Electrical Engineer Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$144,040
$69.25/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$130,094
Regional Price Parity: 110.720 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($120,630): +$23,410 (+19.4%)
California ranks 2nd of 49 states by median pay, and 9th of 49 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $81,840 | $39.35 |
| 25th percentile | $106,100 | $51.01 |
| Median | $144,040 | $69.25 |
| 75th percentile | $185,520 | $89.19 |
| 90th percentile | $217,760 | $104.69 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 24,230
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $144,040
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $120,630
- Difference
- +$23,410 (+19.4%)
Cost of living
$144,040 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $130,094
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | ||
| 1st | $158,520 | $171,908 1st |
| California This page | ||
| 2nd | $144,040 | $130,094 9th |
| District of Columbia | ||
| 3rd | $143,000 | $130,117 8th |
| New Hampshire | ||
| 4th | $135,710 | $130,284 7th |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Mechanical Engineer salary in California
$130,900/year California
- Mechanical Engineering Technologist and Technician salary in the U.S.
$74,510/year U.S.
- Engineers, All Other salary in the U.S.
$122,930/year U.S.
- Industrial Engineer salary in California
$124,600/year California
- Power Distributor and Dispatcher salary in the U.S.
$106,730/year U.S.
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologist and Technician salary in the U.S.
$73,900/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +9.9%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
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Electrical Engineer salary in nearby places
- Electrical Engineer salary in Arizona
$100,550/year Arizona
- Electrical Engineer salary in Nevada
$107,400/year Nevada
- Electrical Engineer salary in Oregon
$125,160/year Oregon
- Electrical Engineer salary in the U.S.
$120,630/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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