Highest Paying States for Electrical Engineers (2026): Where EEs Earn the Most
The highest paying state for electrical engineers is New Hampshire at $162,555 average median salary in 2026, based on BLS OEWS data across 52 states and 1676+ metro areas. EE pay varies from Puerto Rico ($80,315) to New Hampshire ($162,555) — driven by FAANG hardware, semiconductor (Nvidia, TSMC, Intel), defense (Lockheed, Boeing), and federal clearance.
Best States for Electrical Engineer Salary: 2026 Rankings
EE pay variance is driven by FAANG hardware (Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft) + top semiconductor (Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, Qualcomm) + defense (Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon) + EV / aerospace (Tesla, SpaceX, Rivian) employer mix, federal TS/SCI clearance, COL, and state income tax. New Hampshire leads at $162,555, Puerto Rico sits at $80,315.
Top-Tier States
- California ($145,000-$220,000) — SF Bay Area FAANG + Nvidia HQ + AMD + Apple HQ. Top EE pay nationally.
- Washington ($140,000-$210,000) — Seattle Amazon + Microsoft + no state income tax.
- Massachusetts ($120,000-$180,000) — Boston biotech + tech + academic + Raytheon HQ.
- Texas ($110,000-$170,000) — Austin TI + Dell + Samsung Austin + Lockheed Fort Worth + no state income tax. CHIPS Act mega-projects (Samsung TX, TSMC AZ).
- New York ($110,000-$165,000) — NYC fintech + Long Island defense (Northrop Grumman, BAE).
- Connecticut ($105,000-$155,000) — Pratt & Whitney + Sikorsky defense.
Mid-Tier Markets
- Colorado ($95,000-$140,000) — Denver / Boulder + Lockheed Martin Space + Ball Aerospace.
- Maryland ($95,000-$140,000) — Baltimore + DC tech + NSA + APL.
- Virginia ($95,000-$140,000) — DC + Northern VA tech + defense + clearance.
- Arizona ($95,000-$140,000) — Intel Chandler + TSMC AZ mega-project + Raytheon.
- New Jersey ($95,000-$140,000) — Bergen + commuter + biopharma.
- Oregon ($95,000-$140,000) — Intel Hillsboro + Tektronix.
Specialty Premium Markets
- FAANG hardware EE (top tier) — premium $180,000-$350,000+ total.
- Nvidia / AMD / Broadcom / Qualcomm — premier semi.
- Intel / TSMC / Samsung / Micron / TI / GlobalFoundries — premium semi.
- Tesla / SpaceX / Rivian / Anduril (premium emerging) — premium.
- Defense + TS/SCI clearance (Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon) — premium clearance.
- Power utility (Duke, Exelon, NextEra) — pension + bonus.
- Federal (NASA, DOE, NRC, NIST) — pension + PSLF.
- Federal contractor (Booz Allen, SAIC, Leidos) — clearance + PSLF.
2026 State Ranking Methodology
Rankings reflect 2026 projected median from BLS OEWS 2025. Stock-heavy FAANG / semi compensation underrepresented in BLS. CHIPS Act semi fab buildout + AI silicon race + defense modernization materially shift ceiling.
2019 BLS
$98,530
2025 BLS
$120,630
2026 Current Est.
$125,033
2019–2027 Growth
+31.5%
National Average for Context
2019–2025: BLS OEWS actual data. 2026+: CAGR 3.65% projection.
| Year | Median Annual Salary | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $98,530 | Actual |
| 2020 | $100,830 | Actual |
| 2021 | $100,420 | Actual |
| 2022 | $103,320 | Actual |
| 2023 | $106,950 | Actual |
| 2024 | $111,910 | Actual |
| 2025 | $120,630 | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $125,033 | Estimated |
| 2027 | $129,597 | Projected |
Understanding the national salary trend helps contextualize state-level differences. The national median provides a baseline for comparing how each state's electrical engineer pay stacks up.
