Engineering
Electrical Engineer
Electrical engineers design the circuits, power systems, and electronics behind modern devices and grids. Foundational, in-demand, and well-paid.
Median salary (BLS)
$106,000
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$72k – $155k
Job outlook
+9% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $99,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Electrical Engineer
Education
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateCost to qualify
$40,175–$150,500
Time to qualify
4.2 yr
Renewal
—
- 1
Bachelor's degree
DegreeFour years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.
$40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source
- 2
FE exam (optional — PE track)
CertificationThe Fundamentals of Engineering exam is the first step toward a PE license; many engineering roles never need it.
$175–$500 · 2 months source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Electrical Engineer" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Electrical Engineer Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Electrical Engineer
Entry / Junior
$72,000
~2 yrs to advance
Electrical Engineer
Established
$106,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Electrical Engineer
Senior
$130,500
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •Design circuits and systems
- •Test and troubleshoot
- •Document specifications
Fields of study
Electrical Engineering · Computer Engineering
Top colleges for Engineering
Explore all- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
- Georgia Institute of Technology16% admit · $99,000 grad pay
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign45% admit · $80,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.
Related careers
Other careers from this field of study
Mapped by field-of-study code (Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering), not by job-title guessing.