Electrical Engineers Salary 2025: $117,606 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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- Not self-reported estimates
$117,606 per year is the national median annual wage for electrical engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $57/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $116,900 to $258,100. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 17-2071.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $117,606
- Median hourly wage
- $57/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $129,529
- Total US employment
- 124,410
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($187,060)
- BLS SOC code
- 17-2071
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for electrical engineers (BLS SOC 17-2071) is $117,606 per year — about $57/hour — across 124,410 workers in 69 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $129,529 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $80,369 while the 90th earns $185,228 — a 2.3× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most electrical engineers land in the $98,060–$154,913 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median at $187,060, versus $97,960 in Louisville, KY, KY — a 91% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Albuquerque, NM delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($174,170 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
Engineering pay rewards specialization and licensure (PE and similar); the gap between the median and the 90th percentile for electrical engineers reflects how much seniority and niche expertise move compensation. OEWS captures base wage, not project or sign-on bonuses.
Electrical Engineers Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what electrical engineers earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $80,369 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $98,060 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $124,597 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $154,913 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $185,228 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Electrical Engineers salaries range from $97,960 to $187,060 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Electrical Engineers Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $116,900 | $144,964 | $187,060 | $222,580 | $258,100 | $95,536 | 4,160 |
| San Francisco, CA | $97,500 | $124,912 | $166,030 | $192,550 | $219,070 | $92,444 | 2,470 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $104,230 | $128,026 | $163,720 | $183,200 | $202,680 | $174,170 | 1,280 |
| Austin, TX | $81,960 | $107,320 | $145,360 | $179,130 | $212,900 | $141,126 | 4,070 |
| Seattle, WA | $98,130 | $114,962 | $140,210 | $171,320 | $202,430 | $93,849 | 4,930 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $79,230 | $103,450 | $139,780 | $174,620 | $209,460 | $84,205 | 8,970 |
| Sacramento, CA | $81,140 | $103,160 | $136,190 | $166,560 | $196,930 | $109,214 | 1,420 |
| Fresno, CA | $83,520 | $104,024 | $134,780 | $157,160 | $179,540 | $127,754 | 400 |
| Houston, TX | $77,170 | $98,730 | $131,070 | $169,530 | $207,990 | $135,824 | 5,770 |
| Raleigh, NC | $73,380 | $96,124 | $130,240 | $175,645 | $221,050 | $130,501 | 1,500 |
| Boise, ID | $77,070 | $98,158 | $129,790 | $147,570 | $165,350 | $127,120 | 590 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $85,990 | $103,178 | $128,960 | $152,875 | $176,790 | $93,789 | 430 |
| Boston, MA | $78,800 | $98,724 | $128,610 | $152,540 | $176,470 | $84,556 | 4,030 |
| New York, NY | $81,440 | $100,200 | $128,340 | $149,685 | $171,030 | $68,558 | 6,290 |
| Portland, OR | $84,250 | $101,782 | $128,080 | $146,400 | $164,720 | $98,447 | 2,320 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $81,380 | $99,920 | $127,730 | $154,060 | $180,390 | $107,880 | 3,520 |
| San Diego, CA | $80,080 | $98,956 | $127,270 | $165,940 | $204,610 | $79,444 | 2,400 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $86,610 | $102,750 | $126,960 | $145,340 | $163,720 | $126,203 | 460 |
| Anchorage, AK | $82,720 | $100,324 | $126,730 | $153,305 | $179,880 | $99,787 | 220 |
| Washington, DC | $84,820 | $101,460 | $126,420 | $160,805 | $195,190 | $82,736 | 4,450 |
| New Orleans, LA | $78,340 | $97,052 | $125,120 | $150,850 | $176,580 | $130,469 | 220 |
| Dallas, TX | $76,720 | $95,788 | $124,390 | $164,715 | $205,040 | $119,491 | 5,720 |
| St. Louis, MO | $77,770 | $96,246 | $123,960 | $144,540 | $165,120 | $137,733 | 1,290 |
| Spokane, WA | $79,950 | $96,810 | $122,100 | $141,265 | $160,430 | $125,359 | 320 |
| Orlando, FL | $75,810 | $93,118 | $119,080 | $139,070 | $159,060 | $115,500 | 2,010 |
| Denver, CO | $80,350 | $95,818 | $119,020 | $157,565 | $196,110 | $105,514 | 2,620 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $73,790 | $91,578 | $118,260 | $152,700 | $187,140 | $136,717 | 910 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $86,020 | $98,912 | $118,250 | $143,420 | $168,590 | $113,158 | 540 |
