How to Become an Electrical Engineer (2026): Pay, Path & FE-PE

Why mechatronics graduates land in EE roles

Mechatronics curricula overlap heavily with traditional electrical engineering — typically 50-60% of EE core courses appear in a mechatronics BS, including circuit analysis, electronics, signals and systems, control systems, microcontroller programming, and power electronics. The depth tradeoff is that the mechatronics curriculum sacrifices some electromagnetics theory, advanced analog design, and signal processing depth in exchange for mechanical design and integration breadth.

For US labor-market purposes, the practical outcome is that ABET-EAC mechatronics graduates compete cleanly for EE-titled roles where the work centers on motors, drives, power conversion, embedded systems, motor control, and industrial controls. They compete less successfully for roles in IC design, RF/microwave engineering, signal-processing-heavy roles (DSP), and power-systems engineering at the utility-grid scale.

What electrical engineers actually do

Daily work splits across several sub-disciplines. Most engineers specialize in one or two:

Power electronics engineering. Design of inverters, converters, motor drives, battery management systems. Heavy in EV powertrains, renewable-energy systems, and industrial drives. Tools: PLECS, MATLAB/Simulink, LTSpice, Altium Designer for PCB.
Motor and motor-drive engineering. Electric machine design, drive sizing, motor control algorithm development (field-oriented control, direct torque control). EV traction motors, industrial servo systems, robotics actuators.
Embedded systems engineering. Microcontroller and SoC-based product engineering — firmware, peripherals, board-level integration. Toolchain: STM32CubeIDE, NXP MCUXpresso, ARM Keil, C/C++. Significant overlap with the electronics engineer SOC.
Controls and instrumentation engineering. Closed-loop control systems for industrial processes, motion control, robotics. Heavy MATLAB/Simulink and increasingly Python.
Power systems engineering. Substation design, transmission/distribution, protective relaying, grid-scale renewable interconnects. Utility-side, consulting-firm-side, or large-industrial-customer-side.
Test engineering and validation. Designing test fixtures, automated test equipment (ATE), production-line test stations, environmental qualification.
Field / applications engineering. Customer-facing technical work at component suppliers (TI, Analog Devices, Infineon, ON Semi) — recommending designs, debugging customer applications.

What you'll earn

Percentile	Annual wage	Profile
10th	$74,670	Entry-level, smaller employer, lower-COL metro
25th	~$90K	Entry to early-career
50th (median)	$111,910	5-8 years experience
75th	~$140K	Senior, semiconductor or defense
90th	$175,460+	Principal at big-tech, top-tier semiconductor, or specialty consulting

Source: BLS OOH, May 2024 OEWS release. 25th and 75th interpolated.

Top industries

Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing. Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Micron, GlobalFoundries, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, ON Semi, Infineon US. CHIPS Act buildout is the dominant growth driver through 2030.
Architectural, engineering, and related services. Consulting engineering firms (Burns & McDonnell, Black & Veatch, AECOM, Stantec, HDR) plus specialty EE consulting practices.
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing. Heavy EE roles in avionics, defense electronics, missile and radar systems. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX.
Software publishers / big-tech hardware. Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia hardware engineering organizations. Top of the pay band.
Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. Investor-owned utilities (Duke, Dominion, NextEra, AEP, Southern Company), municipal utilities, ISO/RTOs.
Navigational, measuring, and control instruments manufacturing. Honeywell, Emerson, Rockwell Automation, Yokogawa, Schneider Electric.
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing. EV traction-motor and inverter engineering at Bosch, Magna, Denso, BorgWarner, and OEM in-house teams at Tesla, Ford EV, GM Ultium, Rivian, Lucid.
Oil and gas extraction. High-pay sub-industry for EEs working on subsea power, drilling electronics, and pipeline SCADA.

Top employers

Big-tech hardware: Apple, Google, Amazon (Devices, AWS hardware), Meta (Reality Labs), Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, SpaceX.
Semiconductor manufacturers and equipment: Intel, TSMC, Samsung Austin Semi, Micron, GlobalFoundries, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Applied Materials, Lam Research, KLA, ASML US.
Defense and aerospace: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Boeing Defense, General Dynamics, L3Harris, BAE Systems, Anduril.
EV and automotive: Tesla, Ford EV, GM Ultium, Rivian, Lucid, Polestar; tier-ones Bosch, Denso, Magna, Continental, BorgWarner, Aptiv, ZF.
Power utilities: Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, NextEra Energy, Southern Company, Exelon, PG&E, Xcel Energy, AEP.
Industrial automation: Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Emerson, ABB, Honeywell.
National labs and government: Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, ORNL, NIST, NASA centers, naval shipyards.
Engineering consulting: Burns & McDonnell, Black & Veatch, POWER Engineers, Stanley Consultants, AECOM, Stantec, HDR, Jacobs.

