Electrical Engineer salary in the U.S.
Electrical Engineers in the U.S. earn a median of $120,630 a year ($58.00 an hour), based on BLS data for 198,750 workers.
Pay ranges from $76,550 for the lowest-paid 10% to $184,300 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $125,100, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for electrical engineers in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $76,550 | $36.80 |
| 25th percentile | $92,830 | $44.63 |
| Median | $120,630 | $58.00 |
| 75th percentile | $152,950 | $73.53 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $184,300 | $88.61 |
| Average (mean) | $125,100 | $60.15 |
Half of electrical engineers earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $10,052.50 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $5,026.25 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $4,639.62 |
| Weekly | $2,319.81 |
| Hourly | $58.00 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Electrical Engineer salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $158,520 | 2,560 |
| California | $144,040 | 24,230 |
| District of Columbia | $143,000 | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $135,710 | 1,600 |
| Washington | $132,710 | 7,610 |
| Texas | $129,450 | 20,870 |
| Idaho | $129,340 | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $127,720 | 5,040 |
| Delaware | $126,970 | 660 |
| Alaska | $125,970 | 350 |
| Alabama | $125,630 | 4,600 |
| New Jersey | $125,370 | 2,940 |
| Oregon | $125,160 | 2,540 |
| Maryland | $125,150 | 4,650 |
| Louisiana | $123,710 | 990 |
| Colorado | $120,760 | 4,200 |
| Virginia | $119,030 | 7,260 |
| New York | $119,010 | 8,770 |
| Missouri | $118,670 | 2,410 |
| Maine | $114,620 | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $113,420 | 500 |
| Wyoming | $111,740 | 280 |
| Vermont | $111,310 | 820 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,820 | 6,970 |
| North Dakota | $110,810 | 260 |
| North Carolina | $110,130 | 7,090 |
| Minnesota | $109,510 | 3,150 |
| Illinois | $107,860 | 5,460 |
| Oklahoma | $107,760 | 2,080 |
| Nevada | $107,400 | 1,100 |
| Nebraska | $107,260 | 1,060 |
| Hawaii | $106,350 | 1,080 |
| Michigan | $106,070 | 10,840 |
| Iowa | $105,820 | 1,280 |
| Utah | $105,720 | 1,680 |
| Mississippi | $104,990 | 1,130 |
| Florida | $104,780 | 9,220 |
| Tennessee | $104,450 | 2,830 |
| Connecticut | $104,160 | 2,930 |
| Indiana | $102,670 | 4,000 |
| Kansas | $102,630 | 2,100 |
| Ohio | $100,620 | 6,360 |
| Arizona | $100,550 | 5,370 |
| Wisconsin | $99,700 | 3,550 |
| South Dakota | $98,980 | 530 |
| Kentucky | $98,550 | 1,540 |
| South Carolina | $98,440 | 3,490 |
| Arkansas | $96,860 | 900 |
| Montana | $87,360 | 790 |
| Puerto Rico | $74,250 | 330 |
| Guam | $64,190 | 200 |
Best-paying metro areas for electrical engineers
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $187,060 | 4,160 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $167,010 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $166,030 | 2,470 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $164,880 | 100 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $163,720 | 1,280 |
| Vallejo, CA | $160,060 | 150 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $159,360 | 1,050 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $145,360 | 4,070 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $140,210 | 4,930 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $139,780 | 8,970 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $137,030 | 70 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $136,240 | 100 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $136,190 | 1,420 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $136,100 | 130 |
| Fresno, CA | $134,780 | 400 |
Metro areas with the most electrical engineers
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8,970 | $139,780 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 6,290 | $128,340 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 6,060 | $114,390 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 5,770 | $131,070 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 5,720 | $124,390 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,930 | $140,210 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,450 | $126,420 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,290 | $113,520 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 4,160 | $187,060 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 4,070 | $145,360 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,030 | $128,610 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,520 | $127,730 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,420 | $99,160 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,770 | $116,650 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 2,620 | $119,020 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 | $48.48 |
| Industrial Engineer | $102,440 | $49.25 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | $50.05 |
| Engineers, All Other | $122,930 | $59.10 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | $62.60 |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | $161,740 | $77.76 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 | $64.89 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 | $51.50 |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $109,370 | $52.58 |
| Materials Engineer | $112,860 | $54.26 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $115,160 | $55.36 |
| Chemical Engineer | $125,040 | $60.12 |
| Petroleum Engineer | $144,910 | $69.67 |
| Nuclear Engineer | $133,970 | $64.41 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 17-2071. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a electrical engineer make in the U.S.?
The median salary for electrical engineers in the U.S. is $120,630 a year, or $58.00 an hour. Pay ranges from $76,550 for the lowest-paid 10% to $184,300 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid electrical engineers make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of electrical engineers in the U.S. earn at least $184,300 a year. The top 25% earn $152,950 or more.
What is the starting pay for electrical engineers in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $76,550 a year, and a quarter of electrical engineers earn $92,830 or less.
How many electrical engineers work in the U.S.?
About 198,750 electrical engineers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.