerful variables in electrical engineer compensation. The same skill set, applied in different metro areas, can yield salary differences of $30,000 or more.

High-paying states tend to cluster around technology hubs, defense corridors, and energy-intensive regions. California consistently ranks among the top-paying states for electrical engineers, driven by Silicon Valley's semiconductor and tech companies, as well as Southern California's aerospace and defense presence [1]. Washington state benefits from major employers in both commercial tech and defense. States along the Eastern Seaboard — particularly Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts — pay premiums thanks to federal contracting, biotech, and academic research institutions [1].

Metro areas amplify these differences further. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area, home to the densest concentration of semiconductor and hardware companies in the country, regularly tops the list for electrical engineer pay [1]. The Seattle-Tacoma area, the Washington D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria corridor, and the Boston-Cambridge metro area also rank among the highest-paying regions.

Cost of living is the counterweight. A salary of $130,000 in San Jose doesn't stretch as far as $105,000 in Austin, Texas, or Raleigh, North Carolina. When evaluating offers across geographies, calculate your purchasing power — not just the top-line number. Tools like the BLS's Consumer Expenditure Survey or third-party cost-of-living calculators can help you make apples-to-apples comparisons.

Remote and hybrid work has introduced some nuance here. Some employers now adjust salaries based on the engineer's location rather than the office location, while others maintain location-agnostic pay bands. If you're considering a remote role, clarify the company's compensation philosophy during the offer stage — it can mean a difference of 10-15% in base salary [15].

For electrical engineers willing to relocate, targeting a high-paying metro area with a reasonable cost of living (think Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, or the Research Triangle in North Carolina) can maximize both raw earnings and quality of life.

How Does Experience Impact Electrical Engineer Earnings?

The salary trajectory for electrical engineers follows a steep curve in the first decade, then levels off unless you pursue management, deep specialization, or licensure.

Years 0-3 (Entry Level): $74,670–$87,590 [1] A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement, and no prior work experience is expected by the BLS [2]. Early-career engineers focus on learning company processes, building proficiency with industry-standard tools, and passing the FE exam. Salary growth during this phase often comes from annual raises and completing your first major project cycle.

Years 4-8 (Mid-Level): $87,590–$111,910 [1] This is where specialization starts to pay off. Engineers who develop expertise in high-demand areas — power electronics, FPGA design, high-voltage systems, or embedded firmware — see faster salary growth than generalists. Earning your PE license during this phase can accelerate your progression, particularly in power and utilities, where many states require a PE stamp on engineering drawings [16].

Years 9-15 (Senior Level): $111,910–$141,630 [1] Senior engineers and technical leads occupy this range. You're likely owning entire subsystems or project portfolios, reviewing the work of junior engineers, and interfacing with clients or cross-functional teams. Engineers who move into management — overseeing budgets, headcount, and project timelines — often break into the 75th percentile during this phase.

Years 15+ (Principal/Director): $141,630–$175,460+ [1] The top of the individual contributor ladder or the lower rungs of engineering management. At this level, your resume should reflect not just technical depth but business impact: cost savings, efficiency gains, patents filed, and revenue influenced.

Which Industries Pay Electrical Engineers the Most?

Not all electrical engineering jobs pay equally, and the industry you choose can be as impactful as your experience level.

Semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing consistently ranks among the highest-paying sectors for electrical engineers [1]. The complexity of chip design, the capital intensity of fabrication, and the fierce competition for talent among companies like Intel, Texas Instruments, and Broadcom all drive salaries upward. Engineers in this space often work on ASIC design, VLSI, or process integration — skills that command premium compensation.

Aerospace and defense is another top-paying industry. Companies like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman employ thousands of electrical engineers for radar systems, avionics, electronic warfare, and satellite communications. Security clearance requirements create a barrier to entry that further inflates salaries for cleared engineers.

Electric power generation and utilities pay well, particularly for engineers with PE licenses who can stamp designs and oversee grid-level infrastructure. The ongoing buildout of renewable energy — solar farms, wind installations, battery storage — has created strong demand for power systems engineers specifically.

Oil and gas extraction and scientific research and development services also pay above-average wages for electrical engineers, driven by the technical complexity and often remote or hazardous working conditions involved [1].

Lower-paying sectors include some government agencies (though benefits often compensate), smaller consulting firms, and education. If you're in one of these sectors and want to increase your earnings, transitioning to a higher-paying industry is one of the most effective moves you can make — and your resume needs to translate your experience into the language of the target industry.

How Should an Electrical Engineer Negotiate Salary?

Electrical engineers hold more negotiating power than many realize, particularly when they bring specialized skills to the table. Here's how to approach the conversation strategically.

1. Know your market value with precision. Before any negotiation, research the BLS percentile data for your experience level [1]. Cross-reference with salary data on platforms like Glassdoor [13] and Indeed [5] for your specific metro area and specialization. A power systems engineer in Houston and an RF engineer in San Diego occupy very different salary bands, even though both fall under the same BLS occupation code. The more specific your data, the stronger your position.

2. Quantify your engineering impact. Hiring managers respond to numbers. Instead of saying "I designed control systems," say "I designed a PLC-based control system that reduced production downtime by 18% and saved $240K annually." When you walk into a negotiation with concrete results, you shift the conversation from "What's the budget for this role?" to "What's this candidate worth?"

3. Use your specialization as a differentiator. Niche skills carry outsized value. If you hold expertise in areas like high-voltage design, power integrity for high-speed PCBs, or SiC/GaN power converter design, you're competing in a smaller talent pool. Mention the scarcity of your skill set directly: "Based on my research, there are relatively few engineers with production experience in GaN-based inverter design, and the market rate for this specialization is..."

