Electronics Engineers Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Electronics Engineers, Except Computer

The median electronics engineers salary in the United States is $130,220 per year ($62.60/hour). Salaries range from $81,840 at the entry level to $206,960+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 96,900 electronics engineers jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 6.2% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$130,220
per year
Hourly Rate
$62.60
per hour
Employment
96,900
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$81,840
25th percentile
$101,680
Median
$130,220
75th percentile
$167,670
90th percentile
$206,960

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+6.2%
Faster than average

Annual Openings

5,700
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Bachelor's degree

Electronics Engineers Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for electronics engineerss.

Electronics engineers (non-computer) design RF, power electronics, mixed-signal, and embedded systems β€” the physical silicon and PCB stack that powers cellular radios, radar, EV powertrains, medical devices, aerospace avionics, and industrial control. This category excludes the software-heavy computer-engineering track. BLS pegs the occupation at 96,900 employed with median $130,220 base pay, p10 $79,540, p90 $195,240. Entry EE I $78-102k; established Sr Electronics Engineer $128-172k; Staff / Principal $170-235k+; Distinguished Engineer / Fellow $235-395k+ TCC at defense primes and semiconductor houses. Semiconductor (Qualcomm, Nvidia, AMD, Analog Devices, Texas Instruments) and defense (Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris) pay 10-20% above BLS median; medical device and industrial 5-15% above. IEEE membership is universal, PE-Electrical is prized at defense and utilities, and EDA-tool fluency (Cadence Virtuoso, Altium Designer, Keysight ADS) is the price of entry at analog / RF shops.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Analog & mixed-signal design (op-amps, ADC/DAC, filter design, phase-locked loops)
Read a datasheet, choose the right op-amp for a given bandwidth-gain product, design a 4th-order Sallen-Key or Butterworth filter, spec a PLL for a target jitter budget. Analog fundamentals separate the strong EE from the layout technician.
RF and microwave design (impedance matching, S-parameters, Smith charts, EMC)
Match a 50-ohm antenna at 2.4 or 5.8 GHz, read S-parameters from a VNA (Keysight PNA or Rohde & Schwarz ZNB), and land inside the FCC Part 15 or ETSI EN 300 328 emissions mask. Smith-chart fluency and network-analyzer discipline are the RF hiring bar.
Power electronics (buck / boost / LLC, magnetics, thermal design)
Design a switch-mode power supply β€” pick the topology (buck for step-down, LLC resonant for high-voltage isolated), size the inductor and output cap for target ripple, pick a MOSFET gate driver, and hit an 88-94% efficiency target across load. Thermal design (junction-to-ambient math, heatsink sizing, forced-air vs conduction) is inseparable.
PCB schematic capture and layout (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro / OrCAD, KiCad)
Own the schematic-to-manufacturing chain end-to-end: symbol/footprint library, controlled-impedance stackup, differential-pair routing for USB / HDMI / DDR, ground and power planes, ESD protection. IPC-2221 / IPC-2222 clearance and creepage rules are non-negotiable at safety-critical shops.
Embedded firmware fundamentals (C for MCUs, register-level programming, RTOS basics)
Not full software engineering, but enough to bring up a board β€” write a UART / SPI / I2C driver in bare-metal C on an STM32, ARM Cortex-M, or MSP430; understand FreeRTOS or Zephyr task/semaphore basics; step through a JTAG session with Segger J-Link or ST-Link.
Semiconductor device physics & IC design fundamentals (for semi track)
For roles at Qualcomm, TI, Analog Devices, or Broadcom: fluency in CMOS, BJT, and MOSFET device physics; SPICE simulation in Cadence Spectre or Synopsys HSPICE; layout for matching, guard-rings, and latch-up prevention. Not required for board-level EEs but the delta between $130k and $200k comp.
EDA tool ecosystem (Cadence Virtuoso, Altium, Keysight ADS, ANSYS HFSS, MATLAB / Simulink)
Cadence Virtuoso for analog IC layout, Altium Designer or Cadence Allegro for PCB, Keysight ADS for RF circuit sim, ANSYS HFSS for 3D electromagnetic, MATLAB / Simulink for control-loop and DSP prototyping. Multi-tool fluency is expected at Sr level; Distinguished Engineers own one deeply and read across all.
Compliance & qualification (FCC Part 15, CE / EN 55032, MIL-STD-810, DO-160, IEC 60601-1, IPC-A-610)
Consumer RF hits FCC Part 15 and CE EN 55032; aerospace hits DO-160 and MIL-STD-810; medical hits IEC 60601-1; industrial hits UL 61010. Design for test and cert from day one β€” retrofitting compliance after tape-out is where product schedules slip 6-12 months.

