Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

17-2071 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. Excludes "Computer Hardware Engineers" (17-2061).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
154,250 1.4 % $42.88 $89,200 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $26.30 $32.70 $41.31 $51.87 $63.30
Annual Wage (2) $54,710 $68,020 $85,920 $107,890 $131,660


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 34,930 2.71 $43.17 $89,790
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 15,310 3.87 $41.12 $85,530
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 14,480 3.56 $45.01 $93,620
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 11,640 3.07 $46.40 $96,520
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 7,410 1.57 $46.80 $97,340

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Communications Equipment Manufacturing 4,860 4.30 $42.97 $89,370
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 15,310 3.87 $41.12 $85,530
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 14,480 3.56 $45.01 $93,620
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 11,640 3.07 $46.40 $96,520
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing 3,820 2.79 $38.30 $79,670

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (8) (8) $67.40 $140,190
Oil and Gas Extraction 220 0.13 $53.18 $110,610
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 90 0.09 $48.75 $101,390
Support Activities for Mining 320 0.10 $48.31 $100,490
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing 160 0.91 $48.04 $99,930


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 20,620 1.47 1.22 $49.60 $103,160
Texas 11,360 1.10 0.92 $43.52 $90,530
New York 8,300 0.99 0.82 $42.32 $88,030
Massachusetts 7,410 2.35 1.95 $48.02 $99,890
Florida 7,180 1.00 0.84 $39.37 $81,900




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Idaho 1,830 3.09 2.57 $43.52 $90,520
Massachusetts 7,410 2.35 1.95 $48.02 $99,890
Alabama 4,220 2.33 1.94 $42.86 $89,140
Alaska 680 2.17 1.81 $48.80 $101,500
Arizona 4,900 2.06 1.71 $47.04 $97,850




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 530 0.82 0.68 $50.29 $104,610
California 20,620 1.47 1.22 $49.60 $103,160
Alaska 680 2.17 1.81 $48.80 $101,500
Massachusetts 7,410 2.35 1.95 $48.02 $99,890
Arizona 4,900 2.06 1.71 $47.04 $97,850





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 5,330 1.39 1.16 $48.09 $100,030
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 5,180 5.91 4.92 $53.77 $111,840
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 4,460 2.18 1.82 $46.14 $95,970
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 4,380 2.61 2.17 $49.22 $102,380
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,690 1.60 1.33 $48.17 $100,190
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 3,500 2.56 2.13 $45.46 $94,550
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,270 1.91 1.59 $42.24 $87,850
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,140 0.62 0.52 $43.62 $90,730
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,890 1.70 1.41 $47.97 $99,770
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,800 1.10 0.91 $43.82 $91,140




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Huntsville, AL 1,770 8.79 7.31 $49.02 $101,970
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 1,550 8.18 6.80 $42.46 $88,310
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 5,180 5.91 4.92 $53.77 $111,840
Boise City-Nampa, ID 1,430 5.60 4.66 $43.91 $91,340
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 620 5.45 4.53 $49.55 $103,070
Tucson, AZ 1,730 5.01 4.16 $45.78 $95,230
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 370 4.99 4.15 $46.27 $96,230
Taunton-Norton-Raynham, MA NECTA Division 210 4.74 3.95 $47.76 $99,350
Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division 610 4.73 3.94 $47.63 $99,080
Jackson, MI 200 3.98 3.31 $35.55 $73,940




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wilmington, NC 80 0.60 0.50 $57.29 $119,170
Worcester, MA-CT 410 1.69 1.41 $54.50 $113,370
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 5,180 5.91 4.92 $53.77 $111,840
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 380 2.29 1.90 $52.66 $109,540
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,890 1.98 1.65 $51.99 $108,140
Boulder, CO (8) (8) (8) $51.95 $108,060
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 800 1.00 0.83 $51.08 $106,250
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 50 0.42 0.35 $50.27 $104,560
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 190 0.83 0.69 $49.97 $103,930
Lexington-Fayette, KY 300 1.27 1.06 $49.64 $103,250

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 480 10.05 8.35 $46.03 $95,740
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 240 0.62 0.51 $31.34 $65,190
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 240 2.28 1.89 $44.40 $92,360
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 210 3.68 3.06 $43.88 $91,260
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 200 0.90 0.75 $35.05 $72,910

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 480 10.05 8.35 $46.03 $95,740
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 210 3.68 3.06 $43.88 $91,260
Southeast Arizona nonmetropolitan area 200 3.21 2.67 $48.61 $101,100
East Idaho nonmetropolitan area 130 2.65 2.21 $44.17 $91,870
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 240 2.28 1.89 $44.40 $92,360

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 120 0.40 0.33 $60.41 $125,660
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.60 0.50 $59.13 $122,990
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $50.66 $105,370
Southern Oregon and Linn County nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 0.33 $49.57 $103,100
Southeast Arizona nonmetropolitan area 200 3.21 2.67 $48.61 $101,100


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012