Average and Range of Pay

• The approximately 147,750 electrical and electronic engineering technicians nationwide average $27.26 per hour as of 2010, or $56,690 annually for full-time work, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Technicians at the 10th percentile earn $34,070 per year, while those at the 90th percentile earn $81,290 per year.
  
  

Large Employers

• Three industries have more than 10,000 electrical engineering technicians each, according to the 2010 government survey. The largest group of employers, architectural and engineering services, has 17,130 technicians as of 2010, at an average annual wage of $56,190. Electronic component manufacturing has 15,440 technicians, with average pay of $52,040 per year. Navigational and other instrument manufacturing has 10,590 technicians, whose average pay comes to $52,660 per year.
  
  

Highest-Paying Technician Jobs

• The highest-paying employer on average is the federal executive branch, whose 8,040 electrical engineering technicians average $77,180 per year, according to the 2010 government survey. Next comes oil and gas extraction, whose 400 positions have an average pay of $71,520 per year. Natural gas distribution has 260 positions paying an average of $70,090 per year. The second-largest employer with high pay, local government, has 3,860 electrical engineering technicians, with average pay of $63,640 per year.
  
  

Electrical Engineer Salary

• A two-year degree holder can qualify for advancement to electrical engineer with most employers by earning a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Electrical engineers average $87,770 per year as of 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their salaries range from $54,030 at the 10th percentile to $128,610 at the 90th percentile. Positions in the largest industry for electrical engineers, architectural and engineering services, pay an average of $88,070 per year.
  
  

Job Outlook

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 2 percent decline in the number of jobs for electrical engineering technicians from 2008 to 2018. This decline will result from both competition from abroad and improvements in efficiency. The job situation for full electrical engineers looks slightly better, with the government predicting a 2 percent increase. Outsourcing abroad will consume many of the new electrical engineering jobs that consumer demand for electronic goods creates.