Salary guide, May 2025

Electrical Design Engineer pay, United States

Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.

This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.

The median annual wage for Electrical Engineers in the United States was $120,630 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $92,830 and $152,950.

Also searched as: Hardware Engineer, Electronics Design Engineer. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.

Broader occupation · SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.

Electrical Engineers in U.S.: median $120,630; published 25th to 75th percentile $92,830 to $152,950.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$76,550	$92,830	$120,630	$152,950	$184,300

Electrical Engineers in U.S.: median $58.00; published 25th to 75th percentile $44.63 to $73.53.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$36.80	$44.63	$58.00	$73.53	$88.61

BLS estimated 198,750 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

How does pay compare in the target metros?

Electrical Design Engineer pay in target metros (May 2025)
Metro	Median	25th to 75th	Employment	Location quotient
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$102,800	$82,570 to $133,070	2,050	0.57
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$102,110	$79,580 to $129,990	1,500	0.81
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$119,080	$80,730 to $128,490	2,010	1.11
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$130,240	$82,280 to $169,310	1,500	1.58
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$128,340	$100,600 to $158,880	6,290	0.52
Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$128,340	$100,600 to $158,880	6,290	0.52
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$124,390	$89,410 to $161,080	5,720	1.11
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$113,520	$92,320 to $134,330	4,290	0.74

Rank every metro for Electrical Design Engineer

What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?

Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.

Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$137,540
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$129,210
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$128,320
Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$126,460
Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$126,050
Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$125,250
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$113,140
Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$111,580
Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$108,610
Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$106,380
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$103,660
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$102,140
Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$101,840
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$101,730
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$98,790

Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.

Electrical Design Engineer (SOC 17-2071) by manufacturing industry, national, May 2025
NAICS / scope	Industry	Employment	25th	Median	75th
31-33 · sector	Manufacturing	57,140	$93,240	$117,360	$152,640
334000 · 3-digit	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	20,460	$97,690	$128,320	$166,710
336000 · 3-digit	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	12,980	$101,660	$129,210	$166,510
334500 · 4-digit	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	9,380	$96,930	$121,610	$162,200
335000 · 3-digit	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	9,360	$79,350	$98,790	$124,950
336400 · 4-digit	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	8,950	$110,900	$141,160	$171,950
333000 · 3-digit	Machinery Manufacturing	8,030	$83,490	$101,840	$127,270
334400 · 4-digit	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	7,650	$99,960	$131,920	$173,450
3330A1 · 4-digit	Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	6,050	$83,140	$100,820	$126,980
335300 · 4-digit	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	5,450	$77,150	$96,410	$123,860
335900 · 4-digit	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	2,860	$82,640	$102,550	$129,630
334200 · 4-digit	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	1,720	$99,150	$128,580	$163,650
336300 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	1,640	$90,010	$105,390	$127,270
332000 · 3-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	1,290	$84,850	$101,730	$125,040
334100 · 4-digit	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	1,230	$78,360	$133,080	$177,610
325000 · 3-digit	Chemical Manufacturing	1,090	$98,960	$126,460	$150,400
339000 · 3-digit	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	910	$98,790	$125,250	$140,960
335100 · 4-digit	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	860	$81,690	$101,230	$125,170
333300 · 4-digit	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	840	$85,020	$102,160	$127,180
3250A1 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)	830	$102,850	$129,990	$154,320
331000 · 3-digit	Primary Metal Manufacturing	800	$88,390	$111,580	$128,340
3320A1 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	690	$90,800	$105,350	$128,890
333500 · 4-digit	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	690	$80,250	$99,540	$124,850
339100 · 4-digit	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	620	$103,600	$128,460	$156,370
326000 · 3-digit	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	500	$90,850	$103,660	$128,230
322000 · 3-digit	Paper Manufacturing	450	$100,630	$126,050	$133,820
333600 · 4-digit	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	440	$106,130	$129,370	$139,020
336100 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	440	$102,170	$133,020	$173,730
334300 · 4-digit	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	430	$95,740	$127,050	$163,320
324000 · 3-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	410	$117,140	$137,540	$165,390
324100 · 4-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	410	$117,140	$137,540	$165,390
311000 · 3-digit	Food Manufacturing	330	$87,980	$106,380	$126,240
326100 · 4-digit	Plastics Product Manufacturing	300	$88,120	$109,520	$128,700
327000 · 3-digit	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	300	$90,330	$113,140	$126,540
322100 · 4-digit	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	290	$104,190	$127,620	$137,760
339900 · 4-digit	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	280	$87,430	$101,880	$129,590
3320A2 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)	270	$79,150	$96,930	$109,750
331300 · 4-digit	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	240	$106,670	$120,840	$134,500
332700 · 4-digit	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	240	$80,590	$98,070	$122,800
336200 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	230	$43,440	$84,540	$107,620
331400 · 4-digit	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	210	$84,950	$104,310	$124,620
325400 · 4-digit	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	200	$95,920	$111,480	$143,660
326200 · 4-digit	Rubber Product Manufacturing	200	$95,050	$100,120	$122,060
332710 · 5-digit	Machine Shops	200	$82,390	$99,070	$122,800
335200 · 4-digit	Household Appliance Manufacturing	190	$91,210	$108,760	$124,950
331100 · 4-digit	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	180	$78,930	$104,370	$135,820
336500 · 4-digit	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	180	$92,980	$109,260	$140,930
322200 · 4-digit	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	160	$100,000	$114,830	$129,520
331200 · 4-digit	Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	100	$78,320	$103,310	$125,640
311200 · 4-digit	Grain and Oilseed Milling	90	$83,730	$95,180	$120,430
332800 · 4-digit	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	90	$98,700	$116,530	$129,710
321000 · 3-digit	Wood Product Manufacturing	70	$28,940	$108,610	$125,120
331500 · 4-digit	Foundries	70	$99,920	$111,140	$128,470
3250A2 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)	60	$83,610	$103,600	$118,940
337000 · 3-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	60	$78,320	$87,440	$103,090
3370A1 · 4-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)	60	$75,750	$85,890	$100,340
311300 · 4-digit	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	50	$99,090	$113,410	$125,670
311900 · 4-digit	Other Food Manufacturing	50	$101,030	$108,730	$123,830
311500 · 4-digit	Dairy Product Manufacturing	40	$87,980	$101,380	$115,300
311600 · 4-digit	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	40	$79,130	$102,960	$131,000
311800 · 4-digit	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	40	$82,100	$96,210	$122,020
312000 · 3-digit	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	40	$87,830	$102,140	$122,310
332720 · 5-digit	Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	40	$62,650	$83,030	$98,070
312100 · 4-digit	Beverage Manufacturing	30	$87,830	$104,860	$122,670
336900 · 4-digit	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	Not published by BLS	$98,780	$117,020	$158,960

