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Electrical Engineering Major

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Electrical Engineering

8,656 Master's Degrees Annually
2,179 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#27 in Popularity (Master's)
$107,930 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Electrical Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many electrical engineering graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 8,658
Doctor’s Degree 2,179
Graduate Certificate 184

What Electrical Engineering Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to EE and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for EE Majors

EE majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for EE Majors

EE majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for EE Majors

A major in EE will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Electrical Engineering Major?

People with a EE degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Aerospace Engineers 6.0% $115,220
Architectural and Engineering Managers 5.5% $140,760
Biochemical Engineers 6.4% $96,980
Electrical Engineers 8.6% $96,640
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 3.7% $102,700
Engineering Professors 14.7% $101,720
Mechatronics Engineers 6.4% $96,980
Photonics Engineers 6.4% $96,980
Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists 3.7% $102,700
Validation Engineers 6.4% $96,980

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering?

8,658 Master's Degrees Annually
23% Percent Women
16% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
Electrical Engineering runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #27 out of all the graduate majors we track. In 2021, about 8,656 graduates completed their master’s degree in this field. This major attracts more men than women. About 77% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of EE majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 740
Black or African American 147
Hispanic or Latino 330
White 1,842
International Students 5,294
Other Races/Ethnicities 305

Geographic Diversity

EE appeals to people across the globe. About 61.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • India
  • China
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Iran
  • South Korea

How Much Do Electrical Engineering Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of electrical engineering students with a master’s degree is $94,709 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $85,654 (25th percentile) and $100,444 (75th percentile).

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We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to EE so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $101,600 to $117,100 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to EE. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for an Electrical Engineering Major  ( 101600 to 117100 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with EE may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for EE careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.9%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 2.4%
Some College Courses 0.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 4.6%
Bachelor’s Degree 62.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 1.9%
Master’s Degree 17.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.4%
Doctoral Degree 6.8%
Post-Doctoral Training 1.0%

Online Electrical Engineering Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 449 schools offered some type of electrical engineering program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 6 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 52 2
Bachelor’s Degree 51 13
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 263 24
Post-Master’s 15 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 163 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Electrical Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a EE grad is $107,930 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 171% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,360,600 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to EE.

Major Number of Grads
Mechanical Engineering 9,007
Civil Engineering 6,042
Computer Engineering 5,557
Biomedical Engineering 4,252
General Engineering 3,548
Systems Engineering 3,068
Industrial Engineering 3,028
Chemical Engineering 2,662
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 2,375
Other Engineering 1,820
Materials Engineering 1,810
Operations Research 1,191
Electrical and Computer Engineering. 928
Environmental Engineering 919
Robotics Engineering 560
Engineering Science 451
Nuclear Engineering 437
Manufacturing Engineering 423
Petroleum Engineering 401
Agricultural Engineering 332
Construction Engineering 288
Engineering Physics 286
Architectural Engineering 243
Geoscience Engineering 173
Polymer & Plastics Engineering 167
Engineering Mechanics 144
Mining Engineering 132
Ocean Engineering 112
Textile Engineering 96
Biological Engineering 80
Energy Systems Engineering 79
Marine Engineering 44
Metallurgical Engineering 40
Biochemical Engineering 21
Ceramic Engineering 20
Electromechanical Engineering 16
Surveying Engineering 11
Paper Science & Engineering 7
Forest Engineering 0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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