Electrical Degree

262 schools compared · Average earnings $77,517/yr

Students study the design of electrical systems, circuits, signal processing, power generation, and electronic communication systems from microchips to power grids. Graduates typically pursue careers in semiconductor companies, telecommunications firms, power utilities, defense contractors, and consumer electronics manufacturers. Electrical engineering is one of the broadest and most versatile engineering disciplines with strong lifetime earning potential.

What Electrical Graduates Do

Your degree prepares you to design the electronic and communication systems that power modern life. As an entry-level electrical engineer, you might spend your days in CAD software, creating the wiring plans for a new hospital or testing components for the power grid. In a more specialized electronics engineering role, you’ll design and prototype the circuit boards inside smartphones, medical devices, or satellites. The fastest-growing paths, like computer hardware engineering, put you at the forefront of designing next-generation processors and memory chips.

Typically, you’ll start by executing designs and running tests, then progress to leading complex projects. With experience, you can move into engineering management, where your focus shifts from technical design to leading teams, managing budgets, and setting strategic direction.

AI will significantly change your day-to-day work by automating routine analysis and schematic generation. For high-exposure roles like electronics and computer hardware engineering, the shift is fundamental. AI now handles many tasks once done by junior engineers, meaning your value will come from architecting systems, validating AI outputs, and making critical judgment calls.

Schools Offering
262
Avg Grad Earnings
$77,517/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
69/100
AI Automation Risk
Very High
58% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Electrical graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 54,500 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers
$167,740
$135K$207K
14,500 +3.8% 41%
Computer hardware engineers
$155,020
$116K$185K
4,700 +7.3% 73%
Aerospace engineers
$134,830
$105K$174K
4,500 +6.1% 57%
Electronics engineers, except computer
$127,590
$99K$164K
5,700 +6.2% 67%
Engineers, all other
$117,750
$86K$153K
9,300 +2.1% 46%
Electrical engineers
$111,910
$88K$142K
11,700 +7.2% 56%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
$106,120
$80K$136K
4,100 +8.1% 50%
Architectural and engineering managers
$167,740
$135K $207K
14,500 openings/yr +3.8% growth 41% AI risk
Computer hardware engineers
$155,020
$116K $185K
4,700 openings/yr +7.3% growth 73% AI risk
Aerospace engineers
$134,830
$105K $174K
4,500 openings/yr +6.1% growth 57% AI risk
Electronics engineers, except computer
$127,590
$99K $164K
5,700 openings/yr +6.2% growth 67% AI risk
Engineers, all other
$117,750
$86K $153K
9,300 openings/yr +2.1% growth 46% AI risk
Electrical engineers
$111,910
$88K $142K
11,700 openings/yr +7.2% growth 56% AI risk
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
$106,120
$80K $136K
4,100 openings/yr +8.1% growth 50% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Electrical

Top 20 of 262 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
79
75–80
$137,295/yr 39.5x
2 The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
77
74–79
$96,997/yr 25.4x
3 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
77
73–79
$90,576/yr 25.3x
4 University of Houston
Houston, TX
77
73–78
$86,136/yr 26.6x
5 University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
77
72–78
$85,369/yr 22.2x
6 University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
77
73–79
$85,243/yr 39.8x
7 Iowa State University
Ames, IA
77
73–78
$84,913/yr 24.6x
8 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA
77
73–78
$80,827/yr 34.9x
9 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA
76
72–78
$86,865/yr 22.2x
10 University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD
76
72–78
$85,500/yr 22.5x
11 Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ
76
72–77
$84,706/yr 20.4x
12 Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN
76
72–77
$84,300/yr 23.0x
13 Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, TX
76
72–78
$84,195/yr 22.7x
14 Lamar University
Beaumont, TX
76
72–78
$83,155/yr 27.2x
15 Portland State University
Portland, OR
76
72–77
$82,853/yr 22.3x
16 New Mexico State University-Main Campus
Las Cruces, NM
76
72–78
$82,790/yr 28.9x
17 University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA
76
72–77
$81,989/yr 20.6x
18 University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL
76
72–78
$81,499/yr 26.5x
19 North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC
76
72–77
$81,213/yr 32.1x
20 Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS
76
72–77
$80,896/yr 24.2x

Highest Earning Electrical Programs

Schools where Electrical graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
Carnegie Mellon University $139,337/yr 67
University of California-Berkeley $137,295/yr 79
Massachusetts Institute of Technology $117,345/yr 68
Cornell University $100,516/yr 65
The University of Texas at Austin $96,997/yr 77
Rice University $96,751/yr 66
National University $93,417/yr 63
Northeastern University $92,222/yr 62
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo $90,576/yr 77
Villanova University $90,302/yr 63

Best ROI for Electrical

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Electrical.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Brigham Young University-Idaho 50.5x $70,563/yr 75
Florida Atlantic University 46.4x $76,520/yr 76
Brigham Young University 42.3x $77,060/yr 76
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 42.0x $77,221/yr 75
Florida State University 41.6x $72,425/yr 75
University of Florida 39.8x $85,243/yr 77
University of California-Berkeley 39.5x $137,295/yr 79
Ohio University-Eastern Campus 39.0x $64,226/yr 73
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus 39.0x $64,226/yr 73
Ohio University-Southern Campus 39.0x $64,226/yr 73
Want to compare two Electrical programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Electrical offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Electrical graduates earn?
Across 262 schools, Electrical graduates earn an average of $77,517 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $28,086 to $139,337 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Electrical?
Electrical is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 58% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Electrical program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of California-Berkeley ranks #1 for Electrical with a score of 79/100 and graduate earnings of $137,295/yr.
What's the outlook for a Electrical degree?
On average, Electrical graduates earn 18.6x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →