Salaries Increase for Electrical Engineers But Dip for Other Disciplines

The median salary increased for electrical engineers despite the stagnant economy, according to a recent survey by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE). While the median salary for full-time engineers of all disciplines declined from $72,842 in 1999 to $70,200 in 2004, electrical engineers' median salary increased from $75,372 in 1999 to $81,000 in 2004, according to the Engineering Income and Salary Survey. The survey, which covers 35 branches of engineering, is a continuously updated, searchable database that provides real-time information online. The organizations track the salary information by engineers' length of experience, level of education, professional responsibility, branch of engineering, job function, industry, licensing or certification status, level of supervisory responsibility, and geographic location. Engineers participated in the survey by entering their salary information on the NSPE, IIE, or ASCE Web sites. The respondents completed a total of 14,762 surveys between April 2, 2003, and April 1, 2004. The median salary for electrical engineers is $85,863, the 10th percentile is $58,451, the 25th percentile is $70,025, the 75th percentile is $104,946, and the 90th percentile is $139,700. According to the survey, the highest median incomes are in the Pacific Southwest and Middle Atlantic states and the lowest median incomes are in the Upper Mountain and Middle Southeast states. To find out the median annual income for an electrical engineer in your region, see the Map below.