17
Electrical Engineers is a notable career in the 17 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Electrical Engineers against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 17-2071 |
| title | Electrical Engineers |
| onet code | 17-2071.00 |
| description | Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. |
| job zone | 4 |
| major group | 17 |
| tot emp | 188,790 |
| a mean | 120,980 |
| a median | 111,910 |
| a pct10 | 74,670 |
| a pct25 | 87,590 |
| a pct75 | 141,630 |
| a pct90 | 175,460 |
| h mean | 58 |
| h median | 53 |
The day-to-day work of a electrical engineers typically centers on design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Writing, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Thinking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.78 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working electrical engineers, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (81.6%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 89% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in New Mexico at $143,850 and lowest in Kentucky at $95,640 — a 1.5× spread. The top five states (New Mexico, California, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Washington) average $137,118. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $143,850 | $144,120 | $81,670 | $181,550 | 1,580 |
| California | $140,360 | $148,390 | $81,110 | $219,710 | 23,650 |
| District of Columbia | $138,860 | $138,380 | $86,530 | $179,260 | 520 |
| New Hampshire | $131,790 | $138,430 | $86,460 | $197,100 | 1,420 |
| Washington | $130,730 | $130,870 | $80,980 | $180,880 | 10,010 |
| Idaho | $128,960 | $132,910 | $86,370 | $162,520 | 920 |
| Massachusetts | $126,010 | $132,220 | $81,480 | $187,910 | 4,780 |
| New Jersey | $125,120 | $123,540 | $77,130 | $167,230 | 3,620 |
| Maryland | $124,450 | $126,270 | $81,570 | $183,310 | 4,380 |
| Virginia | $122,320 | $124,080 | $78,060 | $172,340 | 5,990 |
| Vermont | $118,050 | $123,460 | $78,420 | $174,530 | 910 |
| Alabama | $115,870 | $122,950 | $72,060 | $179,040 | 4,470 |
| Colorado | $112,880 | $120,020 | $79,630 | $169,060 | 4,770 |
| New York | $112,550 | $118,770 | $76,340 | $168,810 | 7,720 |
| Wyoming | $111,740 | $122,630 | $78,310 | $172,620 | 260 |
| Delaware | $111,720 | $117,400 | $78,460 | $164,320 | 600 |
| Maine | $111,110 | $116,730 | $76,900 | $158,150 | 970 |
| Arizona | $110,510 | $124,080 | $79,370 | $181,170 | 4,970 |
| Tennessee | $109,870 | $114,080 | $73,590 | $162,450 | 2,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $109,730 | $119,550 | $75,510 | $175,550 | 7,660 |
| Oregon | $109,660 | $118,000 | $78,980 | $164,570 | 3,030 |
| Alaska | $108,780 | $118,550 | $79,270 | $174,860 | 380 |
| Louisiana | $108,620 | $114,060 | $71,510 | $170,450 | 850 |
| North Dakota | $108,520 | $108,800 | $77,380 | $141,000 | 260 |
| West Virginia | $108,480 | $110,680 | $77,410 | $151,430 | 610 |
| Florida | $108,450 | $112,780 | $69,140 | $160,360 | 7,400 |
| North Carolina | $107,760 | $118,960 | $70,710 | $184,490 | 6,560 |
| Utah | $107,520 | $117,860 | $77,060 | $167,560 | 1,920 |
| Iowa | $107,270 | $126,950 | $76,610 | $181,360 | 1,250 |
| Missouri | $106,100 | $114,670 | $73,490 | $166,870 | 2,920 |
| Texas | $105,560 | $118,620 | $63,500 | $170,920 | 15,470 |
| Minnesota | $105,160 | $111,900 | $74,530 | $163,060 | 3,430 |
| Hawaii | $105,060 | $107,980 | $74,000 | $140,150 | 980 |
| Nevada | $104,840 | $111,440 | $65,360 | $162,340 | 740 |
| Rhode Island | $104,530 | $113,870 | $64,390 | $176,500 | 660 |
| South Carolina | $104,210 | $111,210 | $75,760 | $159,930 | 2,450 |
| Oklahoma | $104,200 | $110,130 | $73,670 | $157,020 | 1,850 |
| Georgia | $104,170 | $111,120 | $64,650 | $164,720 | 4,580 |
| Illinois | $104,000 | $114,350 | $74,570 | $166,000 | 5,820 |
| Nebraska | $103,720 | $102,810 | $64,660 | $137,090 | 1,080 |
| Connecticut | $103,480 | $115,110 | $82,100 | $167,730 | 2,920 |
| Michigan | $102,990 | $108,310 | $71,830 | $152,960 | 10,840 |
| South Dakota | $101,930 | $101,620 | $75,590 | $133,670 | 440 |
| Indiana | $101,520 | $104,990 | $70,640 | $145,740 | 3,860 |
| Mississippi | $100,840 | $102,990 | $50,910 | $147,900 | 1,230 |
| Ohio | $100,040 | $104,100 | $67,820 | $145,930 | 6,030 |
| Montana | $99,230 | $102,400 | $75,390 | $131,830 | 650 |
| Wisconsin | $99,170 | $101,580 | $72,850 | $134,420 | 3,970 |
| Kansas | $97,680 | $100,510 | $64,720 | $139,220 | 2,320 |
| Arkansas | $96,500 | $97,980 | $65,660 | $133,330 | 930 |
| Kentucky | $95,640 | $96,190 | $60,210 | $137,400 | 1,600 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for electrical engineers. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Automation Engineer or Cable Engineer frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Electrical Engineers compares to others in the 17 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Electrical Engineers
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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