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Job outlook for electrical/mechanical designers in the United States
Are electrical/mechanical designer jobs in demand?
Electrical/mechanical designer job and salary trends over time
Electrical/mechanical designer jobs over time
Electrical/mechanical designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,658 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,685 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,705 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,616 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,512 | 0.00% |
Average electrical/mechanical designer salary over time
Electrical/mechanical designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $62,155 | $29.88 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $59,546 | $28.63 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $58,307 | $28.03 | --0.3% |
| 2022 | $58,469 | $28.11 | --0.1% |
| 2021 | $58,499 | $28.12 | +1.5% |
Electrical/mechanical designer jobs by state
Most common states for electrical/mechanical designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 262 | 38% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,379 | 20% |
| 3 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 481 | 16% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,102 | 15% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 205 | 15% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,192 | 14% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 756 | 13% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 544 | 13% |
| 9 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,907 | 12% |
| 10 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,245 | 12% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 755 | 12% |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 705 | 12% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 693 | 12% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 366 | 12% |
| 15 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 343 | 12% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 73 | 12% |
| 17 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 754 | 11% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 341 | 10% |
| 19 | Delaware | 961,939 | 93 | 10% |
| 20 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,202 | 9% |
Most common cities for electrical/mechanical designers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | 1 | 2% | $50,385 |
| 2 | Columbia | 1 | 1% | $71,497 |
| 3 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $66,181 |
| 4 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $71,356 |
Electrical/Mechanical Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of electrical/mechanical designer experts
Gonzaga University
Stevens Institute of Technology
California State University - Fresno
Old Dominion University
University of Central Florida
Michigan Technological University
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Wright State University
What Electrical/Mechanical Designer 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 Electrical/Mechanical Designer 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 will help Electrical/Mechanical Designers increase their earning potential?
Hovannes Kulhandjian Ph.D.: Stay Curious and Keep Learning: The field of electrical engineering is constantly evolving. Stay up to date with the latest advancements and technologies through continuous learning and professional development. Build a Strong Foundation: Focus on mastering the core principles of electrical engineering to provide a strong foundation for your career. Network: Build professional relationships with peers, mentors, and industry experts. Attend conferences and seminars to expand your network and learn from others. Gain Practical Experience: Look for internships, co-op positions, or entry-level jobs that provide hands-on experience. This practical exposure will help you apply your knowledge and stand out in the job market. Develop Soft Skills: Communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills are crucial in any engineering role. Cultivate these skills to work effectively with others and advance your career.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Electrical/Mechanical Designers?
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.
Maria Jacob
ProfessorUniversity of Central Florida
Department of ECE
What type of skills will young Electrical/Mechanical Designers need?
Maria Jacob: I feel that the skills needed will not change to what is currently required; however, it may well happen that some of the graduates don't have them. For example, good communications skills. It may happen that the graduates have good written skills but not verbal, since more and more we send emails than calling someone. I know, I sound like an old person, which is funny because I'm writing this...
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Electrical/Mechanical Designers?
Joshua Pearce Ph.D: I think the virtualization of work and automation, in general, has been accelerated by the pandemic. This means that the competition for what most of us consider 'normal' jobs will become fiercer, and the skills a graduate needs to get those jobs are becoming more sophisticated. Graduates need to work at home, and a lot of it relies on the advanced use of computing (think AI, CV, etc., not merely staring at a screen for entertainment).
This also means graduates are competing against a global workforce - hungry people willing to work hard. Overall, we have also seen a massive shift in wealth in the last year, the undereducated are now in real trouble, and the hyper-educated and wealthy are better off than ever before. Graduates will want to make sure they stay in the latter group, bolstering their education and picking up advanced skills. This does not have to be a chore - one of the best ways to do this is to dive into an open-source project and maybe save/make a little money along the way.
Robert Saunders P.E.
Assistant Department HeadUniversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Electrical Engineering Department
What general advice would you give to an Electrical/Mechanical Designer?
Robert Saunders P.E.: The job market for an electrical engineering student coming out of college is challenging right now. Many companies are still hiring electrical engineering students but, the students can't be as finicky about what jobs they are accepting. More than half of the students are starting their new jobs working remotely, which is a large shift from normal but the companies seem to be using this time to bring the new hires up to speed on policy, procedures, and industry regulations.
What general advice would you give to an Electrical/Mechanical Designer?
Fred Garber Ph.D.: I think the primary question, in the minds of those who are yet to graduate or are still searching, is in regard to the strength of the technical job market, especially the local job market. But you are in a position to definitively answer that question.
In you article, I would ask that you address the following:
Number of employers looking to fill and number of job offerings in the region (by engineering and computer science major) compared to last year and to the previous five years.
Any noticeable differences in job descriptions Zippia is receiving relative to work environment, benefits, starting salaries, etc.
Many of our soon-to-graduate students would be very interested in these quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Additionally, vast numbers of potential students would benefit from such information to guide their career choices.