Electrical Engineer vs Electrician: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Electrical Engineer vs Electrician: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 17-2071 and 47-2111). The national median annual wage is $120,630 for electrical engineers and $63,190 for electricians (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +9.9% for electrical engineers and +9.2% for electricians from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree vs High school diploma or equivalent. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | Electrical EngineerSOC 17-2071 | ElectricianSOC 47-2111 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $120,630 | $63,190 | Electrical Engineer |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 198,750 | 757,220 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +9.9% | +9.2% | About the same |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +19,800 jobs | +75,900 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 11,400 a year | 72,700 a year | Electrician |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma or equivalent | Electrician |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | None | Apprenticeship | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.19 | 3.51 | Electrical Engineer |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 3.93 | 4.21 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 4.47 | 4.50 | About the same |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Attention to Detail, Dependability, Innovation | Dependability, Attention to Detail, Cautiousness | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- higher median pay matters most ($120,630 vs $63,190)
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (3.19 vs 3.51)
- a shorter typical education path matters (High school diploma or equivalent vs Bachelor's degree)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 24% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
- Science (+1.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Programming (+1.4 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Writing (+1.1 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Reading Comprehension (+1.1 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Installation (+3.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Operation and Control (+2.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Repairing (+1.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Troubleshooting (+1.2 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Electrical Engineer
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
Electrician
- Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
- Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
- Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Electrical Engineer
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (35.1% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Utilities (11.2% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Computer and electronic product manufacturing (10.2% of all jobs in this occupation)
Electrician
- Specialty trade contractors (69.3% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals (3.0% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Administrative and support services (2.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Electrical Engineer → Electrician: skills to build: Installation, Operation and Control, Repairing. Careers after Electrical Engineer
- Electrician → Electrical Engineer: skills to build: Science, Programming, Writing. Careers after Electrician
Go deeper
Electrical Engineer career hub · Electrical Engineer salary · Electrical Engineer how to become · Electrical Engineer career change · Electrician career hub · Electrician salary · Electrician how to become · Electrician career change
Common questions
Which pays more, Electrical Engineer or Electrician?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 17-2071 and 47-2111). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “electrician vs electrical engineer”, “electrical engineer vs electrician”, “electrical engineer vs electrician salary” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).