The 15 Best-Paying Cities for Electrical Engineers

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Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Porch.

Of the many challenges that have faced the global supply chain since the COVID-19 pandemic began, a shortage of semiconductor chips has been one of the most significant.

In the wake of the semiconductor shortage, the role of electrical and electronics engineers has become even more critical to the U.S. economy. Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment, including semiconductors.

As more of the modern economy becomes tied to electronics, engineers’ work is vital to continued growth and innovation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that most of the growth in electrical engineering employment will be in high-demand fields like semiconductors, solar installations, consumer electronics, and communications technology.

Electrical engineers can be found in nearly every part of the U.S. economy. Compensation for electrical engineers can vary by geography.

To determine the best-paying locations for electrical engineers, researchers at Porch calculated the cost-of-living adjusted median annual wage for electrical engineers. In the event of a tie, the location with the greater unadjusted median annual wage for electrical engineers was ranked higher.

The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Here are the best-paying U.S. metropolitan areas for electrical engineers.

15. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $105,903
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $100,290
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $78,130
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): -30%

14. Tulsa, OK

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $106,695
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $99,120
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $78,270
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +18%

13. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $106,924
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $101,150
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $77,840
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): -23%

12. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $108,251
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $120,700
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $101,730
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +9%

11. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $109,106
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $128,090
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $102,730
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +59%

10. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $109,864
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $121,070
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $98,610
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +98%

9. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $109,911
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $122,990
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $98,170
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +26%

8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $112,857
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $126,400
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $100,580
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +122%

7. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $117,464
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $115,350
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $78,700
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): -11%

6. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $120,952
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $128,330
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $100,700
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +3%

5. New Orleans-Metairie, LA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $124,241
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $120,390
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $79,980
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): -46%

4. Austin-Round Rock, TX

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $124,862
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $127,110
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $80,120
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +65%

3. Fresno, CA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $128,277
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $128,020
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $87,710
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): -44%

2. Birmingham-Hoover, AL

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $130,011
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $120,390
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $78,750
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +57%

1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

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• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (adjusted): $138,698
• Median annual wage for electrical engineers (unadjusted): $155,480
• Median annual wage for all architecture & engineering jobs (unadjusted): $128,560
• Concentration of electrical engineers (compared to average): +236%

Methodology

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The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities.

To determine the best-paying locations for electrical engineers, researchers at Porch calculated the cost-of-living adjusted median annual wage for electrical engineers. In the event of a tie, the location with the greater unadjusted median annual wage for electrical engineers was ranked higher.

To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 residents were included, and metros were grouped into cohorts based on population size: small (100,000–349,999), midsize (350,000–999,999), and large (1,000,000 or more).

Note, only locations with complete data available for all fields were included in this analysis.