Electrical Engineers salary · California
Electrical Engineers Salary in California
Electrical Engineers in California earn a median of $144,040 a year, which is $69.25 an hour. That is $23,410 above the national median of $120,630, a difference of 19 percent. The state employs 24,230.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $144,040 | $120,630 |
| Median hourly | $69.25 | $58.00 |
| Mean annual | $151,180 | $125,100 |
| 10th percentile | $81,840 | $76,550 |
| 90th percentile | $217,760 | $184,300 |
| Employment | 24,230 | 198,750 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for electrical engineers. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for electrical engineers May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $132,710 | $63.81 | 7,610 |
| Texas | $129,450 | $62.24 | 20,870 |
| Virginia | $119,030 | $57.23 | 7,260 |
| New York | $119,010 | $57.22 | 8,770 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,820 | $53.28 | 6,970 |
| North Carolina | $110,130 | $52.95 | 7,090 |
| Illinois | $107,860 | $51.85 | 5,460 |
| Michigan | $106,070 | $51.00 | 10,840 |
| Florida | $104,780 | $50.38 | 9,220 |
| Ohio | $100,620 | $48.38 | 6,360 |
| Arizona | $100,550 | $48.34 | 5,370 |
Common questions
How much do electrical engineers make in California?
The median salary for electrical engineers in California is $144,040 a year, or $69.25 an hour. That is $23,410 above the national median of $120,630, a difference of 19 percent. California employs 24,230 of them.
Is California a good state to work as an electrical engineer?
On pay alone, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for electrical engineers in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $81,840 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $217,760 or more. The middle half falls between $106,100 and $185,520.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 17-2071 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national electrical engineers salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.