Electrical Engineers
Electrical Engineers earn an average annual salary of $152,423, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Electrical Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
23,650 Workforce in 2023
The Electrical Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Electrical Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$152,423 Average Wage
In 2023, Electrical Engineers earned an average of $152,423.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Electrical Engineers.
Salary distribution for Electrical Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
97,940 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 5.9%
103,700 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 12.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Electrical Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Electrical Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Electrical Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Electrical Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Electrical Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Electrical Engineers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 22,350 employees, $153,111 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Electrical Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,360 employees, $143,555 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 4,750 employees, $194,178 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,520 employees, $134,030 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 2,200 employees, $140,990 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,640 employees, $158,580 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,430 employees, $139,070 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,180 employees, $175,734 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 910 employees, $118,156 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 460 employees, $133,584 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 420 employees, $125,726 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Electrical Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Electrical Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Electrical Engineers in 2023 was 23,650 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Electrical Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Electrical Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Electrical Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Electrical Engineers in 2023 were Electrical Engineering, Engineering, Physics.
Common majors for Electrical Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Electrical Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Electrical Engineers.
Skills
Electrical Engineers need many skills, but most especially Writing, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking.
Required skills for Electrical Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Electrical Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Electrical Engineers include Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics, Design, English Language, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Electrical Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Electrical Engineers include Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Electrical Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Electrical Engineers.
Daily Activities
Electrical Engineers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Scheduling Work and Activities, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Electrical Engineers.
About
Electrical Engineers
The average yearly wage for Electrical Engineers was $152,423 in 2023.
SOC Code
17-2071 - Electrical Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Electrical Engineers reports an average salary of $152,423, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 23,650 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.