How much do Electrical Engineers make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

Percentile spread

For Electrical Engineers, the published 10th percentile is $116,900 and the 90th percentile is $258,100. The difference is $141,200, which is 75.5% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $157,150 to the 75th at $218,170, covers $61,020.

The mean annual wage is $189,370, which sits above the median of $187,060. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median is 55.1% higher than the national median of $120,630 for Electrical Engineers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $169,403, which is 40.4% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 29.9% higher than the California median of $144,040.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is 110.423, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $187,060 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Electrical Engineers at $169,403 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

14 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Electrical Engineers. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ranks 1st of 15 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is 36 miles away, with a median of $133,560 and employment of 90. That median is 28.6% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $121,533, against $169,403 here.
• Salinas, CA is 46 miles away, with a median of $126,460 and employment of 50. That median is 32.4% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $115,974, against $169,403 here.
• Modesto, CA is 50 miles away, with a median of $109,970 and employment of 50. That median is 41.2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $105,631, against $169,403 here.

Employment share

Electrical Engineers accounts for 0.37% of wage-and-salary employment in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (4,160 of 1,134,970). Nationally the occupation is 0.13% of employment (198,750 of 155,495,730). The local share is 2.87 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.