4. Time your negotiation carefully. The best moment to negotiate is after you've received a written offer but before you've accepted. At this point, the company has already invested significant time and resources in selecting you. They're motivated to close. If you're negotiating a raise at your current employer, time it after a successful project delivery, a positive performance review, or when you've received a competing offer.

5. Negotiate beyond base salary. If the company can't move on base pay, explore signing bonuses, relocation packages, additional PTO, professional development budgets (conference attendance, certification reimbursement), or accelerated review timelines. For electrical engineers, tuition reimbursement for a master's degree or funding for PE exam preparation can be worth thousands over time.

6. Practice the conversation. Rehearse your key points with a trusted colleague or mentor. Salary negotiations feel uncomfortable for most engineers — practicing reduces anxiety and helps you stay focused on data rather than emotion.

What Benefits Matter Beyond Electrical Engineer Base Salary?

Base salary is only one component of total compensation. For electrical engineers, several benefits can add 20-40% to the value of your overall package.

Bonuses and profit sharing. Many engineering firms, particularly in semiconductor, defense, and energy, offer annual performance bonuses ranging from 5-15% of base salary. Some companies also provide profit-sharing or stock options, which can be substantial at publicly traded firms or high-growth startups.

Retirement contributions. A 401(k) match of 4-6% of your salary is common in engineering roles. Over a 30-year career, the difference between a 3% match and a 6% match compounds into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Don't overlook this in your offer evaluation.

Professional development. Employers that fund PE exam preparation, continuing education credits, IEEE membership, or graduate tuition are investing in your long-term earning potential. A master's degree in power systems or controls engineering, funded by your employer, can accelerate your move from the median to the 75th percentile.

Health and insurance benefits. Engineering roles at large firms typically include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage. Some also offer life insurance, disability insurance, and health savings accounts (HSAs) with employer contributions.

Work-life balance perks. Flexible schedules, remote work options, and generous PTO policies have become increasingly common in engineering. For roles that require on-site presence (manufacturing, lab work, field commissioning), look for compensatory benefits like compressed workweeks or overtime pay.

Relocation assistance. If you're moving to a high-paying metro area, a relocation package covering moving costs, temporary housing, and closing cost assistance can be worth $10,000-$30,000 — effectively a tax-advantaged signing bonus.

Key Takeaways

Electrical engineering offers strong, stable compensation with a median salary of $111,910 and a ceiling above $175,460 for top earners [1]. The 7.2% projected growth through 2034 means demand will remain healthy, with 11,700 openings expected annually [2]. Your position on the salary spectrum depends on four primary factors: experience, specialization, industry, and location. Engineers who combine deep technical expertise with strategic career moves — pursuing a PE license, targeting high-paying industries, relocating to premium metro areas — consistently out-earn their peers.

Your resume is the document that translates all of that value into interview invitations. Resume Geni's AI-powered resume builder can help you craft an electrical engineering resume that highlights quantifiable achievements, uses the right technical terminology, and positions you for the salary bracket you're targeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Electrical Engineer salary?

The mean (average) annual wage for electrical engineers is $120,980, while the median annual wage is $111,910 [1]. The mean is higher than the median because top earners in lucrative industries and metro areas pull the average upward. When benchmarking your own salary, the median is generally a more useful reference point, as it represents the true midpoint of the profession rather than being skewed by outliers at either end.

How much do entry-level Electrical Engineers make?

Entry-level electrical engineers typically earn in the range of $74,670 to $87,590, corresponding to the 10th and 25th percentiles of BLS wage data [1]. A bachelor's degree is the standard entry requirement, and no prior work experience is expected [2]. Your starting salary within this range depends on your geographic location, the industry you enter, and whether you completed relevant internships or co-op programs during your degree.

What is the highest-paying state for Electrical Engineers?

California consistently ranks among the highest-paying states for electrical engineers, driven by the concentration of semiconductor companies, tech firms, and aerospace contractors [1]. Other top-paying states include Washington, Maryland, and Massachusetts, all of which benefit from strong technology, defense, and research sectors. Keep in mind that high-paying states often have correspondingly high costs of living, so calculate your purchasing power rather than focusing solely on the gross salary figure.

Do Electrical Engineers need a PE license to earn more?

A PE license isn't required for all electrical engineering roles, but it can meaningfully increase your earning potential — particularly in power systems, utilities, and consulting. Many states require a PE stamp on engineering drawings for public infrastructure projects, which makes licensed engineers indispensable in those sectors. Engineers with a PE license often earn 10-15% more than unlicensed peers at the same experience level, and the credential opens doors to senior technical and management positions that non-licensed engineers cannot access.

What industries pay Electrical Engineers the most?

Semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and electric power generation rank among the highest-paying industries for electrical engineers [1]. These sectors pay premiums because of the technical complexity involved, the capital-intensive nature of the products, and — in the case of defense — the requirement for security clearances that limits the available talent pool. Scientific research and development services and oil and gas extraction also offer above-average compensation for electrical engineers.

How fast is the job market growing for Electrical Engineers?

The BLS projects 7.2% employment growth for electrical engineers from 2024 to 2034, which translates to approximately 13,800 new jobs over that period and roughly 11,700 annual openings when accounting for retirements and turnover [2]. This growth rate is on par with the average for all occupations, and demand is particularly strong in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing — sectors undergoing rapid expansion that rely heavily on electrical engineering expertise.

Is a master's degree worth it for Electrical Engineers?

A master's degree can be a strong investment if it deepens your expertise in a high-demand specialization such as power electronics, VLSI design, control systems, or signal processing. Engineers with graduate degrees often qualify for senior technical roles and research positions that require advanced knowledge beyond what a bachelor's program covers. The financial return is strongest when your employer covers tuition costs through a reimbursement program, effectively eliminating the out-of-pocket expense while positioning you to move from the median salary range toward the 75th percentile and above [1].