Engineering · 69 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Electrical Engineer (2025)

The median Electrical Engineer salary is $187,060 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Albuquerque, NM offers the best purchasing power at $174,170 adjusted.

The 69 cities below are ranked by median wage for Electrical Engineer, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Electrical Engineer relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$117,606

National Median

$187,060

Highest City

$97,960

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$187,060	$116,900, $258,100	195.8	$95,536	4,160
2	San Francisco, CA	$166,030	$97,500, $219,070	179.6	$92,444	2,470
3	Albuquerque, NM	$163,720	$104,230, $202,680	94	$174,170	1,280
4	Austin, TX	$145,360	$81,960, $212,900	103	$141,126	4,070
5	Seattle, WA	$140,210	$98,130, $202,430	149.4	$93,849	4,930
6	Los Angeles, CA	$139,780	$79,230, $209,460	166	$84,205	8,970
7	Sacramento, CA	$136,190	$81,140, $196,930	124.7	$109,214	1,420
8	Fresno, CA	$134,780	$83,520, $179,540	105.5	$127,754	400
9	Houston, TX	$131,070	$77,170, $207,990	96.5	$135,824	5,770
10	Raleigh, NC	$130,240	$73,380, $221,050	99.8	$130,501	1,500
11	Boise, ID	$129,790	$77,070, $165,350	102.1	$127,120	590
12	Bridgeport, CT	$128,960	$85,990, $176,790	137.5	$93,789	430
13	Boston, MA	$128,610	$78,800, $176,470	152.1	$84,556	4,030
14	New York, NY	$128,340	$81,440, $171,030	187.2	$68,558	6,290
15	Portland, OR	$128,080	$84,250, $164,720	130.1	$98,447	2,320
16	Philadelphia, PA	$127,730	$81,380, $180,390	118.4	$107,880	3,520
17	San Diego, CA	$127,270	$80,080, $204,610	160.2	$79,444	2,400
18	Bakersfield, CA	$126,960	$86,610, $163,720	100.6	$126,203	460
19	Anchorage, AK	$126,730	$82,720, $179,880	127	$99,787	220
20	Washington, DC	$126,420	$84,820, $195,190	152.8	$82,736	4,450
21	New Orleans, LA	$125,120	$78,340, $176,580	95.9	$130,469	220
22	Dallas, TX	$124,390	$76,720, $205,040	104.1	$119,491	5,720
23	St. Louis, MO	$123,960	$77,770, $165,120	90	$137,733	1,290
24	Spokane, WA	$122,100	$79,950, $160,430	97.4	$125,359	320
25	Orlando, FL	$119,080	$75,810, $159,060	103.1	$115,500	2,010
26	Denver, CO	$119,020	$80,350, $196,110	112.8	$105,514	2,620
27	Oklahoma City, OK	$118,260	$73,790, $187,140	86.5	$136,717	910
28	Colorado Springs, CO	$118,250	$86,020, $168,590	104.5	$113,158	540
29	Greensboro, NC	$117,480	$76,800, $201,270	91.3	$128,675	440
30	Tucson, AZ	$117,470	$78,390, $177,130	95.4	$123,134	1,690
31	Minneapolis, MN	$117,230	$82,080, $168,280	106.2	$110,386	2,410
32	Richmond, VA	$116,760	$80,730, $159,310	102.1	$114,358	1,160
33	Baltimore, MD	$116,650	$66,630, $203,210	114.2	$102,145	2,770
34	Jacksonville, FL	$116,480	$74,530, $165,610	95.1	$122,482	570
35	Providence, RI	$114,710	$78,000, $197,950	119.4	$96,072	830
36	Detroit, MI	$114,390	$80,610, $160,110	95.1	$120,284	6,060
37	Chicago, IL	$113,520	$76,660, $165,890	107.3	$105,797	4,290
38	Birmingham, AL	$112,960	$64,630, $166,820	90.4	$124,956	900
39	Memphis, TN	$112,870	$77,500, $171,430	84	$134,369	250
40	Kansas City, MO	$110,740	$78,080, $166,710	95.4	$116,080	1,760
41	Reno, NV	$110,280	$77,420, $160,960	106.5	$103,549	250
42	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$109,990	$76,570, $166,680	122.4	$89,861	1,150
43	Little Rock, AR	$108,700	$76,150, $141,390	88.2	$123,243	370
44	Knoxville, TN	$108,590	$75,120, $166,210	90.3	$120,255	630
45	Rochester, NY	$108,160	$78,860, $163,650	92.9	$116,426	1,000
46	Las Vegas, NV	$107,390	$76,900, $167,330	109	$98,523	740
47	Des Moines, IA	$107,040	$77,790, $153,800	93.3	$114,727	280
48	Hartford, CT	$106,760	$80,170, $157,640	112.6	$94,813	990
49	Albany, NY	$105,910	$70,890, $170,020	100.7	$105,174	720
50	Cincinnati, OH	$105,350	$77,600, $159,380	91.2	$115,515	1,170
51	Salt Lake City, UT	$105,230	$77,270, $171,580	101.4	$103,777	810
52	Tulsa, OK	$105,180	$75,950, $143,250	86.8	$121,175	710
53	Pittsburgh, PA	$104,990	$78,120, $157,400	92.3	$113,749	1,630
54	Indianapolis, IN	$104,210	$75,900, $155,170	90.1	$115,660	1,260
55	San Antonio, TX	$103,520	$68,420, $193,190	91.5	$113,137	820
56	Charlotte, NC	$103,360	$65,140, $213,210	96.7	$106,887	1,770
57	Omaha, NE	$103,360	$65,320, $141,020	91.8	$112,593	530
58	Miami, FL	$102,800	$65,660, $163,750	123.1	$83,509	2,050
59	Madison, WI	$102,420	$77,860, $155,490	103.8	$98,671	500
60	Columbus, OH	$102,380	$75,590, $150,160	93.1	$109,968	1,100
61	Tampa, FL	$102,110	$64,370, $162,490	99.6	$102,520	1,500
62	Greenville, SC	$101,620	$73,800, $165,270	90.1	$112,786	690
63	Nashville, TN	$99,790	$72,910, $166,720	100.3	$99,492	690
64	Phoenix, AZ	$99,160	$75,560, $165,520	100.7	$98,471	3,420
65	Milwaukee, WI	$98,950	$77,870, $132,990	97.4	$101,591	1,380
66	Wichita, KS	$98,480	$65,230, $146,580	84	$117,238	400
67	Buffalo, NY	$98,180	$65,800, $152,500	92.5	$106,141	550
68	Lexington, KY	$98,160	$62,010, $151,600	91.3	$107,514	200
69	Louisville, KY	$97,960	$63,270, $137,440	90.2	$108,603	660

