Electrical Engineer Salary, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 18,271 US job postings by 3,067 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for electrical engineers: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 18,271 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for electrical engineers in US job postings is $132,000 a year (5,896 postings from 1,065 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $105,000 to $166,000.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $104,000 a year (596 postings).
- The skills that most set electrical engineer postings apart are autocad, oscilloscopes, MATLAB.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 5 years of experience.
Electrical Engineer job postings in the US, October 2026
- $132,000
- Median advertised pay (5,896 postings)
- $105,000–$166,000
- Middle 50% of postings
- $104,000
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 18,271
- US job postings from 3,067 employers
How much does an electrical engineer make?
The median advertised pay is $132,000 a year, from 5,896 US job postings by 1,065 employers that state pay. One in ten postings offers $200,000 or more.
Advertised pay in 5,896 US electrical engineer job postings: median $132,000 a year, middle half $105,000 to $166,000.
- Median: $132,000
- 25th percentile: $105,000
- 75th percentile: $166,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $20K–$30K | 0.0% |
| $30K–$40K | 0.1% |
| $40K–$50K | 1.5% |
| $50K–$60K | 2.6% |
| $60K–$70K | 1.9% |
| $70K–$80K | 3.0% |
| $80K–$90K | 5.6% |
| $90K–$100K | 5.3% |
| $100K–$110K | 8.4% |
| $110K–$120K | 9.0% |
| $120K–$130K | 9.4% |
| $130K–$140K | 8.2% |
| $140K–$150K | 7.5% |
| $150K–$160K | 8.0% |
| $160K–$170K | 6.2% |
| $170K–$180K | 5.3% |
| $180K–$190K | 3.8% |
| $190K–$200K | 4.0% |
| $200K–$210K | 2.8% |
| $210K–$220K | 2.1% |
| $220K–$230K | 2.0% |
| $230K–$240K | 0.9% |
| $240K–$250K | 0.6% |
| $250K–$260K | 0.5% |
| $260K–$270K | 0.4% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $32.50 | $26.00–$52.28 | 418 | Electrical Engineering Intern, Electrical Engineer, Electrical Engineering |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $137,000 | $112K–$170K | 3,787 | Electrical Engineer, Senior Electrical Engineer, Principal Electrical Engineer |
| All pay postings, annualised | $132,000 | $105K–$166K | 5,896 | – |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Electrical Engineers (17-2071) at $121,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for an electrical engineer?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $104,000 a year (596 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $104,000 | 596 |
| 2-4 years | $125,000 | 1,708 |
| 5+ years | $155,000 | 2,638 |
Electrical engineer levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked. Senior electrical engineers have a median advertised pay of $149,000 a year.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level II | 2.1% | 3 years | $104,000 |
| Level I | 1.7% | 3 years | $84,000 |
| No level in title | 72.4% | 5 years | $128,000 |
| Level III | 1.2% | 5 years | – |
| Senior | 15.4% | 6 years | $149,000 |
| Lead | 1.4% | 6 years | – |
| Staff | 1.9% | 7 years | $189,000 |
| Principal | 3.0% | 8 years | $175,000 |
Highest-paying electrical engineer jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware Engineer | $175,000 | 313 | 132 |
| RF Engineer | $144,000 | 330 | 113 |
| Electrical Engineer (general) | $126,000 | 1,892 | 586 |
| Electronic Engineer | $119,000 | 473 | 167 |
Electrical engineer pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $160,000 | $127,000–$190,000 | 1,342 | 26.8% |
| Washington | $144,000 | $110,000–$172,000 | 112 | 2.5% |
| Texas | $140,000 | $108,000–$174,000 | 189 | 11.6% |
| Colorado | $132,000 | $104,000–$163,000 | 196 | 3.6% |
| Massachusetts | $128,000 | $103,000–$158,000 | 265 | 4.4% |
| Arizona | $125,000 | $110,000–$153,000 | 100 | 3.2% |
| New York | $125,000 | $98,000–$152,000 | 231 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | $122,000 | $101,000–$155,000 | 131 | 2.7% |
| Illinois | $114,000 | $89,000–$132,000 | 151 | 2.6% |
| Minnesota | $106,000 | $84,000–$130,000 | 104 | 1.8% |
Skills employers ask for in electrical engineer job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 38% |
| Problem-solving | 18% |
| Python | 14% |
| Autocad | 14% |
| Analytical skills | 12% |
| Microsoft Office | 11% |
| Excel | 11% |
| Organizational skills | 9% |
| Interpersonal skills | 9% |
| Attention to detail | 8% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set electrical engineers apart
- Autocad14× as often as in all postings · 14%
- Oscilloscopes38.1× as often as in all postings · 8%
- MATLAB26.8× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Revit17.5× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Python4.3× as often as in all postings · 14%
- Troubleshooting3.3× as often as in all postings · 6%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a electrical engineer job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does an electrical engineer do?
