Electrical Engineers in North Carolina. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median Electrical Engineer in North Carolina earned $107,760 in 2024, about 5.8% below the US median of $114,360. That gap is smaller than it first looks, and the cost of living closes it further: North Carolina's price index sits at 95, meaning the typical dollar buys more here than the national average. After that adjustment, the real purchasing gap nearly disappears.
The spread between the lowest and highest earners is wide. Engineers at the 10th percentile earned $70,710 in 2024. At the 90th percentile the figure was $184,490, roughly 2.6 times as much. That kind of range usually signals a field where experience, specialization, and sector matter a lot. A new graduate and a senior power systems engineer are both Electrical Engineers by job title, but the compensation difference between them is substantial.
The mean wage of $118,960 sits well above the median. A segment of high earners pulls the average up, which is worth keeping in mind when reading summary figures for this occupation.
BLS projects employment for Electrical Engineers to grow 7.1% nationally between 2024 and 2034, an outlook it classifies as faster than average. North Carolina's manufacturing base and the continued expansion of semiconductor and defense-related facilities in the Research Triangle region give that projection some local relevance, though the JSON data here reflects the state's current employment count of 6,560, not a state-specific growth rate.
Salary distribution
Where North Carolina electrical engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $79,370 and $148,330, with a median of $110,130.
Electrical Engineers in North Carolina: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 321 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $116,788. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 55 | $88,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 101 | $110,000 |
| Level III — experienced | 79 | $135,000 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 53 | $150,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Electrical Engineers in North Carolina. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | Silicon Engineering | 47 | $152,696 |
| Eaton Corporation | Electrical Engineer | 20 | $124,390 |
| HITACHI ENERGY USA INC. | Project Technical Engineering Senior Professional | 20 | $105,899 |
| SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC. | Electrical Engineer | 20 | $119,704 |
| Qorvo US, INC. | Power Management Design Engineer | 19 | $105,000 |
| SIEMENS ENERGY, INC. | DC Protection Engineer Control & Protection HVDC | 11 | $128,000 |
| BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC. | Staff Electrical Engineer | 10 | $90,128 |
| Analog Devices, Inc. | Engineer, Product Applications | 7 | $131,000 |
| Quanta Technology, LLC | Transmission Planning Engineer | 7 | $108,012 |
| North Carolina State University | Postdoctoral Research Scholar | 6 | $72,500 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Technical Consultant (Experienced Professional, Energy) at HITACHI ENERGY USA INC.$105,997RaleighWage Level IIDecided —I-200-26084-730309
- Principal SCADA Engineer at ASCO POWER TECHNOLOGIES, L.P.$116,232LexingtonWage Level IVDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-721601
- Staff PE Control System Engineer at Deere & Company$140,600CaryWage Level IIDecided Mar 27, 2026I-200-26079-717739
- Staff R&D/Product Development Engineer: System Architect at TE Connectivity Corporation$130,000Winston-SalemWage Level IVDecided Mar 24, 2026I-200-26077-710796
- Controls Engineering Supervisor at Corning Incorporated$155,250NewtonWage Level IVDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26075-706624
- Factory Commissioning Engineer at Siemens Mobility, Inc.$98,895LexingtonWage Level IDecided Mar 18, 2026I-200-26070-696782
- Solution Engineer at SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.$157,657WENDELLWage Level IIIDecided Mar 18, 2026I-200-26070-695387
- Electrical Engineer at Power Relaying Solutions, PLLC$98,717CharlotteWage Level IDecided Mar 17, 2026I-200-26069-691562
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Where do you stand?
Get an instant percentile reading. Anonymous, no signup.
Aggregate unlocks once 5 readers have shared a salary for this role and state.
Electrical Engineers pay by experience level in North Carolina
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Electrical Engineers specialties in North Carolina
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 150 certified offers. The most common variant is Silicon Engineering at a median of $152,696.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Engineering | Microsoft Corporation | 47 | $152,696 |
| Electrical Engineer | BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC. | 39 | $92,435 |
| Senior Engineer | Analog Devices, Inc. | 21 | $131,000 |
| Sr. Controls Engineer | Cummins Inc. | 10 | $110,305 |
| Application Engineer | Control Infotech, Inc. | 6 | $105,500 |
| Electrical Design Engineer | Technosoft Engineering, Inc. | 5 | $103,725 |
| Project Technical Engineering Senior Professional | HITACHI ENERGY USA INC. | 5 | $105,800 |
| Solution Engineer | SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC. | 4 | $141,359 |
| Embedded Software Engineer | Technosoft Engineering, Inc. | 4 | $78,000 |
| Technical Consultant | HITACHI ENERGY USA INC. | 3 | $104,000 |
| Principal Consultant | HITACHI ENERGY USA INC. | 3 | $113,173 |
| Lead Firmware Engineer | Itron, Inc. | 3 | $140,312 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Electrical Engineers in North Carolina, by industry
Median offered wage across 319 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Manufacturing leads with a median of $117,381.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Eaton Corporation | 130 | $117,381 |
| Professional services | SIEMENS ENERGY, INC. | 91 | $102,773 |
| Technology and software | Microsoft Corporation | 59 | $148,302 |
| Energy and utilities | HITACHI ENERGY USA INC. | 24 | $105,997 |
| Education | North Carolina State University | 10 | $78,553 |
| Retail and wholesale | Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. | 4 | $105,000 |
| Real estate | Revel Transit, Inc. | 1 | $178,500 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in North Carolina over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.7 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.7 / 5
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Writing
Basic skill
- 4.1 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
- 4.1 / 5
Written Expression
Ability
- 4.1 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- 02
Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- 03
Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- 04
Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- 05
Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- 06
Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
- 07
Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.
- 08
Collect data relating to commercial or residential development, population, or power system interconnection to determine operating efficiency of electrical systems.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+7.1%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
Sponsored
Build the skills employers list for Electrical Engineers
Online courses from licensed providers. We may earn a commission when you enroll. The commission does not influence our rankings or wage data.
Explore coursesTop metros in North Carolina
Metro-level salary data for electrical engineers in major North Carolina metropolitan areas.
Compare Electrical Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare North Carolina with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Electrical Engineers in North Carolina?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Electrical Engineers in North Carolina is $110,130.
- How does North Carolina compare to the national median for Electrical Engineers?
- The North Carolina median is -4.2% versus the BLS national figure of $114,971.
- What is the salary range for Electrical Engineers in North Carolina?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $66,800 and the 90th-percentile at $203,490, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Electrical Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 7.1% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Electrical Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.