JobAfterNext

Electrical Engineers

Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$120,630
Employment, U.S.198,750
Median hourly wage$58.00
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$76,550$92,830$120,630$152,950$184,300
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama4,600$125,6301.70
Alaska350$125,9700.83
Arizona5,370$100,5501.30
Arkansas900$96,8600.54
California24,230$144,0401.04
Colorado4,200$120,7601.14
Connecticut2,930$104,1601.35
Delaware660$126,9701.07
District of Columbia330$143,0000.37
Florida9,220$104,7800.73
Georgia5,950Not available0.95
Hawaii1,080$106,3501.35
Idaho1,000$129,3400.91
Illinois5,460$107,8600.70
Indiana4,000$102,6700.98
Iowa1,280$105,8200.64
Kansas2,100$102,6301.14
Kentucky1,540$98,5500.60
Louisiana990$123,7100.40
Maine1,150$114,6201.40
Maryland4,650$125,1501.32
Massachusetts5,040$127,7201.08
Michigan10,840$106,0701.93
Minnesota3,150$109,5100.84
Mississippi1,130$104,9900.76
Missouri2,410$118,6700.64
Montana790$87,3601.21
Nebraska1,060$107,2600.81
Nevada1,100$107,4000.56
New Hampshire1,600$135,7101.83
New Jersey2,940$125,3700.54
New Mexico2,560$158,5202.30
New York8,770$119,0100.71
North Carolina7,090$110,1301.12
North Dakota260$110,8100.47
Ohio6,360$100,6200.90
Oklahoma2,080$107,7600.96
Oregon2,540$125,1601.01
Pennsylvania6,970$110,8200.90
Rhode Island670Not available1.05
South Carolina3,490$98,4401.18
South Dakota530$98,9800.91
Tennessee2,830$104,4500.68
Texas20,870$129,4501.16
Utah1,680$105,7200.76
Vermont820$111,3102.11
Virginia7,260$119,0301.38
Washington7,610$132,7101.68
West Virginia500$113,4200.55
Wisconsin3,550$99,7000.94
Wyoming280$111,7400.78

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Computer Hardware Engineers40.982
2Microsystems Engineers50.977
3Electronics Engineers, Except Computer40.976
4Mechanical Engineers40.974
5Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians30.973
6Solar Energy Systems Engineers40.969
7Automotive Engineers40.969
8Industrial Engineers40.969
9Validation Engineers40.968
10Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists40.968

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Electrical Engineers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansTechnology Design1.250.973
Validation EngineersScience0.760.968
Commercial and Industrial DesignersTechnology Design1.620.964
Materials ScientistsScience1.260.957
Blockchain EngineersProgramming2.120.956
Energy Engineers, Except Wind and SolarScience1.000.956
Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsOperation and Control2.740.952
Water Resource SpecialistsTime Management0.760.951
Fire-Prevention and Protection EngineersTechnology Design1.000.949
Water/Wastewater EngineersTime Management0.760.947

