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Electrical research engineer salary
Average electrical research engineer salary
$85,767
Understanding Electrical Research Engineer Salaries
Electrical Research Engineers play a crucial role in developing and enhancing electrical systems and technologies. As of October 2025, the average salary for these engineers is about $85,767 per year, translating to around $41 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry.
Salary by Experience
Entry-level positions typically start lower, while seasoned engineers can earn significantly more. For example, those with over 10 years of experience may see salaries exceeding $100,000.
Regional Variations
States like California, Texas, and New York tend to offer higher average salaries due to the concentration of technology firms and research institutions. Additionally, major cities often present more lucrative opportunities compared to rural areas.
Job Opportunities
Electrical Research Engineers are in demand across various sectors, including telecommunications, aerospace, and renewable energy. Companies prioritize candidates with strong analytical skills and innovative approaches to problem-solving, enhancing their hiring potential.
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Where can an Electrical Research Engineer earn more?
Electrical research engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level electrical research engineer | $57,200 | $27.50 |
| Mid-level electrical research engineer | $91,200 | $43.83 |
| Senior-level electrical research engineer | $135,000 | $64.81 |
Average electrical research engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for electrical research engineers are Washington, Alaska, and New York. The lowest average electrical research engineer salary states are South Carolina, Arizona, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for electrical research engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $101,722 | $48.90 |
| 2 | Vermont | $98,523 | $47.37 |
| 3 | New York | $102,605 | $49.33 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $97,588 | $46.92 |
| 5 | Virginia | $95,889 | $46.10 |
| 6 | Washington | $111,528 | $53.62 |
| 7 | Florida | $94,077 | $45.23 |
| 8 | California | $95,574 | $45.95 |
| 9 | Delaware | $91,243 | $43.87 |
| 10 | Alaska | $103,257 | $49.64 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $90,784 | $43.65 |
| 12 | Texas | $89,087 | $42.83 |
| 13 | Iowa | $89,089 | $42.83 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $94,092 | $45.24 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $88,096 | $42.35 |
| 16 | Idaho | $89,835 | $43.19 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $97,984 | $47.11 |
| 18 | Maine | $87,360 | $42.00 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $88,487 | $42.54 |
| 20 | Illinois | $86,870 | $41.76 |
| 21 | Maryland | $95,793 | $46.05 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $87,869 | $42.24 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $80,189 | $38.55 |
| 24 | Alabama | $85,927 | $41.31 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $85,337 | $41.03 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $88,784 | $42.68 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $79,538 | $38.24 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $84,927 | $40.83 |
| 29 | Missouri | $84,054 | $40.41 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $86,886 | $41.77 |
| 31 | Oregon | $79,574 | $38.26 |
| 32 | Georgia | $79,606 | $38.27 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $79,946 | $38.44 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $86,932 | $41.79 |
| 35 | Kansas | $79,004 | $37.98 |
| 36 | Michigan | $75,439 | $36.27 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $77,672 | $37.34 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $78,594 | $37.79 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $76,532 | $36.79 |
| 40 | Nevada | $80,228 | $38.57 |
| 41 | Colorado | $74,491 | $35.81 |
| 42 | Arizona | $72,721 | $34.96 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $77,528 | $37.27 |
| 44 | Utah | $69,356 | $33.34 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $72,933 | $35.06 |
| 46 | Indiana | $72,557 | $34.88 |
| 47 | Ohio | $71,598 | $34.42 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $74,660 | $35.89 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $73,830 | $35.50 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $72,850 | $35.02 |
| 51 | Montana | $70,398 | $33.85 |
Highest paying cities for electrical research engineers
The highest-paying cities for electrical research engineers are Redmond, WA, Sacramento, CA, and Albuquerque, NM.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redmond, WA | $112,047 | $53.87 |
| 2 | Sacramento, CA | $102,442 | $49.25 |
| 3 | Albuquerque, NM | $101,687 | $48.89 |
| 4 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $95,142 | $45.74 |
| 5 | Moscow, ID | $91,059 | $43.78 |
| 6 | Oak Ridge, TN | $88,245 | $42.43 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $87,021 | $41.84 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $87,002 | $41.83 |
| 9 | Joplin, MO | $84,228 | $40.49 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $79,587 | $38.26 |
| 11 | Hillsboro, OR | $79,430 | $38.19 |
| 12 | Madison, WI | $79,306 | $38.13 |
| 13 | Laramie, WY | $79,301 | $38.13 |
| 14 | White Bear Lake, MN | $78,676 | $37.83 |
| 15 | Omaha, NE | $77,734 | $37.37 |
| 16 | Warren, MI | $75,596 | $36.34 |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | $72,762 | $34.98 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $71,428 | $34.34 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, UT | $69,256 | $33.30 |
Electrical research engineer salary details
An electrical research engineer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $112,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an electrical research engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| Average | $85,767 | $7,147 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
Highest paying electrical research engineer jobs
The highest paying types of electrical research engineers are electrical engineer lead, senior electrical engineer, and system design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | $92,464 | $7,705 | $44.45 | 51,065 |
| Outside Plant Engineer | $85,603 | $7,134 | $41.16 | 34,742 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Instrumentation Engineer | $88,783 | $7,399 | $42.68 | 45,735 |
| Field Engineer | $71,874 | $5,989 | $34.55 | 86,015 |
| System Design Engineer | $107,704 | $8,975 | $51.78 | 113,582 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for electrical research engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring electrical research engineers now:
Which companies pay electrical research engineers the most?