EE sub-niches and where they pay best

Power electronics for EV / battery (highest growth). Inverter and motor-drive engineering at automotive OEMs and tier-ones. Pay regularly above median; competition for talent is intense through 2028.
Semiconductor process / equipment engineering. EE roles at Applied Materials, Lam Research, KLA, ASML, and equivalent for fab manufacturers. Top of the EE band.
Avionics and radar. Defense-prime work. PE not usually required; security clearance often is.
Embedded / firmware engineering at big-tech. Consumer hardware product engineering at Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta. Top of the band but expensive metros.
Industrial controls and drives. The sweet spot for mechatronics graduates. Strong overlap with the controls engineer SOC.
Renewable energy systems. Solar inverters, wind turbine power electronics, grid-scale battery storage. First Solar, SunPower, GE Vernova, NextEra.
Field-applications engineering at semiconductor vendors. TI, Analog Devices, Infineon, ON Semi field-applications engineers — customer-facing technical work with strong pay.
Power systems / utility engineering. Lower top-end but extremely stable; PE-licensure path is cleanest here.

How to become an electrical engineer: step by step

Step 1 — Earn an ABET-EAC accredited BS (years 1-4)

Options that prepare you for EE-titled roles:

BS in Electrical Engineering. Most traditional, deepest in EE fundamentals. About 360 ABET-EAC accredited programs in the US.
BS in Computer Engineering. Strong fit for embedded and digital-systems roles. Overlaps with EE roles in firmware and FPGA.
BS in Mechatronics Engineering (ABET-EAC). Acceptable for EE-titled roles emphasizing motors, drives, controls, and embedded. May require additional electives for IC design or RF specialty.
Co-op or internship-heavy programs — Drexel, Northeastern, Cincinnati, Kettering, RIT — significantly improve early-career outcomes.

Step 2 — Build internship experience (summers, years 2-3)

Big-tech, semiconductor, and defense employers hire heavily through internship-to-full-time conversion. Junior-year internships are the highest-leverage activity in college for EE-track candidates. Top targets: Intel, TI, Apple, Tesla, Lockheed Martin, NASA centers, national labs.

Step 3 — Take the FE Electrical and Computer exam (senior year)

The FE Electrical and Computer exam is the version most EE graduates take. Pass rates from EAC-accredited programs run above 70%. The exam is content-fresh during senior year — take it before graduation. See our FE exam guide.

Step 4 — Land the first engineering role (year 4)

Starting EE pay for ABET-EAC graduates typically runs $75K-$105K in most US metros, with top-tier employers (Apple, Tesla, SpaceX, Anthropic-style AI hardware, top defense primes) starting at $115K-$140K base plus significant equity and bonus in expensive metros.

Step 5 — Build qualifying PE experience (years 4-8) and decide whether to pursue PE

For most private-industry EE roles (semiconductor, big-tech, defense), the PE is optional. For utility, consulting, and infrastructure roles, it is meaningful. Decide based on your sub-niche.

The FE → PE pathway for EE

The standard pathway:

ABET-EAC accredited BS in Electrical, Computer, or Mechatronics Engineering.
Pass the FE Electrical and Computer exam (senior year, ideally).
Engineer-in-Training (EIT) designation from your state board.
Four years of qualifying engineering experience under a licensed PE.
Pass the PE Electrical and Computer exam in your chosen sub-discipline:
- PE Power — utility, industrial power, renewable-energy systems.
- PE Electronics, Controls, and Communications — instrumentation, controls, and electronic systems. Closest fit for mechatronics-leaning EEs.
- PE Computer Engineering — digital systems and computing hardware.
Receive state PE license.

For mechatronics-leaning engineers whose work emphasizes integrated control systems, the PE Control Systems exam (separately administered) is sometimes a better fit than PE Electrical. See our PE licensure guide.

Skills checklist

EE fundamentals (table stakes)

Circuit analysis — AC, DC, three-phase, frequency response, transient analysis.
Electronics — semiconductor device physics, op-amps, digital logic.
Signals and systems — Fourier and Laplace analysis, filtering.
Electromagnetics — at least introductory; useful for antenna and machines work.
Control systems — classical (root-locus, Bode) and at least introductory modern (state-space).
Power systems basics — three-phase power, transformers, motors.

