SOC 17-2071 · Architecture and engineering
Electrical Engineers prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $159,890 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA down to $78,894 in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, a spread of $80,996 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $130,686 | $159,890 | $189,072 | $218,275 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $106,038 | $133,973 | $161,886 | $189,821 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $93,205 | $125,403 | $157,602 | $189,800 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,670 | $123,531 | $145,413 | $167,274 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $89,794 | $117,645 | $145,475 | $173,326 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $93,142 | $117,000 | $140,837 | $164,694 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $89,544 | $111,779 | $133,994 | $156,229 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $88,358 | $108,930 | $129,522 | $150,093 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $92,040 | $108,826 | $125,611 | $142,397 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $81,182 | $108,035 | $134,909 | $161,762 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $87,235 | $107,827 | $128,398 | $148,990 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $86,840 | $107,037 | $127,254 | $147,451 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $82,638 | $106,808 | $130,978 | $155,147 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $74,693 | $105,227 | $135,782 | $166,317 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $80,413 | $104,707 | $129,022 | $153,317 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $81,182 | $104,562 | $127,941 | $151,320 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $79,435 | $103,771 | $128,086 | $152,422 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $85,155 | $103,022 | $120,910 | $138,778 |
| Richmond, VA | $85,363 | $101,629 | $117,874 | $134,139 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $84,302 | $100,651 | $117,021 | $133,370 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $82,306 | $100,547 | $118,768 | $137,010 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $80,579 | $99,778 | $118,997 | $138,195 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $81,411 | $99,715 | $118,040 | $136,344 |
| Rochester, NY | $82,638 | $99,154 | $115,648 | $132,163 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $76,315 | $97,864 | $119,413 | $140,962 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $73,757 | $97,323 | $120,890 | $144,456 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $79,310 | $95,701 | $112,112 | $128,502 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $78,645 | $95,035 | $111,426 | $127,816 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $76,190 | $94,661 | $113,131 | $131,602 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $76,794 | $93,434 | $110,094 | $126,734 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $75,150 | $93,101 | $111,072 | $129,022 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $75,795 | $92,539 | $109,262 | $126,006 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $67,850 | $91,811 | $115,773 | $139,734 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $78,395 | $91,374 | $104,333 | $117,312 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $72,405 | $90,958 | $109,512 | $128,066 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $72,571 | $90,750 | $108,930 | $127,109 |
| Columbus, OH | $74,922 | $90,584 | $106,246 | $121,909 |
| Cleveland, OH | $73,195 | $87,818 | $102,440 | $117,062 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $67,330 | $78,894 | $90,459 | $102,024 |
39 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 1,114 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level II. The median wage actually offered was $127,900 a year, from 1,255 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 156 | 14.0% |
| Level II | 376 | 33.8% |
| Level III | 325 | 29.2% |
| Level IV | 257 | 23.1% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Electrical Engineers with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.