Electrical Engineer salary
From 12,067 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2071: Electrical Engineers
- Also filed as: Electrical Design Engineer
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 33% of Electrical Engineer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Apple. 727 filings (6% of the total), median $159,890.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 10 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $110,000 in New York, NY to $175,800 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 37% since FY2020. From $93,000 in FY2020 to $126,962 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Electrical Engineer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 12,067 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Electrical Engineer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2071, Electrical Engineers). The median base salary is $123,560, 1% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $98,685 and $152,000. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 33% of filings. San Jose, CA has the most filings (1,733), and Apple is the employer that files the most (727).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Electrical Engineer
Apple727 filings · 6%$159,890
Microsoft356 filings · 3%$180,789
Micron255 filings · 2%$139,050
Tesla229 filings · 2%$170,000
Cummins191 filings · 2%$104,562
General Motors Company180 filings · 1%$133,293
Texas Instruments Incorporated161 filings · 1%$124,600
Meta156 filings · 1%$196,451
Rivian153 filings · 1%$169,000
Burns & Mcdonnell Engineering Company108 filings · 1%$115,530
Employers with the most Electrical Engineer filings. Bar: share of all Electrical Engineer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 21% of filings
Mid-level · 33% of filings
Senior · 23% of filings
Expert · 23% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $85,000 | 2,280 |
| Level II · Qualified | $109,720 | 3,549 |
| Level III · Experienced | $135,000 | 2,530 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $157,157 | 2,466 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Electrical Engineer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 111 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Electrical Engineer does
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Typical tasks
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Electrical Engineers (17-2071.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Electrical Engineers), the median annual wage was $120,630 in May 2025, with 198,750 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $123,560, 2% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $83,200 | $76,550 |
| 25th percentile | $98,685 | $92,830 |
| Median | $123,560 | $120,630 |
| 75th percentile | $152,000 | $152,950 |
| 90th percentile | $185,120 | $184,300 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $83,200 |
| 25th | $98,685 |
| 50th (median) | $123,560 |
| 75th | $152,000 |
| 90th | $185,120 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $93,000 | $78,685 | $112,900 | 6,663 |
| FY2021 | $100,000 | $83,949 | $124,654 | 6,929 |
| FY2022 | $106,850 | $87,305 | $132,267 | 7,183 |
| FY2023 | $110,885 | $91,000 | $138,000 | 5,747 |
| FY2024 | $112,443 | $91,107 | $141,289 | 5,989 |
| FY2025 | $120,000 | $96,097 | $151,409 | 6,912 |
| FY2026 | $126,962 | $101,587 | $156,620 | 5,155 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Electrical Engineer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Electrical Engineer jobs is $123,560 (12,067 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $98,685 and $152,000.
What does an entry-level Electrical Engineer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $85,000. Level I accounts for 21% of Electrical Engineer filings.
Which city pays H-1B Electrical Engineers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Electrical Engineer jobs: $175,800 (1,733 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Electrical Engineers?
Apple (727), Microsoft (356) and Micron (255) filed the most Electrical Engineer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Electrical Engineers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($123,560) is 2% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($120,630, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.