How long does it take to become an electrical engineer?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do electrical engineers make?

The US median is $120,630 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become an electrical engineer?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train to become an electrical engineer?

425 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

🎓 My University View

Home › Careers › Electrical engineers

How to become an electrical engineer

Engineering & architecture · SOC 17-2071

$120,630US median pay, 2025

+9.9%Projected growth, 2025–35

11,400Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work as an electrical engineer

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Electrical and Electronics Engineering	CIP 14.1001	408
Electrical and Computer Engineering	CIP 14.4701	37
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, Other	CIP 14.1099	17
Electromechanical Engineering	CIP 14.4101	6

See the 425 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become an electrical engineer?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do electrical engineers make?: The US median is $120,630 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become an electrical engineer?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train to become an electrical engineer?: 425 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Engineering & architecture

Industrial engineers · Civil engineers · Mechanical engineers · Architectural and civil drafters · Engineers, all other · Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians · Architects, except landscape and naval · Surveying and mapping technicians