Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $144,040 | $118,932 | +21% |
| Median hourly wage | $69.25 | $57.18 | +21% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $130,117.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $171,337 | $116,250 | $224,750 | 244 |
| Oakland | $154,756 | $105,000 | $203,000 | 196 |
| Los Angeles | $141,491 | $96,000 | $185,600 | 173 |
| Long Beach | $132,648 | $90,000 | $174,000 | 153 |
| San Diego | $130,437 | $88,500 | $171,100 | 161 |
| Sacramento | $119,383 | $81,000 | $156,600 | 130 |
| Fresno | $105,013 | $71,250 | $137,750 | 105 |
The median annual salary for a Electrical Engineer in California is $144,040, or about $69.25 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Electrical Engineers is $118,932. California is +21% above the national median.
Entry-level electrical engineers in California typically earn from $116,250 depending on the city and employer.
With 24,230 electrical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $144,040, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, electrical engineers rank 58 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 93% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Computer Hardware Engineers at $185,180, Nuclear Engineers at $172,400, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer at $160,520 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, electrical engineers rank 58 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 93% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $185,180 | $19,820 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $172,400 | $1,070 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $160,520 | $20,830 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $158,130 | $520 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $157,620 | $9,170 |
| Petroleum Engineers | $143,590 | $1,060 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.