| Greensboro, NC | $76,800 | $93,072 | $117,480 | $159,375 | $201,270 | $128,675 | 440 |
| Tucson, AZ | $78,390 | $94,022 | $117,470 | $147,300 | $177,130 | $123,134 | 1,690 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $82,080 | $96,140 | $117,230 | $142,755 | $168,280 | $110,386 | 2,410 |
| Richmond, VA | $80,730 | $95,142 | $116,760 | $138,035 | $159,310 | $114,358 | 1,160 |
| Baltimore, MD | $66,630 | $86,638 | $116,650 | $159,930 | $203,210 | $102,145 | 2,770 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $74,530 | $91,310 | $116,480 | $141,045 | $165,610 | $122,482 | 570 |
| Providence, RI | $78,000 | $92,684 | $114,710 | $156,330 | $197,950 | $96,072 | 830 |
| Detroit, MI | $80,610 | $94,122 | $114,390 | $137,250 | $160,110 | $120,284 | 6,060 |
| Chicago, IL | $76,660 | $91,404 | $113,520 | $139,705 | $165,890 | $105,797 | 4,290 |
| Birmingham, AL | $64,630 | $83,962 | $112,960 | $139,890 | $166,820 | $124,956 | 900 |
| Memphis, TN | $77,500 | $91,648 | $112,870 | $142,150 | $171,430 | $134,369 | 250 |
| Kansas City, MO | $78,080 | $91,144 | $110,740 | $138,725 | $166,710 | $116,080 | 1,760 |
| Reno, NV | $77,420 | $90,564 | $110,280 | $135,620 | $160,960 | $103,549 | 250 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $76,570 | $89,938 | $109,990 | $138,335 | $166,680 | $89,861 | 1,150 |
| Little Rock, AR | $76,150 | $89,170 | $108,700 | $125,045 | $141,390 | $123,243 | 370 |
| Knoxville, TN | $75,120 | $88,508 | $108,590 | $137,400 | $166,210 | $120,255 | 630 |
| Rochester, NY | $78,860 | $90,580 | $108,160 | $135,905 | $163,650 | $116,426 | 1,000 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $76,900 | $89,096 | $107,390 | $137,360 | $167,330 | $98,523 | 740 |
| Des Moines, IA | $77,790 | $89,490 | $107,040 | $130,420 | $153,800 | $114,727 | 280 |
| Hartford, CT | $80,170 | $90,806 | $106,760 | $132,200 | $157,640 | $94,813 | 990 |
| Albany, NY | $70,890 | $84,898 | $105,910 | $137,965 | $170,020 | $105,174 | 720 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $77,600 | $88,700 | $105,350 | $132,365 | $159,380 | $115,515 | 1,170 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $77,270 | $88,454 | $105,230 | $138,405 | $171,580 | $103,777 | 810 |
| Tulsa, OK | $75,950 | $87,642 | $105,180 | $124,215 | $143,250 | $121,175 | 710 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $78,120 | $88,868 | $104,990 | $131,195 | $157,400 | $113,749 | 1,630 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $75,900 | $87,224 | $104,210 | $129,690 | $155,170 | $115,660 | 1,260 |
| San Antonio, TX | $68,420 | $82,460 | $103,520 | $148,355 | $193,190 | $113,137 | 820 |
| Charlotte, NC | $65,140 | $80,428 | $103,360 | $158,285 | $213,210 | $106,887 | 1,770 |
| Omaha, NE | $65,320 | $80,536 | $103,360 | $122,190 | $141,020 | $112,593 | 530 |
| Miami, FL | $65,660 | $80,516 | $102,800 | $133,275 | $163,750 | $83,509 | 2,050 |
| Madison, WI | $77,860 | $87,684 | $102,420 | $128,955 | $155,490 | $98,671 | 500 |
| Columbus, OH | $75,590 | $86,306 | $102,380 | $126,270 | $150,160 | $109,968 | 1,100 |
| Tampa, FL | $64,370 | $79,466 | $102,110 | $132,300 | $162,490 | $102,520 | 1,500 |
| Greenville, SC | $73,800 | $84,928 | $101,620 | $133,445 | $165,270 | $112,786 | 690 |
| Nashville, TN | $72,910 | $83,662 | $99,790 | $133,255 | $166,720 | $99,492 | 690 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $75,560 | $85,000 | $99,160 | $132,340 | $165,520 | $98,471 | 3,420 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $77,870 | $86,302 | $98,950 | $115,970 | $132,990 | $101,591 | 1,380 |
| Wichita, KS | $65,230 | $78,530 | $98,480 | $122,530 | $146,580 | $117,238 | 400 |
| Buffalo, NY | $65,800 | $78,752 | $98,180 | $125,340 | $152,500 | $106,141 | 550 |
| Lexington, KY | $62,010 | $76,470 | $98,160 | $124,880 | $151,600 | $107,514 | 200 |
| Louisville, KY | $63,270 | $77,146 | $97,960 | $117,700 | $137,440 | $108,603 | 660 |
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Electrical Engineer & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Electrical Engineer, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Electrical Engineer prevailing wage in San Jose, CA →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Electrical Engineer is $117,606 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $129,529. Salaries range from $97,960 to $187,060 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level electrical engineers (10th percentile) earn about $80,369 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $117,606, $154,913 at the 75th percentile, and $185,228 for the top 10% of earners.
The median electrical engineer earns about $57/hour, based on the $117,606 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median for Electrical Engineer at $187,060, well above the national median of $117,606. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 124,410 Electrical Engineer positions in the US across 69 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile electrical engineer earns $185,228 — about 2.3× the $80,369 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.