Software / tools

Circuit simulation: LTSpice or PSpice; PLECS for power electronics.
PCB design: Altium Designer or KiCad.
Embedded development: STM32CubeIDE, MCUXpresso, Arduino-as-stepping-stone, ARM Keil. C and C++ at working depth.
MATLAB / Simulink for system-level analysis, controls design, and motor control.
Python for scripting, data analysis, and test automation.
Test instruments at hands-on depth: oscilloscope, function generator, DMM, network analyzer.
For power and utility work: ETAP, SKM PTW PowerTools, DigSilent PowerFactory.
For RF (if applicable): ADS, Microwave Studio.

For mechatronics-leaning EE roles

Motor types and motor-control fundamentals (FOC, DTC).
Power electronics topologies and gate-drive design.
Industrial drives — Allen-Bradley PowerFlex, Siemens Sinamics, ABB ACS at integration depth.
Industrial communication: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, CAN, Modbus, OPC UA.

Professional skills

Engineering documentation — schematic capture, BOM management, ECN/ECO processes.
Design reviews and FMEA participation.
Cross-functional collaboration with mechanical engineers, firmware engineers, manufacturing, and test.

Career growth and pay anchors

Engineer I (entry, 0-2 yrs): $75K–$105K base in mid-tier metros; $110K–$140K at top-tier employers in expensive metros.
Engineer II (2-5 yrs): $95K–$130K base.
Senior Engineer (5-10 yrs): $120K–$165K base.
Lead / Staff Engineer (10-15 yrs): $140K–$195K base. Inflection point between management and IC tracks.
Principal Engineer or Engineering Manager (15+ yrs): $170K–$245K+ base.
Director / VP of Engineering: $220K–$400K+ total comp at most US employers.
Senior IC tracks at top tech (Senior Staff, Distinguished, Fellow at Apple, Google, Nvidia) — total comp regularly $450K–$1.5M+ for those who reach the top.

Job market outlook

BLS projects 7% growth from 2024 to 2034 for the combined electrical-and-electronics engineering category, with about 17,500 openings projected each year on average. Drivers:

CHIPS Act semiconductor manufacturing capacity expansion — Intel Ohio, TSMC Arizona, Samsung Texas, Micron New York, GlobalFoundries expansions all hiring EEs in equipment, process, and product engineering.
EV and battery industry buildout — power-electronics, motor-drive, and BMS engineering roles at automakers and tier-ones.
AI data-center electrical infrastructure — Nvidia GPU clusters require high-density power delivery and thermal management; data-center power engineers are in unprecedented demand.
Grid modernization — utility-side EE roles tied to renewable integration, transmission expansion, and storage interconnects.
Defense electronics modernization — radar, EW, hypersonics, space launch electronics.

EE vs other engineer roles

Role	SOC	Median pay	Work bias
Electrical engineer	17-2071	$111,910	Power, motors, drives, controls
Electronics engineer	17-2072	~$128K	PCB, embedded, firmware, chips
Mechanical engineer	17-2141	~$102K	Mechanical design, FEA, manufacturing
Controls engineer	17-2199	~$116K	PLC, SCADA, industrial automation
Robotics engineer	17-2199	~$116K	End-to-end robotic-system design

Pay sourced from BLS OEWS May 2024.

Pitfalls and things to know

Don't underestimate the math depth. EE coursework is heavier on differential equations, linear algebra, and signal-processing math than ME or mechatronics. Mechatronics graduates moving into deeper EE specialties often find a math gap; close it deliberately.
"Hardware engineer" job titles vary widely. A "Hardware Engineer" role at Apple might mean PCB and firmware integration; at Tesla, motor-drive engineering; at Anthropic-style AI companies, datacenter power delivery. Read the JD carefully; titles do not standardize across companies.
The IC-design specialty is largely closed to BS-only candidates. Analog/mixed-signal IC design typically expects an MS or PhD in EE with research in the area. If that path interests you, plan for graduate school early.
Security clearance is a real career-shaping factor. Many of the highest-pay defense EE roles require a Secret or Top Secret clearance. The clearance process is slow (often 12+ months) and gates entry to those employers.
Big-tech compensation is real but front-loaded. The very high comp packages at Apple, Tesla, Google reflect substantial equity components. Negotiate equity carefully; understand vesting before accepting.

