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Job outlook for circuit design engineers in the United States
Are circuit design engineer jobs in demand?
Circuit design engineer job and salary trends over time
Circuit design engineer jobs over time
Circuit design engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,427 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,912 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,119 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,289 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,315 | 0.00% |
Average circuit design engineer salary over time
Circuit design engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $107,694 | $51.78 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $105,721 | $50.83 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $102,847 | $49.45 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $102,327 | $49.20 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $99,352 | $47.77 | +1.0% |
Circuit design engineer jobs by state
Most common states for circuit design engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 257 | 37% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,338 | 20% |
| 3 | California | 39,536,653 | 6,209 | 16% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,384 | 16% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 982 | 16% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,092 | 15% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 862 | 15% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 146 | 15% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 594 | 14% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 81 | 13% |
| 11 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 861 | 12% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 677 | 12% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 366 | 12% |
| 14 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 71 | 12% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 151 | 11% |
| 16 | Alaska | 739,795 | 80 | 11% |
| 17 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,014 | 10% |
| 18 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 500 | 10% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 353 | 10% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 78 | 10% |
Most common cities for circuit design engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 11 | 10% | $101,840 |
| 2 | Cupertino | 6 | 10% | $125,424 |
| 3 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $102,031 |
| 4 | Huntsville | 3 | 2% | $100,893 |
| 5 | Sunnyvale | 3 | 2% | $125,474 |
| 6 | Santa Clara | 2 | 2% | $125,407 |
| 7 | Altamonte Springs | 1 | 2% | $103,020 |
| 8 | Apopka | 1 | 2% | $103,019 |
| 9 | Azusa | 1 | 2% | $116,815 |
| 10 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $103,086 |
| 11 | Alafaya | 1 | 1% | $103,050 |
| 12 | San Jose | 5 | 0% | $125,222 |
| 13 | Boston | 3 | 0% | $101,866 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $98,604 |
| 15 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $115,646 |
| 16 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $101,538 |
| 17 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $102,159 |
Circuit Design Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of circuit design engineer experts
Gonzaga University
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
San Diego State University
Murray State University
The University of Texas at Austin
Old Dominion University
What Circuit Design Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Steven Schennum Ph.D. P.E.: The most important skill is the ability to learn new things, and especially to unlearn things you “know” after evidence demonstrates that these things are not true. Learn how to analyze information. Your intuition, simulations, and results should all be in alignment. If they are not, then dig deeper. Learn the terminology and jargon specific to your company and your projects. Spend time reading. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be intimidated by new software.
What Circuit Design Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Min Song: Communication skills and innovative thinking skills. As emerging technologies continue to be complex and multidisciplinary, it’s important to be able to communicate with professionals in diverse disciplines. Taking robotics, for example, the electrical engineer must be able to work with mechanical and biomechanical engineers, computer engineers, software engineers, artificial intelligence experts, cognitive scientists, system engineers, etc. A person will be able to generate innovative ideas only if the person has a complete and comprehensive understanding of the entire system and can work well with other individuals with a range of expertise.
What Circuit Design Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Arie Nakhmani: Electrical Engineering has always (from its inception) been a good profession to enter, but now it is better than ever. Now everything is becoming Electrical Engineering, and the world cannot survive without it even for a few days. Electrical Engineering is the most necessary profession for the survival of modern society.
What will help Circuit Design Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Arif Engin: Electrical engineers solve problems by skillfully applying mathematics and science. Electrical engineering classes are challenging at college, and electrical engineers must embrace lifelong learning to remain at the top of their skills. In the end, seeing the results of their work in a finished product is a rewarding experience.
Bryant Harrison
InstructorMurray State University
Design Engineering Technology
What skills stand out on Circuit Design Engineer resumes?
Bryant Harrison: Design Engineers should be able to think creatively and be prepared to use software to solve problems. Students who have acquired certifications in design software have shown some level of aptitude toward using that software to create and design engineering solutions.
Sanjay Banerjee Ph.D.
ProfessorThe University of Texas at Austin
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
What's a good job out of college for Circuit Design Engineers?
Sanjay Banerjee Ph.D.: Electrical Engineering is one of most sought after degrees. Starting salaries for undergrads are over 70k$ per year. They work in electronics circuit and system design, wireless communication systems and computers.
What will help Circuit Design Engineers increase their earning potential?
Sanjay Banerjee Ph.D.: Getting a graduate degree like a Masters or PhD.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Circuit Design Engineers?
Michel Audette Ph.D.: My take on this is what I've seen with my wife's work in industry, which suggests that the industrial landscape is going to be increasingly equipped for, and open to, remote work. I think that the implication for graduates is that they may need to be flexible about working within a geographically distributed team. If company deciders feel that someone is worth employing because of a unique skill set, then they would typically be more willing to hire that person even if unable to make it to work regularly, if that is feasible given the nature of the work; some work, such as hardware testing or industrial production, may not lend itself to remote contributions.
Nonetheless, for those areas that accommodate geographically distributed activity, such as software development, graduates can expect to interact with team members all over the US, possibly all over the world, if someone is deemed unique enough to hire despite living abroad. This places a high premium on the ability and willingness to work in a heterogeneous team, where not only will members look different, but also have myriad accents in their English, which will also impose a certain adaptability and tolerance to team members.
A related impact could also be that global hiring will make it easier for multi-national companies to hire a portion of their talent in countries where wages are lower and motivate US-based engineers to seek out graduate degrees in order to increase their competitiveness and employability at US salaries.