Note: BLS actual data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Estimated and projected values are calculated using a 3.65% historical CAGR. Actual compensation may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.
Top 10 Highest Paying States for Electrical Engineers
What Drives State-Level Electrical Engineer Pay Differences
Five primary factors explain EE state-level pay variance.
1. Tech / Semi / Defense Concentration (30-40%)
- FAANG hardware (Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft) — top tier total comp.
- Top semi (Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, Qualcomm) — premier AI silicon.
- Mid-tier semi (Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Micron, TI) — premium.
- EV / aerospace (Tesla, SpaceX, Rivian, Anduril) — premium emerging.
- Defense (Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon, BAE, GD, L3Harris) — clearance premium.
- Power utility (Duke, Exelon, NextEra, AEP, Dominion, ConEd, PG&E) — pension + bonus.
- Federal direct (NASA, DOE, NRC, NIST) — pension + PSLF.
- Federal contractor (Booz Allen, SAIC, Leidos) — clearance.
2. Cost of Living (15-25%)
- HCOL markets command premium.
- RPP from BEA — CA 113, MS 86.
- COL-adjusted real income — Texas / Tennessee net often beat California.
3. State Income Tax (10-15% take-home on high incomes)
- No state income tax — AK, WA, TX, FL, TN, NV, SD, WY, NH. Substantial savings.
- High state income tax — CA (13.3%), NY, OR, NJ, MN, HI.
- NYC + Philadelphia local — additional.
- RSU vesting + state tax — major.
4. Federal Clearance (10-15%)
- Secret clearance (entry) — premium $5K-$15K.
- Top Secret clearance — premium.
- TS/SCI clearance (premier) — premium $20K-$50K+.
- Polygraph (CI / Lifestyle) — premier intel community.
- Clearance + technical specialty — premier defense / federal.
5. Specialty Mix (10-15%)
- FAANG hardware silicon — premier.
- AI silicon (Nvidia, AMD GPU) — premier emerging.
- RF / microwave / millimeter wave — premium defense.
- Power electronics (EV, charging) — premium emerging.
- Embedded systems / firmware — premium.
- FPGA / ASIC design — premium.
- Power systems / grid — premium utility.
- Signal integrity / EMC — premium niche.
Where Do Electrical Engineers Get Paid the Most?
Complete ranking of all 52 states by average electrical engineer salary. Click any state to see city-level breakdowns and detailed data.
| Rank | State | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $162,555 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $159,452 |
| 3 | California | $151,332 |
| 4 | Washington | $139,578 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $135,950 |
| 6 | Texas | $131,937 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $131,589 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $131,271 |
| 9 | Oregon | $131,197 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $131,034 |
| 11 | Idaho | $130,775 |
| 12 | Alaska | $128,706 |
| 13 | Delaware | $126,261 |
| 14 | Alabama | $125,402 |
| 15 | New York | $125,045 |
| 16 | Colorado | $124,833 |
| 17 | Maryland | $123,341 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $120,720 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $119,848 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $119,611 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $119,282 |
| 22 | Missouri | $119,001 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $118,072 |
| 24 | Maine | $117,926 |
| 25 | Vermont | $116,609 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $116,409 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $116,054 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $115,689 |
| 29 | Illinois | $115,084 |
| 30 | Florida | $114,242 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $114,226 |
| 32 | Michigan | $113,423 |
| 33 | Virginia | $112,631 |
| 34 | Nevada | $112,320 |
| 35 | Kansas | $112,087 |
| 36 | Utah | $111,823 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $110,667 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $110,523 |
| 39 | Georgia | $110,008 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $109,369 |
| 41 | Iowa | $108,993 |
| 42 | Arizona | $108,336 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $106,781 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $106,387 |
| 45 | Indiana | $105,155 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $104,921 |
| 47 | Ohio | $104,921 |
| 48 | Montana | $104,722 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $104,182 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $103,550 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $102,475 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $80,315 |
Lowest Paying States for Electrical Engineers
Even the lowest-paying states offer electrical engineer salaries well above the national average for all occupations. Here are the 5 lowest-paying states:
Top Earner Potential by State
The 90th percentile represents what experienced, highly-skilled electrical engineers earn in each state. These are the 10 states with the highest earning ceilings:
| # | State | Top Earner (P90) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $220,433 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $209,319 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $208,750 |
| 4 | Texas | $208,365 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $207,579 |
| 6 | Maryland | $205,957 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $202,314 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $202,143 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $201,084 |
| 10 | Washington | $201,056 |
How to Move to a Higher-Paying State for Electrical Engineer Work
Relocating for EE pay requires balancing nominal salary against tech / semi / defense employer mix, stock comp, state tax, COL, and clearance.