Electrical research engineer salaries at Microsoft and General Motors are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average electrical research engineer salary at companies like Ford Motor and General Electric are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $115,419 | $55.49 |
| 2 | General Motors | $103,566 | $49.79 |
| 3 | Ford Motor | $97,242 | $46.75 |
| 4 | General Electric | $94,028 | $45.21 |
| 5 | Battelle | $91,512 | $44.00 |
| 6 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $90,705 | $43.61 |
| 7 | Idaho National Lab | $89,272 | $42.92 |
| 8 | ad:tech North America | $89,083 | $42.83 |
| 9 | Alliance for Sustainable Energy | $88,452 | $42.52 |
| 10 | Festo Didactic | $86,605 | $41.64 |
| 11 | Electric | $86,506 | $41.59 |
| 12 | Quala | $86,473 | $41.57 |
| 13 | Gaumard Scientific | $85,708 | $41.21 |
| 14 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $85,387 | $41.05 |
| 15 | AVX | $85,351 | $41.03 |
| 16 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $83,640 | $40.21 |
| 17 | Rocky Mountain ATV/MC | $83,426 | $40.11 |
| 18 | LasX Industries | $81,702 | $39.28 |
| 19 | Teledyne Technologies Incorporated | $80,546 | $38.72 |
| 20 | SRI International | $78,990 | $37.98 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Electrical research engineer salary trends
The average electrical research engineer salary has risen by $12,682 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average electrical research engineer earned $73,085 annually, but today, they earn $85,767 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for electrical research engineers over the last decade.
Compare electrical research engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average electrical research engineer salary over time
Compare electrical research engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Electrical research engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,800 | $41.23 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $83,800 | $40.29 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $82,200 | $39.52 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $80,900 | $38.87 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $80,100 | $38.53 | +1.3% |
Recently added electrical research engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joby Aviation | Flight Research Electrical Engineer-Ewis | Santa Cruz, CA | 06/19/2025 | $140,500 |
| Axient | Electric Propulsion Researcher | Edwards Air Force Base, CA | 06/14/2025 | $100,000 |
| Sri International | Research Electrical Engineer In Hardware Security | Princeton, NJ | 06/10/2025 | $98,631 |
| Axient | Electric Propulsion Researcher | Edwards Air Force Base, CA | 05/29/2025 | $100,000 |
| Analytical Mechanics Associates | Electrical Research Engineer | Mountain View, CA | 05/25/2025 | $150,000 |
| Keysight Technologies | Electrical Engineer, R&D | Santa Clara, CA | 05/16/2025 | $133,910 |
| Joby Aviation | Flight Research Electrical Engineer-Ewis | Santa Cruz, CA | 05/16/2025 | $140,500 |
| Keysight Technologies | Electrical Engineer, R&D | Santa Clara, CA | 04/29/2025 | $133,910 |
| Sri International | Research Electrical Engineer In Hardware Security | Princeton, NJ | 04/28/2025 | $98,631 |
| Arena Ai | Electrical Engineer, AI R&D Lab | New York, NY | 04/28/2025 | $150,000 |
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