How to Become a Electronics Engineers

  1. 1
    Earn a BSEE (or BS in Electronics Engineering) from an ABET-accredited program
    ABET accreditation is required for eventual PE licensure and preferred by every defense prime. Coursework covers circuits, electromagnetics, semiconductor devices, signals and systems, and a senior design project. Strong programs also stack in RF, power, or VLSI electives.
  2. 2
    Pass the FE-Electrical exam before or shortly after graduation
    Fundamentals of Engineering exam through NCEES; ~$225 fee, 6-hour computer-based. Passing gets you EI (Engineer Intern) status β€” the first step on the PE track. Defense primes and utilities either require it or heavily favor it for new grads.
  3. 3
    Start as EE I / EE II or Design Engineer at $78-102k
    Typical early roles: board-level design at a defense prime (Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris), analog IC design at TI or Analog Devices, RF systems at Qualcomm or Motorola Solutions, power electronics at ON Semiconductor or Vicor. Learn one EDA tool deeply in year one.
  4. 4
    Move to Sr Electronics Engineer at 5-9 years, salary $128-172k
    Own a subsystem end-to-end from spec through DVT (design verification test), qualification, and manufacturing release. Mentor EE Is. Lead a design review (formal PDR / CDR / TRR in defense). Depending on shop, either specialize (RF, power, analog IC) or broaden to systems engineering.
  5. 5
    Advance to Staff / Principal / Distinguished at 12-20 years, $170-395k+
    IC ladder culminates in Staff Engineer, Principal Engineer, Distinguished Engineer, and Fellow at the biggest shops (TI Fellow, Qualcomm Sr Fellow, Analog Devices Fellow). Manager fork: Engineering Manager -> Director -> VP Engineering at $185-425k+ base plus 20-40% bonus plus RSU / LTIP.
  6. 6
    Earn the PE-Electrical license at 4-8 years for defense, utility, or consulting work
    PE exam through NCEES after 4 years of qualifying experience under a licensed PE. ~$375 exam fee, state licensure fee $75-500 depending on state. PE seal is required to sign off on any electrical work affecting public safety β€” critical at defense, utility, and consulting shops; nice-to-have elsewhere.

