Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real salary distribution from 288 tracked cities across 46 states. Compare entry-level, median, and senior compensation — then adjust for cost of living.
Here's what the national average hides about Electronics Engineer pay: The national median salary for Electronics Engineers in 2026 is $130,356, with entry-level positions averaging $93,856 and senior roles reaching $185,105. But those numbers flatten a reality with enormous geographic variation — Sunnyvale pays a median of $237,440, while other markets fall well below the national average. We tracked 288 cities to build the complete picture.
Positioned in Engineering within the broader Engineering industry, Electronics Engineers typically hold Bachelor's in EE. The employment landscape is shaped by growing, and the day-to-day is hybrid/lab. Those factors — education investment, demand trajectory, and work structure — all feed into the salary numbers below.
$144,480 separates the highest and lowest-paying cities. A Electronics Engineer in Sunnyvale, California earns a median of $237,440 — $144,480 more than their counterpart in Toledo, Ohio ($92,960). That gap alone is more than many cities' annual rent. That salary-to-cost ratio is genuinely competitive.
Breaking down the numbers: entry-level Electronics Engineers average $93,856, the median sits at $130,356, and senior earners pull in $185,105. That $91,249 gap represents the full earning trajectory of this career. The median is $49,989 above the national median household income of $80,367 — meaning even a mid-career professional in this field outearns the typical American household.
Contrast that with the lowest-paying markets: The top 3 paying cities (Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Irvine) average $221,760 — while the bottom 3 (Toledo, Detroit, Akron) average $93,707. That $128,053 gap means choosing the right city could be the equivalent of a major promotion. For early-career professionals, the geographic pay premium is worth the math.
A Electronics Engineer in Sunnyvale, California earns a median of $237,440 — $144,480 more than their counterpart in Toledo, Ohio ($92,960). That gap alone is more than many cities' annual rent.
The national average entry-level (P10) salary for Electronics Engineer is $93,856, while senior-level (P90) earners average $185,105. That $91,249 trajectory represents the earning growth a career in this field can deliver.
California pays the highest average median salary for Electronics Engineers at $157,332 across 61 tracked cities. The gap between #1 and #5 (New Jersey at $138,320) is $19,012.
At the 90th percentile, Electronics Engineers pull in an average of $185,105. In the top-paying markets, that figure climbs even higher — making this one of the more lucrative career trajectories in its field.
| Country | Coverage | Entry (P10) | Median | Senior (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 288 | $93,856 | $130,356 | $185,105 |
| United Kingdom | 27 | £51,587 | £71,649 | £101,741 |
| Canada | 21 | CA$75,524 | CA$104,894 | CA$148,950 |
| Australia | 13 | A$87,313 | A$121,268 | A$172,201 |
| Sweden | 24 | 515,437 kr | 715,884 kr | 1,016,556 kr |
| State | Cities | Entry (P10) | Median | Senior (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 61 | $113,279 | $157,332 | $223,412 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $109,469 | $152,040 | $215,897 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $108,864 | $151,200 | $214,704 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $100,800 | $140,000 | $198,800 |
| New Jersey | 4 | $99,590 | $138,320 | $196,414 |
| Washington | 8 | $97,675 | $135,660 | $192,637 |
| New York | 5 | $91,929 | $127,680 | $181,305 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $91,930 | $127,680 | $181,306 |
| Florida | 22 | $91,233 | $126,713 | $179,932 |
| Colorado | 11 | $89,657 | $124,524 | $176,824 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $89,510 | $124,320 | $176,534 |
| Nevada | 5 | $89,349 | $124,096 | $176,216 |
| Arizona | 12 | $88,906 | $123,480 | $175,342 |
| Oregon | 5 | $88,704 | $123,200 | $174,944 |
| Idaho | 3 | $88,435 | $122,827 | $174,414 |
| Connecticut | 5 | $87,736 | $121,856 | $173,036 |
| Utah | 4 | $87,494 | $121,520 | $172,558 |
| Virginia | 7 | $86,054 | $119,520 | $169,718 |
| South Carolina | 3 | $84,941 | $117,973 | $167,522 |
| Alaska | 1 | $84,672 | $117,600 | $166,992 |
| Illinois | 5 | $83,704 | $116,256 | $165,083 |
| North Carolina | 9 | $81,626 | $113,369 | $160,984 |
| New Mexico | 3 | $80,640 | $112,000 | $159,040 |
| Montana | 1 | $80,640 | $112,000 | $159,040 |
| Tennessee | 6 | $80,371 | $111,627 | $158,510 |
| Texas | 40 | $79,975 | $111,076 | $157,728 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $79,834 | $110,880 | $157,450 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | $79,431 | $110,320 | $156,655 |
| Georgia | 6 | $79,162 | $109,947 | $156,124 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | $79,027 | $109,760 | $155,859 |
| Kansas | 4 | $78,624 | $109,200 | $155,064 |
| Michigan | 6 | $78,355 | $108,827 | $154,534 |
| Kentucky | 2 | $77,415 | $107,520 | $152,679 |
| Maryland | 1 | $77,414 | $107,520 | $152,678 |
| Nebraska | 2 | $76,608 | $106,400 | $151,088 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $76,608 | $106,400 | $151,088 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | $74,592 | $103,600 | $147,112 |
| North Dakota | 1 | $74,189 | $103,040 | $146,317 |
| Louisiana | 4 | $73,181 | $101,640 | $144,329 |
| Missouri | 4 | $73,181 | $101,640 | $144,329 |
| Alabama | 5 | $72,899 | $101,248 | $143,772 |
| Indiana | 3 | $71,770 | $99,680 | $141,546 |
| Arkansas | 1 | $71,770 | $99,680 | $141,546 |
| Iowa | 2 | $70,963 | $98,560 | $139,955 |
| Ohio | 6 | $70,829 | $98,373 | $139,690 |
| Mississippi | 1 | $67,738 | $94,080 | $133,594 |
Geography shapes Electronics Engineer pay in predictable and not-so-predictable ways. California tops the state leaderboard at $157,332 median, with 61 cities providing data. Massachusetts and Hawaii follow. On the flip side, Mississippi and Ohio anchor the bottom — reflecting lower local cost structures and smaller metro premiums.
