Electrical Engineers in Virginia. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
Virginia's median annual wage for Electrical Engineers was $122,320 in 2024, about 7% above the national median of $114,360. The gap is real but not dramatic. For context, the mean wage of $124,080 sits just above the median, which means high earners push the average up only slightly. Pay is distributed fairly evenly across the middle of the range.
The spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile runs from $78,060 to $172,340. That is a $94,000 gap between early-career and senior-level workers. The jump from the 25th percentile ($96,090) to the 75th ($144,700) is already $48,600, so most of the variation happens before you even reach the top earners. Experience and specialization appear to drive the wage ladder here more than they do in flatter occupations.
Virginia's cost-of-living index sits at 102.3, essentially at the national baseline. That means the 7% nominal wage premium over the US median translates into a real purchasing-power gain of roughly the same amount. Unlike some higher-paying states where a headline number shrinks considerably after accounting for local costs, Virginia's figure holds up close to what it appears on paper.
BLS projects employment for Electrical Engineers to grow 7.1% between 2024 and 2034, an outlook they categorize as faster than average. Virginia's concentration of defense contractors, federal agencies, and power infrastructure work around Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor likely contributes to that demand, though BLS does not publish state-level projections separately from the national figure.
Salary distribution
Where Virginia electrical engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $95,450 and $148,320, with a median of $119,030.
Electrical Engineers in Virginia: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 170 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $117,964. 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 | 32 | $96,126 |
| Level II — qualified | 83 | $114,955 |
| Level III — experienced | 23 | $147,150 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 18 | $177,985 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Electrical Engineers in Virginia. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric and Power Company | Engineer | 21 | $113,333 |
| M.C. Dean, Inc. | Commissioning Engineer | 11 | $110,630 |
| T-Mobile USA, Inc. | Sr Engineer, Systems Architecture | 10 | $142,049 |
| Apex Clean Energy, Inc. | Transmission Planning Engineer | 7 | $113,422 |
| Dominion Energy Technical Solutions, Inc. | Engineer | 7 | $112,001 |
| Google LLC | Datacenter Engineer | 7 | $186,000 |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | Process Control System - Lead Engineer | 7 | $131,645 |
| Amazon Data Services, Inc. | Critical Infrastructure Electrical Engineer | 6 | $135,950 |
| JEFFERSON SCIENCE ASSOCIATES, LLC | Senior Staff Electrical Engineer | 5 | $134,000 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Electrical Engineering | 5 | $170,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Control Engineer 3 at M.C. Dean, Inc.$130,000ManassasWage Level IIDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-723302
- Senior Product Engineer at Micron Technology, Inc.$138,686ManassasWage Level IIDecided Mar 24, 2026I-200-26076-709673
- Principal Engineer, Systems Architecture at T-Mobile USA, Inc.$170,278HerndonWage Level IVDecided Mar 16, 2026I-200-26068-689294
- RF Engineering Team Lead at Amdocs, Inc.$132,754HerndonWage Level IIDecided Mar 13, 2026I-200-26065-685393
- Sr. Product Development Engineer at Micron Technology, Inc.$131,645ManassasWage Level IIDecided Mar 13, 2026I-200-26065-684628
- Substation Electrical Designer at HDR Engineering, Inc.$122,013Glen AllenWage Level IDecided Mar 9, 2026I-200-26062-674859
- Senior Electrical Engineer at Modine Manufacturing Company$280,800,000LexingtonWage Level IVDecided Feb 27, 2026I-200-26051-654198
- Electrical Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$167,500LeesburgWage Level IIDecided Feb 27, 2026I-200-26051-653578
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.
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Electrical Engineers pay by experience level in Virginia
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 Virginia
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 88 certified offers. The most common variant is Engineer at a median of $114,288.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | Virginia Electric and Power Company | 48 | $114,288 |
| Electrical Engineer | JEFFERSON SCIENCE ASSOCIATES, LLC | 20 | $104,554 |
| Control Engineer | M.C. Dean, Inc. | 5 | $130,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | Microsoft Corporation | 3 | $175,000 |
| Technical Operations Engineer | Amazon Data Services, Inc | 3 | $127,000 |
| Transmission Planning Engineer | Apex Clean Energy, Inc. | 3 | $99,216 |
| Data Center Infrastructure Engineer | Amazon Data Services, Inc. | 3 | $140,000 |
| Datacenter Engineer | Google LLC | 3 | $203,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Electrical Engineers in Virginia, by industry
Median offered wage across 168 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $109,439.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | M.C. Dean, Inc. | 58 | $109,439 |
| Technology and software | T-Mobile USA, Inc. | 41 | $145,000 |
| Energy and utilities | Virginia Electric and Power Company | 33 | $113,300 |
| Manufacturing | Micron Technology, Inc. | 28 | $114,778 |
| Retail and wholesale | AMAZON DATA SERVICES, INC. | 4 | $130,250 |
| Education | Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | 3 | $82,400 |
| Nonprofit and civic | DREAM Venture Labs Inc. | 1 | $95,992 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Virginia 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.
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Explore coursesTop metros in Virginia
Metro-level salary data for electrical engineers in major Virginia metropolitan areas.
- Richmond$116,760
- Virginia Beach$103,210
Compare Electrical Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare Virginia with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Electrical Engineers in Virginia?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Electrical Engineers in Virginia is $119,030.
- How does Virginia compare to the national median for Electrical Engineers?
- The Virginia median is +3.5% versus the BLS national figure of $114,971.
- What is the salary range for Electrical Engineers in Virginia?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $80,320 and the 90th-percentile at $173,400, 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.