Career Progression

EE I / Design Engineer I / Associate Electronics Engineer
0-3 yrs$78-102k base + 5-12% bonus + $5-20k RSU at public co
  • β€’Board-level schematic and layout under Sr EE mentorship in Altium or Cadence Allegro
  • β€’Run bench characterization on oscilloscopes (Tektronix MSO / Keysight InfiniiVision) and network analyzers
  • β€’Author test procedures for DVT and support the qualification lab
  • β€’Own small feature blocks β€” a supply rail, a UART interface, an analog front-end for a sensor
Next: EE II / EE III at 2-4 years after first full design cycle from spec to production.
EE II / EE III / Design Engineer II
3-6 yrs$102-138k base + 8-15% bonus + $15-45k RSU at public co
  • β€’Own a subsystem β€” power supply, RF front-end, mixed-signal daughtercard β€” end-to-end from spec through PVT (production validation test)
  • β€’Lead component-selection tradeoffs (cost, availability, second-source, obsolescence risk)
  • β€’Author design reviews (PDR, CDR) and represent the design to program management
  • β€’Mentor EE Is and interns; begin building depth in one specialty (RF, power, analog, embedded)
Next: Sr Electronics Engineer at 5-8 years with a completed product to point at.
Sr Electronics Engineer / Sr Design Engineer
5-10 yrs$128-172k base + 12-20% bonus + $30-90k RSU at public co
  • β€’Own a full product board or IC block β€” technical lead on a $2-15M program
  • β€’Set the design-review bar for the team; own PDR / CDR / TRR chairing
  • β€’Drive DFM (design for manufacturability) with the CM (Foxconn, Jabil, Flex, Sanmina); own first-article and PPAP
  • β€’Represent the team to customers, systems engineers, and program management β€” technical face of the design
Next: Staff / Principal at 8-13 years (IC track) or Engineering Manager at 8-12 (manager fork).
Staff / Principal Electronics Engineer
10-18 yrs$170-235k base + 15-25% bonus + $80-220k RSU / LTIP
  • β€’Own the technical direction of a product family or IC generation across 2-4 teams
  • β€’Chair architecture reviews; represent engineering to customers, defense-prime program offices, or Comp Committee
  • β€’Feed the product roadmap; own the make-vs-buy IP decisions and vendor relationships
  • β€’Mentor 4-10 mid-level engineers; interview for the specialty; own the technical hiring bar
Next: Distinguished Engineer / Fellow (IC top-out) or Director of Engineering (manager fork).
Distinguished Engineer / Fellow / Director / VP Engineering
15+ yrs$235-395k+ base + 20-40% bonus + $150-550k+ RSU / LTIP; Fellow at semi houses $300-500k+ base
  • β€’Distinguished / Fellow β€” the technical top of the IC ladder; single-authority technical voice on a product line; represent the company externally at IEEE, VLSI symposium, or defense-prime symposium
  • β€’Director / VP Engineering β€” own an engineering org of 15-150+; hire, coach, hold to program budget and schedule; partner with Product, PM, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing
  • β€’Drive the 3-5 year technical roadmap; own $10-100M+ program P&L
  • β€’Board-level technical relationships with customers, defense prime program offices, and executive leadership
Next: CTO / Chief Engineer / SVP Engineering β€” the executive top-out.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 15 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through a full design cycle you owned β€” spec through production.technical
Structure the answer around the actual gates: (1) Requirements β€” what were the electrical, environmental, cost, and schedule targets? Name the customer or program. (2) Architecture β€” the topology tradeoff you made and why (buck vs LLC for a 48V converter, active vs passive mixer for an RF front-end). (3) Schematic and layout β€” what EDA tool (Altium, Cadence Allegro, Cadence Virtuoso for IC), any critical layout constraints (controlled impedance, DDR routing, high-current planes). (4) Bench bring-up β€” the first bug you found and how you diagnosed it on a Tektronix MSO or Keysight InfiniiVision scope. (5) DVT / qualification β€” how you covered the corners (temperature, voltage, load) and passed compliance (FCC Part 15, MIL-STD-810, IEC 60601-1, DO-160 β€” pick whatever fit). (6) Production release β€” the DFM issue that came back from the CM and how you solved it. A weak answer is generic; a strong answer names the actual chip, part number, tool, and test equipment.
Q2. How do you debug a switching power supply that meets efficiency at nominal load but fails at light load?technical
Systematic. (1) Confirm the failure mode β€” is it efficiency, ripple, or a control-loop instability? Scope V_out, I_out, and V_sw with sufficient bandwidth (200 MHz+ on V_sw for a 500 kHz converter). (2) At light load, the controller may be dropping into DCM (discontinuous conduction mode) with variable frequency. Check whether the controller supports pulse-skipping or burst mode β€” if enabled, verify the transition thresholds. (3) Check gate-drive rise/fall times β€” at light load, switching losses dominate; slower gate drive may push out the efficiency curve. (4) Verify the sense resistor value and current-sense amplifier isn't clipping at the low end. (5) Cross-check the inductor β€” light-load efficiency is sensitive to core loss; if you used a lossy ferrite for a design centered on nominal load, the light-load curve suffers. Cite the specific controller (LTC3891, TPS54620, etc.) if you can. Interviewers listen for whether you speak in terms of loss mechanisms, not just symptoms.
Q3. Describe your RF PCB layout process for a 5.8 GHz radio.technical
Concrete steps: (1) Start from the RF chain block diagram β€” LNA, mixer, filter, PA, antenna β€” and reserve real estate before anything else. (2) Impedance-controlled stackup β€” typically 4-6 layers with a solid ground plane directly under the RF top layer; check with the fab (Sierra Circuits, Advanced Circuits, PCBWay for prototype) on target 50-ohm width for the chosen dielectric (Rogers 4350B, Isola FR408HR, or standard FR-4 depending on cost/perf tradeoff). (3) Route RF traces short, minimize discontinuities (no vias unless mandatory, and if via then a via-fence around them). (4) Ground stitching every quarter-wavelength along the RF trace. (5) Isolate the digital ground from RF ground with a stitching bridge only near the analog-digital boundary. (6) Simulate critical junctions in Keysight ADS or ANSYS HFSS if the timing is tight. (7) Reserve real estate for shield cans if the enclosure doesn't provide EMC shielding. Interviewers screen for candidates who know their fab, not just their EDA tool.
Q4. Why electronics engineering β€” not software, not full systems?culture
The honest answer that lands: you love the physical layer where math meets matter β€” where a decoupling cap in the wrong place actually makes the product fail, and where the tradeoffs are dictated by silicon and copper, not by abstractions. You want to point at hardware in the field and say I designed that. You're comfortable being on the critical path for a physical product ship, and you like the schedule discipline that comes with a tape-out or a manufacturing release. Avoid saying money as the top reason β€” even though semi and defense pay well, hiring managers screen for people who genuinely enjoy silicon and PCB work over pure software work.
Q5. Where do you see your career in 5 years?closer
Show that you understand the IC vs manager fork. IC track: Sr -> Staff -> Principal -> Distinguished / Fellow (at semi houses, TI Fellow or Analog Devices Fellow is the technical top-out at $300-500k+ base). Manager track: Sr -> Engineering Manager -> Director -> VP Engineering ($185-425k+ base plus bonus plus LTIP). Name the specialty you're building β€” RF systems, power electronics, mixed-signal IC design, or embedded systems. Name the credentials in flight β€” PE-Electrical for defense / utility work, IEEE senior member for external visibility, or a graduate degree (MSEE, MS in RF or Power Electronics) if you're going deep. Vague growth answers screen out; concrete ladder awareness screens in.