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Electrical Engineer paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Albuquerque, NM	$174,170	$163,720	94
2	Austin, TX	$141,126	$145,360	103
3	St. Louis, MO	$137,733	$123,960	90
4	Oklahoma City, OK	$136,717	$118,260	86.5
5	Houston, TX	$135,824	$131,070	96.5
6	Memphis, TN	$134,369	$112,870	84
7	Raleigh, NC	$130,501	$130,240	99.8
8	New Orleans, LA	$130,469	$125,120	95.9
9	Greensboro, NC	$128,675	$117,480	91.3
10	Fresno, CA	$127,754	$134,780	105.5
11	Boise, ID	$127,120	$129,790	102.1
12	Bakersfield, CA	$126,203	$126,960	100.6
13	Spokane, WA	$125,359	$122,100	97.4
14	Birmingham, AL	$124,956	$112,960	90.4
15	Little Rock, AR	$123,243	$108,700	88.2
16	Tucson, AZ	$123,134	$117,470	95.4
17	Jacksonville, FL	$122,482	$116,480	95.1
18	Tulsa, OK	$121,175	$105,180	86.8
19	Detroit, MI	$120,284	$114,390	95.1
20	Knoxville, TN	$120,255	$108,590	90.3
21	Dallas, TX	$119,491	$124,390	104.1
22	Wichita, KS	$117,238	$98,480	84
23	Rochester, NY	$116,426	$108,160	92.9
24	Kansas City, MO	$116,080	$110,740	95.4
25	Indianapolis, IN	$115,660	$104,210	90.1
26	Cincinnati, OH	$115,515	$105,350	91.2
27	Orlando, FL	$115,500	$119,080	103.1
28	Des Moines, IA	$114,727	$107,040	93.3
29	Richmond, VA	$114,358	$116,760	102.1
30	Pittsburgh, PA	$113,749	$104,990	92.3
31	Colorado Springs, CO	$113,158	$118,250	104.5
32	San Antonio, TX	$113,137	$103,520	91.5
33	Greenville, SC	$112,786	$101,620	90.1
34	Omaha, NE	$112,593	$103,360	91.8
35	Minneapolis, MN	$110,386	$117,230	106.2
36	Columbus, OH	$109,968	$102,380	93.1
37	Sacramento, CA	$109,214	$136,190	124.7
38	Louisville, KY	$108,603	$97,960	90.2
39	Philadelphia, PA	$107,880	$127,730	118.4
40	Lexington, KY	$107,514	$98,160	91.3
41	Charlotte, NC	$106,887	$103,360	96.7
42	Buffalo, NY	$106,141	$98,180	92.5
43	Chicago, IL	$105,797	$113,520	107.3
44	Denver, CO	$105,514	$119,020	112.8
45	Albany, NY	$105,174	$105,910	100.7
46	Salt Lake City, UT	$103,777	$105,230	101.4
47	Reno, NV	$103,549	$110,280	106.5
48	Tampa, FL	$102,520	$102,110	99.6
49	Baltimore, MD	$102,145	$116,650	114.2
50	Milwaukee, WI	$101,591	$98,950	97.4
51	Anchorage, AK	$99,787	$126,730	127
52	Nashville, TN	$99,492	$99,790	100.3
53	Madison, WI	$98,671	$102,420	103.8
54	Las Vegas, NV	$98,523	$107,390	109
55	Phoenix, AZ	$98,471	$99,160	100.7
56	Portland, OR	$98,447	$128,080	130.1
57	Providence, RI	$96,072	$114,710	119.4
58	San Jose, CA	$95,536	$187,060	195.8
59	Hartford, CT	$94,813	$106,760	112.6
60	Seattle, WA	$93,849	$140,210	149.4
61	Bridgeport, CT	$93,789	$128,960	137.5
62	San Francisco, CA	$92,444	$166,030	179.6
63	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$89,861	$109,990	122.4
64	Boston, MA	$84,556	$128,610	152.1
65	Los Angeles, CA	$84,205	$139,780	166
66	Miami, FL	$83,509	$102,800	123.1
67	Washington, DC	$82,736	$126,420	152.8
68	San Diego, CA	$79,444	$127,270	160.2
69	New York, NY	$68,558	$128,340	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Electrical Engineer salary at $187,060. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Albuquerque, NM offers the most purchasing power at $174,170 adjusted.

The national median Electrical Engineer salary is $117,606 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $97,960 to $187,060 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.