When you adjust the top-paying cities for cost of living, the ranking reshuffles. Sunnyvale ($237,440 nominal, 212 cost index) delivers $112,000 in purchasing power — maintaining its lead even after cost adjustment. This is the metric that matters for anyone considering a geo-based career move.
Raw salary divided by the local cost index — this shows where your paycheck buys the most.
| # | City | Nominal Salary | Cost Index | Adjusted Salary | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale California | $237,440 | 212 | $112,000 | $134,029 |
| 2 | Santa Clara California | $221,760 | 198 | $112,000 | $126,652 |
| 3 | Irvine California | $206,080 | 184 | $112,000 | $119,274 |
| 4 | San Francisco California | $202,720 | 181 | $112,000 | $117,693 |
| 5 | Carlsbad California | $199,360 | 178 | $112,000 | $116,112 |
| 6 | San Jose California | $198,240 | 177 | $112,000 | $115,585 |
| 7 | Fremont California | $198,240 | 177 | $112,000 | $115,585 |
| 8 | Berkeley California | $193,760 | 173 | $112,000 | $113,478 |
| 9 | Costa Mesa California | $193,760 | 173 | $112,000 | $113,478 |
| 10 | Huntington Beach California | $189,280 | 169 | $112,000 | $111,156 |
Career economics for Electronics Engineers: entry level averages $93,856, mid-career hits $130,356, and experienced professionals reach $185,105. That's a 2.0× multiplier from start to peak. The path typically requires Bachelor's in EE, and the work is hybrid/lab. The outlook: growing. That salary-to-cost ratio is genuinely competitive.
The weighted national median salary for Electronics Engineers is $130,356 in 2026, based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics across 288 U.S. metro areas. Entry-level (10th percentile) averages $93,856, while experienced professionals at the 90th percentile average $185,105.
The highest-paying city for Electronics Engineers is Sunnyvale, California with a median salary of $237,440. The top 3 cities are Sunnyvale ($237,440), Santa Clara ($221,760), Irvine ($206,080). Note: high-paying cities often have higher costs of living — check the cost-adjusted rankings above for purchasing power.
The lowest median Electronics Engineer salary in our data is in Toledo, Ohio at $92,960. However, lower-paying cities often have significantly lower costs of living, which can offset the pay gap. Always compare salary data alongside local cost of living.
Entry-level Electronics Engineers (10th percentile) average $93,856 nationally. This varies by city — in the highest-paying markets, entry-level pay can be close to $170,957. Experience, certifications, and employer type all influence starting salary.
At the 90th percentile (senior level), Electronics Engineers average $185,105 nationally — $91,249 more than entry-level. In top-paying cities, senior Electronics Engineers can earn up to $337,165.
The top-paying states for Electronics Engineers are California ($157,332 median), Massachusetts ($152,040 median), Hawaii ($151,200 median). State averages are computed across all tracked cities in each state, weighted equally.
The typical education path for a Electronics Engineer involves Bachelor's in EE. The field is in the Engineering sector (Engineering), and the career outlook is growing. Work style is typically hybrid/lab.
With a national median of $130,356 and representation across 288 metro areas, Electronics Engineer offers above-average earning potential compared to national household income. The $91,249 gap between entry and senior pay shows room for salary growth. Industry outlook: growing.
All salary data on this page is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys employers across U.S. metropolitan areas. We present 10th percentile (entry), 50th percentile (median), and 90th percentile (senior) pay benchmarks. Cost-of-living adjustments use our core database of 288 cities.
Salary data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys employers across U.S. metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. We present the 10th percentile (entry-level), 50th percentile (median), and 90th percentile (senior) pay benchmarks.
Cost-of-living adjustments use Livably's core index derived from Zillow rent data, Census income surveys, and regional BLS price data. Take-home pay estimates apply simplified federal brackets, 7.65% FICA, and state income tax rates from the Tax Foundation.
State and national averages are computed as simple means across all tracked cities with data for this occupation. Rankings are updated monthly as new BLS releases become available.