Electrical Engineers in Washington. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median Electrical Engineer in Washington earned $130,730 in 2024, about 14% above the US median of $114,360. That is a meaningful gap, though not the largest we see for this occupation across states.
The spread between bottom and top earners is wide. The 10th percentile came in at $80,980 while the 90th hit $180,880. Top earners make roughly 2.2 times what the lowest-paid tenth make. That range reflects how much experience, specialization, and the type of employer matter in this field. An engineer at a defense contractor or a large semiconductor firm pulls a very different wage than one at a small utility or a local engineering consultancy.
Washington's cost of living runs about 9% above the national average. Adjusting for that, the $130,730 median translates to closer to $120,000 in national-baseline dollars. The nominal premium over the US figure shrinks from $16,370 to something closer to $7,000. Still a positive gap, but a narrower one than the headline suggests.
BLS projects employment for Electrical Engineers to grow 7.1% nationally between 2024 and 2034, a pace it classifies as faster than average. Washington's concentration of aerospace, defense, and technology employers gives that projection some regional weight, though BLS does not publish state-level growth figures separately.
Salary distribution
Where Washington electrical engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $103,910 and $166,160, with a median of $132,710.
Electrical Engineers in Washington: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 250 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $150,000. 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 | 31 | $97,802 |
| Level II — qualified | 73 | $138,284 |
| Level III — experienced | 89 | $174,508 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 45 | $171,600 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Electrical Engineers in Washington. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | Electrical Engineering | 74 | $177,161 |
| Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. | Associate Compliance Engineer | 16 | $113,042 |
| T-Mobile USA, Inc. | Senior Engineer, Systems Architecture | 12 | $156,803 |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | Electrical Engineer | 10 | $122,076 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Electrical Engineer | 10 | $166,000 |
| Apple Inc. | Electrical Engineer | 8 | $166,600 |
| SEL Engineering Services, Inc. | Project Engineer--Studies | 8 | $116,162 |
| GE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC | SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER - ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMS | 5 | $140,400 |
| Infineon Technologies Americas Corp. | Senior Staff Engineer Analog Mixed Signal Design | 4 | $139,568 |
| Space Exploration Technologies Corp. | Antenna Engineer II | 4 | $150,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Senior Technical Manager, Electrical Engineering at WSP USA Inc.$166,629SeattleWage Level IVDecided Mar 26, 2026I-200-26078-716010
- Sr. Principal Power Systems Engineer at Open Systems International, Inc.$180,000RedmondWage Level IVDecided Mar 25, 2026I-200-26077-713725
- Principal Signal Integrity / Power Integrity Engineer at d-Matrix, Inc. (fka d-Matrix Corporation)$217,630BellinghamWage Level IVDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26076-707409
- ASIC Design Engineer at Block, Inc.$240,000SeattleWage Level IVDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-702524
- Field Applications Engineer at Amphenol TCS - A division of Amphenol Corporation d//b/a Amphenol TCS$175,000BothellWage Level IVDecided Mar 19, 2026I-200-26071-698632
- Silicon Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$169,500RedmondWage Level IIDecided Mar 18, 2026I-200-26070-694538
- Electrical Engineering at Microsoft Corporation$149,700RedmondWage Level IIDecided Mar 17, 2026I-200-26069-691205
- Field Service Technician - Union 4 at SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA, INC.$109,013VANCOUVERDecided Mar 13, 2026I-200-26065-686472
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 Washington
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 Washington
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 131 certified offers. The most common variant is Electrical Engineer at a median of $124,447.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineer | Battelle Memorial Institute | 33 | $124,447 |
| Electrical Engineering | Microsoft Corporation | 31 | $158,960 |
| Silicon Engineering | Microsoft Corporation | 19 | $198,800 |
| Senior Engineer, Systems Architecture | T-Mobile USA, Inc. | 13 | $140,108 |
| Hardware Engineering | Microsoft Corporation | 11 | $179,900 |
| Product Management | Microsoft Corporation | 6 | $160,007 |
| Application Engineer | Rohde & Schwarz USA, Inc. | 5 | $141,110 |
| Associate Power Engineer | Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. | 4 | $95,731 |
| Project Engineer | McKinstry Essention LLC | 3 | $140,000 |
| Project Engineer--Studies | SEL Engineering Services, Inc. | 3 | $133,000 |
| Manager, Bids & Proposals | Doosan GridTech, Inc. | 3 | $140,296 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Electrical Engineers in Washington, by industry
Median offered wage across 248 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $174,508.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Microsoft Corporation | 111 | $174,508 |
| Professional services | Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. | 64 | $119,853 |
| Manufacturing | Apple Inc. | 57 | $140,296 |
| Retail and wholesale | AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC | 11 | $156,952 |
| Energy and utilities | California Independent System Operator Corporation | 2 | $121,594 |
| Government and public sector | Washington State Department of Transportation | 1 | $135,000 |
| Education | Washington State University | 1 | $62,000 |
| Real estate | Tract Capital Management, LP | 1 | $150,000 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Washington 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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Metro-level salary data for electrical engineers in major Washington metropolitan areas.
- Seattle$140,210
Compare Electrical Engineers pay across nearby states
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Electrical Engineers in Washington?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Electrical Engineers in Washington is $132,710.
- How does Washington compare to the national median for Electrical Engineers?
- The Washington median is +15.4% versus the BLS national figure of $114,971.
- What is the salary range for Electrical Engineers in Washington?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $85,540 and the 90th-percentile at $185,690, 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.