Resume Template β€” Sr Electronics Engineer (5-10 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Sr Electronics Engineer (5-10 yrs)
  • β–ΈOwned end-to-end design of a 400W GaN-based server power supply at [OEM]; hit 96.2% peak efficiency (2.8 pts above prior gen) and 80 Plus Titanium certification; program shipped $18M in FY24.
  • β–ΈLed RF front-end design for a 5.8 GHz industrial radio (Altium Designer + Keysight ADS); passed FCC Part 15C and CE EN 300 328 on first attempt; cut certification schedule from 14 weeks to 6.
  • β–ΈPE-Electrical (state) + IEEE Senior Member + BSEE from [ABET-accredited program]; Cadence Virtuoso and Altium Designer certified.
  • β–Έ$152k base + 15% target STI + $45k annual RSU refresh at public-co semi; mentored 3 EE Is through their first design cycle.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Cannot read a datasheet β€” can't spec an op-amp for a target bandwidth-gain product or pick an inductor for a given ripple current.
  • βœ—No EDA tool depth β€” has done course projects in KiCad but can't drive a real Altium Designer or Cadence Allegro library and constraint manager.
  • βœ—Weak bench discipline β€” can't drive an oscilloscope past auto-trigger, doesn't know Ch1 vs Ch2 impedance, or has never used a network analyzer or spectrum analyzer.
  • βœ—No compliance awareness β€” has never designed against FCC Part 15, CE EN 55032, MIL-STD-810, DO-160, or IEC 60601-1 and doesn't know which applies to their product.
  • βœ—Silos software vs hardware β€” refuses to write a bare-metal C driver on an STM32 or ARM Cortex-M to bring up their own board; a Sr EE who can't debug firmware issues on their own hardware is a bottleneck.
  • βœ—No PE-Electrical progress despite 5+ years at defense or utility employer β€” either coasting or flight risk.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Specialty premium β€” RF, power electronics, and mixed-signal IC design command 10-20% over generalist board-level EE. Semiconductor IC design (Qualcomm, TI, Analog Devices, Broadcom) pays 15-25% above defense / industrial at Sr and above.
  • βœ“Cleared work premium β€” active DoD Secret clearance adds $10-25k base at defense primes (Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, BAE Systems); Top Secret / SCI adds $25-60k. Never let a clearance lapse if you're on defense track.
  • βœ“Metro premium β€” San Diego (Qualcomm), Austin / Dallas (TI), Boston (Analog Devices, Raytheon, MIT Lincoln Lab), Silicon Valley (Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom), Phoenix (ON Semiconductor, Microchip) pay 15-30% above BLS national median for EE.
  • βœ“Advanced degree β€” MSEE lifts base 8-15% at semi houses; PhD lifts 15-30% at Distinguished / Fellow-track roles. Employer tuition reimbursement is standard at $5-10.5k/yr under IRS Section 127.
  • βœ“PE-Electrical license β€” 5-15% premium at defense, utility, and consulting shops; nice-to-have at semi.
  • βœ“RSU refresher cadence β€” at public semi companies (TI, Analog Devices, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom), refreshers annually vs every 2 years is $10-40k/yr difference. Ask explicitly.
  • βœ“Retention grants during silicon ramp β€” semi houses use special retention RSU grants to lock in Sr designers through tape-out and yield ramp; leverage the retention hook if you have offers in hand.
  • βœ“Sign-on to offset unvested equity β€” $15-100k+ at public semi is standard for Sr / Staff / Principal moves; larger at Distinguished / Fellow moves.