1. Verify FE / EIT + PE License (Where Needed)
- ABET-accredited BSEE — required for licensure path.
- FE Electrical exam — take senior year.
- EIT certification — first stage.
- PE Electrical license — required for power / utility stamp; less needed at FAANG / semi.
- MSEE / PhD EE — preferred at semiconductor / R&D / FAANG.
- Security clearance (Secret / TS / TS/SCI) — premium defense.
- NEC familiarity — required power.
- Specialty cert (BICSI RCDD, NABCEP PV) — niche.
2. Calculate Real Take-Home (Stock + Tax)
- COL-adjusted total comp — Texas $150K may exceed Bay Area $220K net.
- State + local income tax — CA 13.3% major bite on $200K+.
- RSU vesting + state tax planning — major.
- Property + sales tax — TX tradeoff.
- Health + benefits — FAANG premier.
- 401(k) + mega backdoor Roth — premium FAANG.
- Stock refresh + signing bonus — major.
- Clearance differential — premium defense.
3. Target FAANG / Semi / Defense Clearance
- FAANG hardware (top tier) — Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft.
- Top semi (Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, Qualcomm) — premier AI silicon.
- Mid-tier semi (Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Micron, TI) — premium.
- EV / aerospace (Tesla, SpaceX, Rivian, Anduril) — premium emerging.
- Defense + TS clearance (Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon) — clearance premium.
- Federal direct (NASA, DOE, NRC, NIST) — pension + PSLF.
- Federal contractor (Booz Allen, SAIC, Leidos) — clearance.
- Power utility — pension + bonus.
4. Negotiate Stock + Signing + Clearance
- Sign-on bonus ($25,000-$80,000) — common at FAANG / top semi.
- Relocation assistance ($10,000-$40,000) — standard.
- 4-year RSU vesting + cliff — major.
- Annual stock refresh — premium.
- Performance bonus (10-25% target) — verify.
- Clearance + signing (defense) — premium for TS/SCI.
- Levels.fyi / Blind benchmarks — exact.
- FE / PE / cert reimbursement — standard.
5. Choose Employer Based on Career Plan
- FAANG hardware (long-term compounding) — premier stock.
- Top semi (Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom) — premier AI silicon.
- EV / aerospace (SpaceX, Tesla, Rivian, Anduril) — premium emerging.
- Defense + TS/SCI clearance — premium long-term.
- Power utility (pension + stable) — long-term.
- Federal direct (NASA, DOE, NRC) — pension + PSLF.
- Federal contractor — clearance + PSLF.
- Senior → Staff → Principal → Distinguished engineer — IC ladder peak.
- Engineering manager / Director track — management ladder.
- Startup founder / CTO path — premium hardware startup.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Written by Amina Patel, MEng, PE
Career Analyst
Amina has over 10 years of experience in power systems engineering. She works at a utility company specializing in renewable energy integration.
Methodology & Data Source
State salary rankings on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 3.65% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to each state's average salary. Cost-of-living adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parity data. Individual pay varies by city, employer, certifications, and experience.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS , released .
Compiled and verified by Amina Patel, MEng, PE, a licensed electrical engineer with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov