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Electronics Engineers Job Overview

Electronics engineers design, develop and oversee the manufacturing of electronic equipment for commercial, industrial, scientific, medical and military applications. Electronics engineers work with various types of technologies including global positioning systems, portable music players, televisions, radar and communications systems. Some electronic engineers work in fields which are closely related to computers.

Electronics Engineers Schools and Degrees

Undergraduate and graduate degrees are available in electronics engineering. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology provides accreditation for college and university engineering programs.

Job Requirements

Many electronics engineers have a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering. Some of the courses provided in many electronics engineering programs are communications, electronic circuits, microprocessors, logic circuit design, electronic materials and devices, and signals processing. Most of these programs include a circuit design project.

Nature of Work

• Evaluate operational systems and provide design modifications to fix equipment malfunctions or to make changes in system requirements
• Establish procedures for product testing
• Determine equipment and material needs
• Inspect electronic instruments, equipment, systems and products to make sure they conform to safety standards, specifications and applicable regulations and codes

Electronics Engineers Jobs and Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts little to no employment growth for electronics engineers from 2008 to 2018

The major employers of electronics engineers are shown below:

• Engineering services
• Electronic consumer product manufacturers
• Aviation electronics
• Computer related companies
• Communications equipment manufacturers
• Medical equipment manufacturers

In 2009 the median annual earnings for electronics engineers was $89,310.

Job Numbers and Growth

How many electronics engineers are there? About 138,000 in all. Workers can most likely expect a very low rate of unemployment. Note that 2% of employees were without work in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Warner Robins (Georgia), San Jose (California), and Boulder (Colorado) boast the most electronics engineers for their size population. Chattanooga (Tennessee), Springfield (Massachusetts), and Lexington (Kentucky) have the fewest.

The highest salaries for workers are in and around Framingham (Massachusetts), Tucson (Arizona), and Edison (New Jersey). The lowest-paying areas are Augusta (Georgia), Lafayette (Louisiana), and College Station (Texas).

Training and Education

Expect to get a bachelor's degree for this occupation. The share of electronics engineers with a bachelor's degree or higher is 81%. About 17% of workers got additional education after high school, but did not have to get a college degree. There was no need to go beyond high school for 3% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

It is estimated that 2% of electronics engineers work less than full time. Self-employment is the choice of 2% of workers.

Electronics Engineers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Auburn	$71,000	30	-26%
Birmingham	$85,000	260	-50%
Decatur	$83,000	50	0%
Huntsville	$99,000	1,130	+430%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$93,000	120	-30%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Phoenix	$95,000	4,160	+122%
Tucson	$84,000	300	-16%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$67,000	70	-67%
Little Rock	$72,000	300	-17%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$99,000	770	+185%
Fresno	$76,000	240	-28%
Los Angeles	$106,000	4,890	+13%
Modesto	$76,000	40	-75%
Oakland	$94,000	1,890	+78%
Oxnard	$103,000	1,330	+329%
Riverside	$95,000	810	-37%
Sacramento	$96,000	1,140	+24%
Salinas	$87,000	70	-57%
San Diego	$99,000	3,600	+158%
San Francisco	$102,000	590	-44%
San Jose	$113,000	7,510	+688%
San Luis Obispo	$83,000	50	-45%
Santa Ana	$96,000	3,290	+112%
Santa Barbara	$99,000	250	+46%
Santa Cruz	$107,000	50	-41%
Santa Rosa	$84,000	100	-44%
Stockton	$91,000	140	-35%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Colorado Springs	$98,000	490	+87%
Denver	$90,000	2,580	+94%
Fort Collins	$104,000	550	+337%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$89,000	470	+5%
Danbury	$74,000	50	-23%
Hartford	$78,000	220	-64%
New Haven	$87,000	250	-12%
Norwich	$91,000	30	-76%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$106,000	4,000	+54%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Deltona	$78,000	40	-74%
Fort Lauderdale	$79,000	700	-5%
Fort Walton Beach	$91,000	360	+388%
Jacksonville	$79,000	350	-45%
Miami	$78,000	500	-52%
Orlando	$86,000	940	-13%
Palm Bay	$81,000	880	+334%
Pensacola	$77,000	90	-40%
Port St Lucie	$70,000	40	-66%
Sarasota	$85,000	60	-76%
Tallahassee	$67,000	80	-51%
Tampa	$79,000	450	-63%
West Palm Beach	$83,000	110	-80%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Athens	$64,000	60	-12%
Atlanta	$84,000	2,630	+7%
Augusta	$72,000	50	-76%
Macon	$77,000	30	-66%
Savannah	$70,000	50	-67%
Warner Robins	$83,000	1,150	+2197%

Hawaii

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Honolulu	$89,000	360	-22%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$81,000	100	-63%
Idaho Falls	$55,000	40	-7%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chicago	$85,000	3,800	-5%
Rockford	$88,000	100	-29%
Springfield	$79,000	120	+12%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Elkhart	$62,000	90	-16%
Evansville	$85,000	80	-54%
Fort Wayne	$65,000	160	-24%
Gary	$70,000	60	-79%
Indianapolis	$76,000	620	-35%
Lafayette	$70,000	90	+24%
South Bend	$78,000	70	-46%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cedar Rapids	$72,000	180	+28%
Davenport	$69,000	40	-79%
Des Moines	$84,000	120	-65%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Topeka	$72,000	40	-64%
Wichita	$67,000	160	-47%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Louisville	$80,000	300	-53%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baton Rouge	$87,000	100	-74%
Lafayette	$64,000	50	-65%
Lake Charles	$73,000	40	-54%
New Orleans	$86,000	280	-50%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Portland	$91,000	190	-8%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baltimore	$92,000	1,560	+12%
Bethesda	$107,000	610	0%
Salisbury	$84,000	40	-20%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boston	$104,000	2,600	+40%
Brockton	$99,000	30	-66%
Framingham	$100,000	390	+135%
Haverhill	$80,000	100	+25%
Lawrence	$90,000	60	+6%
Lowell	$92,000	580	+383%
Taunton	$98,000	120	+191%
Worcester	$113,000	240	-8%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ann Arbor	$76,000	90	-47%
Detroit	$78,000	320	-55%
Grand Rapids	$85,000	160	-60%
Holland	$66,000	40	-58%
Kalamazoo	$72,000	40	-71%
Lansing	$75,000	40	-80%
Saginaw	$79,000	60	-25%
Warren	$85,000	810	-29%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Mankato	$79,000	50	-6%
Minneapolis	$91,000	1,630	-14%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Gulfport	$81,000	150	+41%
Jackson	$78,000	80	-70%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Kansas City	$80,000	1,460	+35%
St Louis	$87,000	1,630	+14%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lincoln	$71,000	80	-51%
Omaha	$80,000	120	-76%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$82,000	710	-21%
Reno	$75,000	50	-75%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Manchester	$82,000	60	-42%
Nashua	$98,000	320	+131%
Portsmouth	$81,000	40	-26%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlantic City	$94,000	60	-59%
Camden	$100,000	310	-44%
Edison	$117,000	2,440	+123%
Newark	$107,000	1,280	+20%
Trenton	$98,000	190	-19%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$101,000	1,080	+166%
Las Cruces	$86,000	320	+425%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$82,000	110	-77%
Buffalo	$66,000	120	-80%
Nassau	$91,000	820	-39%
New York	$95,000	1,670	-70%
Poughkeepsie	$104,000	210	-18%
Rochester	$82,000	830	+55%
Utica	$109,000	220	+76%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Asheville	$83,000	40	-78%
Charlotte	$83,000	800	-12%
Durham	$97,000	560	+95%
Greensboro	$99,000	550	+47%
Hickory	$79,000	30	-80%
Raleigh	$85,000	950	+74%
Winston Salem	$83,000	110	-49%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$69,000	150	-55%
Cincinnati	$91,000	880	-19%
Cleveland	$75,000	720	-34%
Columbus	$79,000	640	-35%
Dayton	$101,000	1,120	+178%
Mansfield	$72,000	80	+66%
Toledo	$61,000	110	-64%
Youngstown	$64,000	50	-79%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Oklahoma City	$88,000	1,250	+104%
Tulsa	$81,000	250	-45%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bend	$80,000	40	-33%
Eugene	$85,000	50	-65%
Portland	$94,000	2,420	+122%
Salem	$80,000	70	-54%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Allentown	$69,000	150	-59%
Harrisburg	$79,000	270	-20%
Lancaster	$80,000	80	-67%
Philadelphia	$101,000	1,370	-33%
Pittsburgh	$80,000	1,190	-3%
Reading	$87,000	120	-30%
Scranton	$77,000	80	-71%
State College	$81,000	80	+34%
York	$76,000	120	-34%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$109,000	1,140	+93%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$94,000	570	+90%
Columbia	$79,000	160	-57%
Greenville	$79,000	170	-46%

South Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Sioux Falls	$72,000	30	-79%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$89,000	90	-62%
Knoxville	$83,000	110	-69%
Memphis	$79,000	110	-83%
Nashville	$85,000	410	-48%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Austin	$90,000	2,290	+174%
Beaumont	$74,000	60	-63%
College Station	$46,000	180	+99%
Corpus Christi	$87,000	90	-51%
Dallas	$94,000	4,960	+121%
El Paso	$71,000	170	-40%
Fort Worth	$77,000	610	-34%
Houston	$91,000	2,070	-26%
San Antonio	$83,000	910	-2%
Tyler	$88,000	100	+13%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Logan	$88,000	60	+37%
Ogden	$88,000	660	+222%
Provo	$81,000	120	-31%
Salt Lake City	$92,000	420	-35%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$92,000	220	+98%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Blacksburg	$72,000	60	+4%
Charlottesville	$79,000	180	+113%
Richmond	$81,000	290	-56%
Roanoke	$77,000	50	-68%
Virginia Beach	$78,000	1,200	+49%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bremerton	$94,000	220	+172%
Kennewick	$80,000	120	+21%
Olympia	$74,000	50	-49%
Seattle	$95,000	3,610	+141%
Spokane	$77,000	90	-57%
Tacoma		90	-67%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Appleton	$75,000	50	-56%
Green Bay	$70,000	40	-77%
Madison	$82,000	140	-61%
Milwaukee	$83,000	870	-2%