Electrical Engineers
Also called: Design Engineer, Electrical Design Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Project EngineerResearch, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 13 of its 21 rated tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 9.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Electrical and electronics engineers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 43% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $125,630 | $98,220 to $153,280 | 4,600 |
| Alaska | $125,970 | $96,210 to $137,840 | 350 |
| Arizona | $100,550 | $82,420 to $134,300 | 5,370 |
| Arkansas | $96,860 | $79,520 to $115,810 | 900 |
| California | $144,040 | $106,100 to $185,520 | 24,230 |
| Colorado | $120,760 | $98,090 to $147,040 | 4,200 |
| Connecticut | $104,160 | $85,930 to $135,230 | 2,930 |
| Delaware | $126,970 | $100,430 to $141,150 | 660 |
| District of Columbia | $143,000 | $111,530 to $173,790 | 330 |
| Florida | $104,780 | $80,860 to $131,550 | 9,220 |
| Georgia | not published | not published | 5,950 |
| Guam | $64,190 | $55,910 to $81,670 | 200 |
| Hawaii | $106,350 | $78,810 to $130,360 | 1,080 |
| Idaho | $129,340 | $101,160 to $154,900 | 1,000 |
| Illinois | $107,860 | $87,360 to $131,960 | 5,460 |
| Indiana | $102,670 | $81,690 to $127,190 | 4,000 |
| Iowa | $105,820 | $93,980 to $127,530 | 1,280 |
| Kansas | $102,630 | $82,900 to $128,920 | 2,100 |
| Kentucky | $98,550 | $77,290 to $117,150 | 1,540 |
| Louisiana | $123,710 | $92,930 to $157,970 | 990 |
| Maine | $114,620 | $97,590 to $133,580 | 1,150 |
| Maryland | $125,150 | $96,740 to $164,080 | 4,650 |
| Massachusetts | $127,720 | $100,010 to $160,910 | 5,040 |
| Michigan | $106,070 | $87,080 to $132,440 | 10,840 |
| Minnesota | $109,510 | $94,100 to $137,970 | 3,150 |
| Mississippi | $104,990 | $80,760 to $130,490 | 1,130 |
| Missouri | $118,670 | $94,230 to $157,990 | 2,410 |
| Montana | $87,360 | $76,400 to $112,760 | 790 |
| Nebraska | $107,260 | $83,790 to $125,830 | 1,060 |
| Nevada | $107,400 | $86,390 to $135,660 | 1,100 |
| New Hampshire | $135,710 | $103,460 to $169,020 | 1,600 |
| New Jersey | $125,370 | $98,510 to $147,640 | 2,940 |
| New Mexico | $158,520 | $127,540 to $196,240 | 2,560 |
| New York | $119,010 | $91,580 to $144,250 | 8,770 |
| North Carolina | $110,130 | $79,370 to $148,330 | 7,090 |
| North Dakota | $110,810 | $83,380 to $129,640 | 260 |
| Ohio | $100,620 | $82,240 to $126,730 | 6,360 |
| Oklahoma | $107,760 | $89,250 to $134,190 | 2,080 |
| Oregon | $125,160 | $100,460 to $141,010 | 2,540 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,820 | $91,390 to $136,300 | 6,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $74,250 | $59,300 to $98,540 | 330 |
| Rhode Island | not published | not published | 670 |
| South Carolina | $98,440 | $75,540 to $128,060 | 3,490 |
| South Dakota | $98,980 | $89,260 to $108,640 | 530 |
| Tennessee | $104,450 | $84,220 to $132,050 | 2,830 |
| Texas | $129,450 | $95,130 to $164,730 | 20,870 |
| Utah | $105,720 | $86,850 to $141,020 | 1,680 |
| Vermont | $111,310 | $91,960 to $138,270 | 820 |
| Virginia | $119,030 | $95,450 to $148,320 | 7,260 |
| Washington | $132,710 | $103,910 to $166,160 | 7,610 |
| West Virginia | $113,420 | $88,610 to $132,720 | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $99,700 | $82,200 to $123,120 | 3,550 |
| Wyoming | $111,740 | $93,440 to $127,290 | 280 |
Nationally: $120,630. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 13 of its 21 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget. | Not published |
| AI + software | Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise or train project team members, as necessary. | Not published |
See all 22 tasks
| Not much | Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Estimate labor, material, or construction costs for budget preparation purposes. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare specifications for purchases of materials or equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects. | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Compile data and write reports regarding existing or potential electrical engineering studies or projects. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards. | Not published |
| Not much | Assist in developing capital project programs for new equipment or major repairs. | Not published |
| Not rated | Develop software to control electrical systems. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Conduct field surveys or study maps, graphs, diagrams, or other data to identify and correct power system problems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design electrical systems or components that minimize electric energy requirements, such as lighting systems designed to account for natural lighting. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop systems that produce electricity with renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or biofuels. | Not published |
| AI + software | Integrate electrical systems with renewable energy systems to improve overall efficiency. | Not published |
| AI + software | Collect data relating to commercial or residential development, population, or power system interconnection to determine operating efficiency of electrical systems. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 6 of the 22 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 22 tasks fall under 24 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #13 Operate computer systems or computerized equipment
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
- #25 Communicate with others about specifications or project details
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop systems or practices to mitigate or resolve environmental problems | |||
| Determine resource needs of projects or operations | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Design electrical or electronic systems or equipment | |||
| Operate computer systems or computerized equipment | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details |
Show all 24 activities
| Gather data about operational or development activities | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Design computer or information systems or applications | |||
| Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment | |||
| Investigate organizational or operational problems | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs | |||
| Develop research plans or methodologies | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Assess characteristics of land or property | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Design structures or facilities | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Design industrial systems or equipment | |||
| Direct construction or extraction activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A script or snippet30%
- Code fixes or debugging10%
- A document or report10%
- An app or website9%
- A chart or visualization8%
How they worked with Claude
47% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for electrical engineers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 49,991 moves out
- 1 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 8%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 3 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 7%
- 4 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 5 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 58,991 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 3 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 6%
- 4 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 6%
- 5 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 11% associate's
- 82% bachelor's
- 7% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 5% high school
- 6% some college
- 6% associate's
- 52% bachelor's
- 25% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 4% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Electrical and electronics engineers” · 3,091 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Electrical and electronics engineers”
4 programs, such as Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, Other and Electromechanical Engineering.
See all
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, Other
- Electromechanical Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
34.1% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 8.3% | 19.1% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/17-2071.00