Employers post these jobs as Senior Electrical Engineer, Electrical Engineering, Electrical Design Engineer, Electrical Engineer II, Electrical Engineering Intern and other titles. The largest specializations are Electronic Engineer (7%), Electrical Design Engineer (4%), Electrical Engineering Intern (5%), Hardware Engineer (5%), RF Engineer (5%), Power Electronics Engineer (4%).
The closest official occupation is Electrical Engineers (17-2071.00). Its most important tasks:
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be an electrical engineer?
Among 7,019 postings that state a minimum, the median is 5 years. 4% say 0 years and 8% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 7,019 US electrical engineer job postings: median 5 years, and 8% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 4% |
| 1 yr | 5% |
| 2 yrs | 12% |
| 3-4 yrs | 22% |
| 5-7 yrs | 34% |
| 8-9 yrs | 8% |
| 10+ yrs | 15% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 97%, Part-time 3% of the 1,315 postings that state working hours.
Other names for an electrical engineer: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Electrical Engineer | 1,186 (38.7%) |
| Senior Electrical Engineer | 522 (17.0%) |
| Electrical Engineering | 159 (5.2%) |
| Electrical Design Engineer | 147 (4.8%) |
| Electrical Engineer II | 144 (4.7%) |
| Electrical Engineering Intern | 125 (4.1%) |
| Principal Electrical Engineer | 114 (3.7%) |
| Sr. Electrical Engineer | 101 (3.3%) |
| RF Engineer | 100 (3.3%) |
| Electrical Engineer I | 80 (2.6%) |
| Electronics Engineer | 80 (2.6%) |
| Verification Engineer | 80 (2.6%) |
| Hardware Engineer | 76 (2.5%) |
| Electrical Engineer III | 71 (2.3%) |
| Staff Electrical Engineer | 70 (2.3%) |
| Lead Electrical Engineer | 66 (2.1%) |
| Hardware Design Engineer | 64 (2.1%) |
| Electrical Engineer Intern | 63 (2.1%) |
| Electrical Engineering Manager | 61 (2.0%) |
| FPGA Engineer | 60 (2.0%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Electrical engineer job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RF Engineer | 178 | 100 | – | – | communication, spectrum analyzers, Python |
| Hardware Engineer | 106 | 76 | – | – | – |
Electrical Engineer compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineer | $132K | 5 years | 18,271 | – |
| Aerospace Engineer | $148K | 5 years | 4,045 | 14 |
| Engineering Technician | $31.50/hr | 2 years | 5,127 | 15 |
| Robotics Engineer | $164K | 4 years | 1,006 | 9 |
| CAD Designer | $84K | 3 years | 3,380 | 15 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineer | 14 | $148K |
| Engineering Technician | 15 | $31.50/hr |
| Robotics Engineer | 9 | $164K |
| CAD Designer | 15 | $84K |
| Automation Engineer | 13 | $112K |
| Mechanical Engineer | 16 | $122K |
Applying for electrical engineer jobs?
- Electrical engineer resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find electrical engineer jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does an electrical engineer make?
What is the starting salary for an electrical engineer?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.