Electrical Engineering Technology Degree

46 schools compared · Average earnings $67,107/yr

Students study practical electrical systems including circuit design, power distribution, industrial controls, and electrical testing and maintenance. Graduates typically pursue careers as electrical engineering technicians, industrial electricians, power systems technicians, and electronic equipment maintenance specialists. Strong hands-on electrical skills are in high demand across manufacturing, utilities, and telecommunications.

What Electrical Engineering Technology Graduates Do

Your degree prepares you for the hands-on work of bringing electrical systems to life. As an electrical engineering technologist, you’ll be in the lab building prototypes, soldering circuit boards, and running diagnostic tests on new hardware. Alternatively, you could find yourself in a high-stakes field role as a powerhouse repairer, inspecting and maintaining the high-voltage substations that keep the power grid running. These practical roles are the core of the profession, moving designs from the drawing board into reality.

Careers typically begin with focused tasks like testing or assembly under supervision. With experience, you can advance to become a senior technologist, leading complex projects or specializing in fields like automation. Paths centered on physical infrastructure, such as powerhouse repair, are growing steadily to meet grid demands. However, roles focused purely on creating digital blueprints, like electrical drafting, face significant headwinds as software automates more of the process.

With an average AI exposure of 42%, your job will change, not disappear. AI will increasingly handle routine diagnostics or initial schematic layouts, shifting your focus to complex troubleshooting, physical repairs, and the hands-on implementation where human skill remains essential. Adaptability is key, as your value will lie in solving problems that software can't and working with tangible, high-power systems.

Schools Offering
46
Avg Grad Earnings
$67,107/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
59/100
AI Automation Risk
High
42% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Electrical Engineering Technology graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 24,100 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
$100,940
$80K$115K
2,000 +5.5% 34%
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
$79,830
$65K$102K
900 +8.1% 32%
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
$77,390
$60K$98K
5,700 +1.5% 24%
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
$77,180
$61K$95K
8,400 +0.6% 41%
Electrical and electronics drafters
$73,720
$59K$92K
1,700 -5.6% 57%
Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
$70,760
$59K$87K
1,300 +1.1% 42%
Sound engineering technicians
$66,430
$48K$100K
1,200 -1.7% 43%
Calibration technologists and technicians
$65,040
$52K$84K
1,400 +4.7% 40%
Disc jockeys, except radio N/A 1,500 +3.8% 53%
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
$100,940
$80K $115K
2,000 openings/yr +5.5% growth 34% AI risk
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
$79,830
$65K $102K
900 openings/yr +8.1% growth 32% AI risk
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
$77,390
$60K $98K
5,700 openings/yr +1.5% growth 24% AI risk
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
$77,180
$61K $95K
8,400 openings/yr +0.6% growth 41% AI risk
Electrical and electronics drafters
$73,720
$59K $92K
1,700 openings/yr -5.6% growth 57% AI risk
Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
$70,760
$59K $87K
1,300 openings/yr +1.1% growth 42% AI risk
Sound engineering technicians
$66,430
$48K $100K
1,200 openings/yr -1.7% growth 43% AI risk
Calibration technologists and technicians
$65,040
$52K $84K
1,400 openings/yr +4.7% growth 40% AI risk
Disc jockeys, except radio
N/A
1,500 openings/yr +3.8% growth 53% AI risk

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

Find the top Electrical Engineering Technology schools — ranked by actual earnings data from 46 programs →

Best Schools for Electrical Engineering Technology

Top 20 of 46 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 California State University-Chico
Chico, CA
69
67–70
$77,965/yr 29.3x
2 Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
68
66–69
$82,524/yr 17.6x
3 Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO
68
66–68
$75,966/yr 20.9x
4 University of Houston
Houston, TX
68
66–68
$74,835/yr 22.7x
5 Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA
68
66–69
$71,064/yr 36.7x
6 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA
68
66–69
$68,815/yr 30.4x
7 University of Maine
Orono, ME
67
65–68
$73,692/yr 18.8x
8 SUNY Buffalo State University
Buffalo, NY
67
66–68
$71,894/yr 25.5x
9 Valencia College
Orlando, FL
67
65–68
$64,538/yr 85.2x
10 Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX
66
64–67
$78,185/yr 16.5x
11 Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN
66
64–67
$74,981/yr 20.0x
12 CUNY New York City College of Technology
Brooklyn, NY
66
63–67
$61,520/yr 28.8x
13 University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH
64
62–65
$70,138/yr 16.0x
14 California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
64
61–65
$57,069/yr 27.7x
15 Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
63
61–63
$70,887/yr 16.5x
16 Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI
63
61–64
$68,334/yr 15.2x
17 Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, NY
63
60–64
$53,729/yr 23.7x
18 SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY
62
60–63
$52,336/yr 23.0x
19 North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC
62
60–63
$47,422/yr 31.0x
20 DeVry College of New York
New York, NY
60
58–60
$67,395/yr 11.2x

Highest Earning Electrical Engineering Technology Programs

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

Best ROI for Electrical Engineering Technology

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

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Valencia College 85.2x $64,538/yr 67
Kennesaw State University 36.7x $71,064/yr 68
Western Carolina University 36.0x $67,003/yr 57
Savannah State University 33.4x $26,868/yr 43
North Carolina A & T State University 31.0x $47,422/yr 62
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 30.4x $68,815/yr 68
California State University-Chico 29.3x $77,965/yr 69
CUNY New York City College of Technology 28.8x $61,520/yr 66
California State University-Long Beach 27.7x $57,069/yr 64
SUNY Buffalo State University 25.5x $71,894/yr 67
Want to compare two Electrical Engineering Technology 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 Engineering Technology offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the typical salary after a Electrical Engineering Technology degree?
Across 46 schools, Electrical Engineering Technology graduates earn an average of $67,107 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $26,868 to $87,606 depending on the school.
Will AI affect Electrical Engineering Technology careers?
Our analysis classifies Electrical Engineering Technology as "High" for AI risk — approximately 42% of typical job tasks overlap with current AI capabilities. That puts some of the daily work in the automation-sensitive category.
What's the top-ranked school for Electrical Engineering Technology?
California State University-Chico leads all 46 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 69/100. Graduates earn $77,965/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.
Is a Electrical Engineering Technology degree worth the investment?
The average 10-year earnings multiple is 19.3x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →