Electrical Engineers See Higher Pay, But Fewer Jobs

Median salaries for U.S. electrical and electronics engineers climbed to $101,000 in 2002, up from $93,100 in 2000, according to the latest salary survey released by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), even as demand for their services has decreased. Represented in 2000 dollars, after accounting for inflation, this new median income amounts to $96,677, a 3.8% increase over 2000 salaries.

Despite salary gains, survey responses also illustrated rising unemployment problems. The number of U.S. IEEE members reporting involuntary unemployment increased to 4% in 2003, from less than 1% in 2001. However, this figure was substantially lower than national averages. The U.S. Dept. of Labor reported that unemployment for all electrical and electronics works reached 7% in the first quarter of 2003 and was still at 6.7% in the third quarter.