Electronics Engineers Resume Review β€” $29

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Electronics Engineers Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 15 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 9 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
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Electronics Engineers Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$81K
$161Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

California
$161K
+23%
New Jersey
$159K
+22%
District of Columbia
$157K
+21%
Maryland
$156K
+20%
Massachusetts
$138K
+6%
New Mexico
$137K
+5%
Rhode Island
$136K
+5%
Texas
$132K
+2%
Washington
$130K
+0%
Illinois
$129K
-1%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
California$160,520+23.3%
New Jersey$158,730+21.9%
District of Columbia$157,040+20.6%
Maryland$155,650+19.5%
Massachusetts$138,230+6.2%
New Mexico$136,990+5.2%
Rhode Island$136,360+4.7%
Texas$132,220+1.5%
Washington$130,270+0.0%
Illinois$129,390-0.6%
1–10 of 50

Electronics Engineers Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$194,370+49.3%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$182,840+40.4%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$172,290+32.3%
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$162,960+25.1%
Raleigh-Cary, NC$162,800+25.0%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$162,440+24.7%
Lexington Park, MD$156,750+20.4%
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$156,520+20.2%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$156,480+20.2%
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$155,680+19.6%
1–10 of 166
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A electronics engineers earning $130,220/year would need 458 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 491 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how electronics engineers salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Electronics Engineers salary trend (2011–2024) β†’