What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?

For Electrical Design Engineer, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.

An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.

Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.

What should you know about two BLS releases?

Electrical Design Engineer in the United States, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$87,590	$111,910	$141,630
May 2025	$92,830	$120,630	$152,950

These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.

Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.

What should you know about compliance with UL and IEC standards?

We ask which standards applied to their products, how they handled creepage and clearance, insulation coordination and safety testing, and what happened when a lab flagged a design. For EMC, we ask how they approached pre-compliance and fixing emissions problems.

What should you know about questions?

Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.

What is the median pay for a Electrical Design Engineer?

The median annual wage for Electrical Engineers in the United States was $120,630 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $92,830 and $152,950. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.

What does the 10th percentile mean here?

10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $76,550. 90% earned less than $184,300.

Does this include overtime or bonuses?

Is this the pay for a Electrical Design Engineer at a plant?

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimated 198,750 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

What should you know about related?

Underlying BLS figures for this role (JSON)

Reading this wage estimate

What does this data mean for your opening?

Electrical Design Engineers are mapped to the broader BLS classification of Electrical Engineers, SOC 17-2071. Because the BLS provides aggregated data for all electrical engineers, it does not isolate the design-specific niche. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that actual shop-floor tasks, such as PCB schematic design, power electronics development, and compliance testing, are inherently included in this broad group.

For Electrical Design Engineer in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $120,630; the May 2024 median is $111,910. Their arithmetic difference is $8,720. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. For Electrical Design Engineer in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.

The middle-band width for this occupation is $60,120, measured from the P25 of $92,830 to the P75 of $152,950. This spread indicates the variation in compensation driven by experience levels and proficiency in specific tools like electronic design software. The P10 of $76,550 and P90 of $184,300 define the lower and upper limits of the broad market. For Electrical Design Engineer in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. It is vital to frame offers within these statistical ranges while accounting for individual technical proficiencies and design history.

Salary variance is observed across significant metropolitan hubs. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area reports a median of $139,780, a change of $4,880 from the prior median. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports a median of $128,340, a change of $1,180. The location quotient for Los Angeles is 1.12, whereas New York is 0.52. These quotients reflect the employment concentration of the occupation rather than candidate availability or pay levels. These statistics show that while regional markets differ, they both tend to exceed the national median of $120,630, reflecting intense competition for technical design talent.

Sectoral national data provides context, although these reflect industry-wide averages rather than specific job roles. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing reports a median of $141,160, while Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing stands at $137,540. These industry figures underscore the high value placed on electrical design in high-stakes environments. Because these figures are topcoded at the sector level, they serve as industry guideposts rather than absolute salary measures. Companies should blend these broader sectoral benchmarks with internal salary policies to maintain competitive and equitable pay structures for their electrical design staff.

Agree on who owns the EMC test plan before comparing pay. Schematic capture, board layout and compliance troubleshooting do not put the same demands on an electrical design engineer. A board-level redesign can require different judgment from maintaining a proven circuit.

Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?

What is the middle-band width and why is it useful?

The middle-band width is $60,120, covering the gap between the P25 and P75 percentiles. It provides a realistic range for hiring managers to structure salary offers based on professional experience.

Why is the Los Angeles median higher than the national median?

The Los Angeles median of $139,780 reflects higher regional market competition and demand for skilled electrical design engineers. This demonstrates how local metro data can deviate from the national median of $120,630.

Does the BLS provide separate wage data for Electrical Design Engineers?

No, the BLS classifies electrical design engineering under the broader Electrical Engineers occupation. Specific salary data for design tasks is aggregated within the larger occupational group.