All 12

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Electrical Engineers, excluding software Electrical Engineers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Mathsoft Mathcad8 of 2018.5x
ANSYS simulation software7 of 2026.9x
Oracle Java12 of 205.6x
Magellan Firmware5 of 2019.2x
Extensible markup language XML9 of 204.8x
Cadence PSpice4 of 2030.8x
Maplesoft Maple5 of 2015.4x
Formula translation/translator FORTRAN6 of 209.2x
Ansys Fluent4 of 2023.1x
JUnit5 of 2011.5x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
WritingEssential skill 4.12 4.25
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.38
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.00 4.12
SpeakingEssential skill 3.88 4.25
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.88 4.12
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
Active LearningEssential skill 3.88 3.88
MonitoringEssential skill 3.50 3.88
MathematicsEssential skill 3.38 4.12
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.25 3.62
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.25 3.25
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.25
ScienceEssential skill 3.00 3.62
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
InstructingTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.00 3.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.88 3.12
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.38 2.62
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.25 2.50
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.25 2.00
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.12 2.12
ProgrammingTransferable skill 2.12 1.38
RepairingTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 2.00 1.75
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Engineering and Technology 4.74 6.04
Computers and Electronics 4.67 6.01
Design 4.11 5.36
English Language 3.77 4.33
Mathematics 3.72 5.01
Physics 3.58 4.45
Production and Processing 3.25 3.88
Mechanical 3.19 3.76
Public Safety and Security 3.18 3.37
Customer and Personal Service 3.10 3.41
Administrative 2.90 3.29
Administration and Management 2.89 3.63
Education and Training 2.87 3.57
Telecommunications 2.61 2.94
Communications and Media 2.42 2.18
Law and Government 2.37 2.19
Chemistry 2.36 2.63
Economics and Accounting 2.31 2.15
Building and Construction 2.30 2.61
Personnel and Human Resources 2.29 2.74
Sales and Marketing 2.20 2.19
Transportation 2.12 2.04
Geography 1.80 2.04
Psychology 1.75 1.51
Foreign Language 1.56 1.04
Sociology and Anthropology 1.42not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.37not rated
Food Production 1.33not rated
History and Archeology 1.30not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.29 0.48
Therapy and Counseling 1.28 0.40
Biology 1.15not rated
Fine Arts 1.10not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Written Comprehension 4.12 4.75
Written Expression 4.12 4.38
Oral Expression 4.00 4.62
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.50
Problem Sensitivity 4.00 4.38
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 4.25
Inductive Reasoning 4.00 4.12
Information Ordering 3.88 4.25
Category Flexibility 3.88 4.00
Near Vision 3.75 3.75
Speech Recognition 3.62 3.38
Mathematical Reasoning 3.50 4.12
Number Facility 3.38 3.75
Fluency of Ideas 3.25 4.00
Originality 3.25 3.50
Speech Clarity 3.25 3.12
Visualization 3.12 3.50
Perceptual Speed 3.12 3.12
Selective Attention 3.12 3.12
Far Vision 3.00 3.12
Flexibility of Closure 3.00 3.00
Time Sharing 2.88 2.88
Visual Color Discrimination 2.75 3.00
Memorization 2.75 2.62
Auditory Attention 2.12 2.12
Finger Dexterity 2.12 2.12
Hearing Sensitivity 2.12 2.12
Manual Dexterity 2.12 2.12
Speed of Closure 2.12 2.12
Control Precision 2.12 2.00
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.00 2.00
Depth Perception 2.00 2.00
Trunk Strength 1.75 1.25
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.62 0.88
Dynamic Strength 1.50 0.62
Extent Flexibility 1.38 0.38
Peripheral Vision 1.12not rated
Reaction Time 1.12not rated
Sound Localization 1.12not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Multilimb Coordination 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 120
  • Perl hot
  • SAP software hot
  • Shell script hot
  • UNIX hot
  • APLAC
  • ATD protocol
  • AVEVA InTouch HMI
  • Ada
  • Advanced boolean expression language ABEL
  • Altera hardware description language AHDL
  • Automated material handling software
  • Availability prediction modeling software
  • Cadence Allegro Design Entry Capture and Capture CIS
  • Cadence Encounter Test
  • Chip design software
  • Circuit simulation software
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Debugging software
  • Defect tracking software
  • Digital timing diagram editing software
  • Dynamic object-oriented requirements system DOORS
  • Electromagnetic analysis software
  • Electronic design automation EDA software
  • Electronic engineering calculator
  • Embedded systems testing software
  • Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software
  • Failure mode effects and criticality analysis FMECA software
  • Failure reporting analysis and corrective action FRACAS software
  • Fault modeling software
  • Fault tree analysis FTA software
  • Field programmable gate array FPGA design software
  • Finite difference time domain FDTD software
  • Finite element method FEM software
  • Floor planning software
  • Functional verification software
  • Hardware description language HDL
  • Hewlett-Packard HP Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer
  • IBM Notes
  • Integrated development environment IDE software
  • Isograph Markov
  • JHDL
  • Keysight Technologies Advanced Design System
  • Life cycle cost software
  • Logic synthesis software
  • MAGIC
  • MathWorks Simulink
  • Matrix calculation software
  • Mean time between failures MBTF software
  • Mean time to failure MTTF software
  • Mentor Graphics software
  • Microsoft OneNote
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript
  • Microwave circuit simulation software
  • Minitab
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • Optimization software
  • OrCAD Capture
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • Perforce Helix software
  • Physical design software
  • Power analysis software
  • Powersim PSIM
  • Printed circuit board design software
  • Programmable logic controller PLC code generation software
  • Programmable logic controller PLC software
  • Rapid prototyping software
  • ReliaSoft Weibull++ 6
  • Reliability analysis software
  • Requirements management software
  • Schematic design entry software
  • Siemens ModelSim
  • Signal integrity simulation software
  • Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE
  • SmugMug Flickr
  • Sun Microsystems Java
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Synopsys Design Compiler
  • Synopsys PrimeTime
  • Systems analysis programs for hands on integrated reliability evaluation software SAPHIRE
  • Tektronix EZ-TEST
  • Test automation software
  • Time and motion analysis software
  • Unified modeling language UML
  • Verilog
  • Very high-speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL
  • X.25 Protocol
  • Zuken E3.schematic

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Huntsville, AL2,1906.42$130,330
Kokomo, IN2104.71$106,550
Lexington Park, MD4204.62$128,900
Manchester-Nashua, NH1,0504.10$159,360
Burlington-South Burlington, VT5903.82$112,200
Tucson, AZ1,6903.40$117,470
Jackson, MI2303.22$109,240
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL9603.05$122,020
Ann Arbor, MI8102.89$109,240
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA4,1602.87$187,060

More metros, other thresholds