Electrical Engineers Salary
In Urban Honolulu, HI, electrical engineers earn $105,460 at the median, or about $50.7 an hour. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $147K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.96), so that salary is closer to $95,043 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,642/month, about 40.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $105K get you in Urban Honolulu?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Urban Honolulu’s Regional Price Parity (110.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About electrical engineers
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What this looks like in Urban Honolulu
Pay for electrical engineers in Urban Honolulu runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $121K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,642/month, which is 42.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.96), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for electrical engineerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electrical engineers in metros near Urban Honolulu, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku | $137K | $125K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Urban Honolulu, HI
Entry-level electrical engineers (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $147K or more, a $73K spread from bottom to top.
Electrical Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Electrical Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $159K | +31% | 2,560 |
| California | $144K | +19% | 24,230 |
| District of Columbia | $143K | +19% | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $136K | +13% | 1,600 |
| Washington | $133K | +10% | 7,610 |
| Texas | $129K | +7% | 20,870 |
| Idaho | $129K | +7% | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $128K | +6% | 5,040 |
| Delaware | $127K | +5% | 660 |
| Alaska | $126K | +4% | 350 |
| Alabama | $126K | +4% | 4,600 |
| New Jersey | $125K | +4% | 2,940 |
| Oregon | $125K | +4% | 2,540 |
| Maryland | $125K | +4% | 4,650 |
| Louisiana | $124K | +3% | 990 |
| Colorado | $121K | +0% | 4,200 |
| Virginia | $119K | -1% | 7,260 |
| New York | $119K | -1% | 8,770 |
| Missouri | $119K | -2% | 2,410 |
| Maine | $115K | -5% | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $113K | -6% | 500 |
| Wyoming | $112K | -7% | 280 |
| Vermont | $111K | -8% | 820 |
| Pennsylvania | $111K | -8% | 6,970 |
| North Dakota | $111K | -8% | 260 |
| North Carolina | $110K | -9% | 7,090 |
| Minnesota | $110K | -9% | 3,150 |
| Illinois | $108K | -11% | 5,460 |
| Oklahoma | $108K | -11% | 2,080 |
| Nevada | $107K | -11% | 1,100 |
| Nebraska | $107K | -11% | 1,060 |
| Hawaii | $106K | -12% | 1,080 |
| Michigan | $106K | -12% | 10,840 |
| Iowa | $106K | -12% | 1,280 |
| Utah | $106K | -12% | 1,680 |
| Mississippi | $105K | -13% | 1,130 |
| Florida | $105K | -13% | 9,220 |
| Tennessee | $104K | -13% | 2,830 |
| Connecticut | $104K | -14% | 2,930 |
| Indiana | $103K | -15% | 4,000 |
| Kansas | $103K | -15% | 2,100 |
| Ohio | $101K | -17% | 6,360 |
| Arizona | $101K | -17% | 5,370 |
| Wisconsin | $100K | -17% | 3,550 |
| South Dakota | $99K | -18% | 530 |
| Kentucky | $99K | -18% | 1,540 |
| South Carolina | $98K | -18% | 3,490 |
| Arkansas | $97K | -20% | 900 |
| Montana | $87K | -28% | 790 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track electrical engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Urban Honolulu numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a electrical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Urban Honolulu?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 42.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,642/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for electrical engineers in Urban Honolulu?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical engineers typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,433/month. At HUD’s $2,642/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is electrical engineer a high-paying job in Urban Honolulu?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $105K here vs. $121K nationally.
How does Urban Honolulu compare to the national average for electrical engineers?
Urban Honolulu pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $121K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $95K — below the national median.
How much do electrical engineers make in Urban Honolulu, HI?
The median is $105,460 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $73,890, and experienced electrical engineers can clear $146,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Urban Honolulu?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,234/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,642/month, which eats 42.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a electrical engineers salary go in Urban Honolulu?
Urban Honolulu has a Regional Price Parity of 110.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median electrical engineers salary is worth about $95,043 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electrical engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.