Frequently asked questions

Will employers hire a mechatronics graduate into an EE role?

Yes, especially when the role emphasizes motor control, power electronics, motor drives, instrumentation, or embedded systems — the natural intersections between EE and mechatronics. ABET-EAC accredited mechatronics programs cover roughly 50-60% of a traditional EE curriculum. Where mechatronics graduates may be light: pure analog circuit design, RF and microwave engineering, and power-systems engineering (utility-grid scale). For those depths-of-specialty roles, hiring managers usually prefer a dedicated EE or EE master's.

Electrical engineer vs electronics engineer — what is the difference?

BLS classifies them separately. Electrical engineers (17-2071, median $111,910) work on the generation, transmission, and use of electrical power — motors, drives, utility power systems, power electronics, control systems. Electronics engineers (17-2072, median $127,590) work on devices, circuits, and electronic systems at the board or chip level — embedded systems, communications equipment, signal processing. The two overlap significantly and the same person often shifts between categories during their career; the SOC distinction is more about what the day-to-day work emphasizes.

How fast is electrical engineering employment growing?

Strong. BLS projects 7% growth from 2024 to 2034 for the combined electrical-and-electronics engineering category, with about 17,500 openings projected each year on average. Growth drivers include the US semiconductor manufacturing buildout (CHIPS Act), EV powertrain engineering at automakers, AI-data-center electrical infrastructure, grid modernization, and growth in defense electronics.

Does mechatronics provide enough EE depth for big-tech hardware roles?

For most board-level and systems-engineering roles at big-tech hardware groups (Apple iPhone engineering, Tesla powertrain, Amazon Devices, Meta Reality Labs hardware) — yes, an ABET-EAC mechatronics BS plus strong internships is competitive. For deeper roles in IC design (transistor-level analog, mixed-signal, RF) or DSP-heavy roles, the typical expectation is an EE master's with research depth in the specific area. Tech companies hiring "Hardware Engineer" generalists routinely hire mechatronics graduates; companies hiring "Analog Design Engineer" or "RF Engineer" rarely do without graduate-level EE depth.

How much do utility-side electrical engineers make?

Per BLS OEWS industry data, utility-side EE roles (power generation, transmission, distribution) typically sit at or slightly below the SOC 17-2071 median, with strong benefits and pension structures. Pay grows steadily but rarely matches the top of the band at tech hardware, semiconductor, or defense. Utility EE roles are stable and offer the cleanest path to PE licensure, which matters for engineers signing off on substation, transmission, or large industrial power-distribution designs.

What is the highest-paying electrical engineering sub-industry?

Per BLS OEWS industry data for 17-2071, the highest-paying industries include scientific R&D services (often associated with defense and aerospace primes), software publishers (where EEs work on hardware-product engineering at large tech companies), and oil and gas extraction. Big-tech hardware engineering at Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Tesla, and similar regularly exceeds the 90th-percentile BLS figure in expensive metros.

Should I take the FE Mechanical or FE Electrical exam?

If your bachelor's is in electrical engineering, take FE Electrical and Computer. If your bachelor's is in mechatronics and your coursework emphasized power electronics, motors, controls, and embedded — take FE Electrical and Computer. If your mechatronics coursework was more mechanical-leaning, FE Mechanical is acceptable. The state you eventually pursue PE licensure in does not care which FE discipline you took.

Where are EE jobs concentrated geographically?

Per BLS state-level OEWS data: California leads by a wide margin, driven by tech-hardware (Apple, Google, Meta, Tesla), aerospace (Lockheed Martin Skunkworks, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman Space Park), and semiconductor. Texas is second, driven by semiconductor (Samsung Austin, TI), oil-and-gas electrical engineering (Houston), and aerospace (Lockheed Fort Worth). Massachusetts, New York, Washington (Boeing, Microsoft), Virginia (defense and intelligence community), and Maryland round out the top.

Sources & methodology

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electrical and Electronics Engineers. May 2024 OEWS release; 2024-2034 employment projections.
BLS OEWS Detailed Wage and Employment Data — 17-2071. Industry and state breakdowns.
ABET Accredited Programs Search. EE program directory.
NCEES. FE Electrical and Computer / PE Electrical exam administration.
IEEE. Professional society resources, salary surveys, technical society memberships.
SEMI. Semiconductor industry data.

Percentile values between published BLS 10/50/90 anchors are interpolated. Top-tech compensation data referenced is based on industry reporting and public posting analysis as of 2026-05-19.

How to become an electrical engineer