Electrical Engineers Salary
In Virginia, electrical engineers earn $119,030 at the median, or about $57.23 an hour. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $173K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $125,572 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,646/month, or 21.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $119K actually covers in Virginia, month by month
About electrical engineers
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What this looks like in Virginia
Electrical engineers pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $119K locally vs. $121K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,646/month, 23% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level electrical engineers (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $119K. Top earners bring in $173K or more, a $93K spread from bottom to top.
Electrical Engineers salary by metro in Virginia
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $123K | +3% | 110 |
| Richmond | $117K | -2% | 1,160 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $114K | -4% | 40 |
| Roanoke | $109K | -8% | 270 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $103K | -13% | 1,410 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $101K | -15% | 130 |
| Lynchburg | $99K | -17% | 160 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a electrical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
Yes — at the median salary of $119K, rent takes 23% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for electrical engineers in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical engineers typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,066/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 32% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $119K locally vs. $121K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for electrical engineers?
Virginia pays $119K median vs. the U.S. average of $121K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $126K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do electrical engineers make in Virginia?
The median is $119,030 a year, that works out to about $57 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $80,320, and experienced electrical engineers can clear $173,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $119K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,149/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 23% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a electrical engineers salary go in Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median electrical engineers salary is worth about $125,572 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.