# Electrical Engineers

US SOC code 17-2071. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-2071

Also called: Power engineer, PCB engineer, PCB designer, Embedded systems engineer, EE.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **198,750** US electrical engineers, with median pay of **$120,630** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Electrical_Engineers) of **3,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for electrical engineers: AI-assisted EDA, 2020 to 2023.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 9.9% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2071&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **40.6%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.1** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.1. BLS counted **168,100** of these jobs in May 2013 and **198,750** in May 2025 (+18%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Electrical Engineers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1884
- Latest US employment: 198,750 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $120,630 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: +9.9% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [21]

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 3,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [1] |
| 1950 | 100,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [2] |
| 1980 | 230,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook [3] |
| 2000 | 162,400 | $64,910 | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 146,150 | $69,640 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 148,310 | $71,610 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 144,920 | $73,510 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 147,670 | $75,930 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 148,800 | $79,240 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 154,670 | $82,160 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 151,660 | $83,110 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 148,770 | $84,540 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 154,250 | $85,920 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 160,560 | $87,920 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 168,100 | $89,180 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 174,550 | $91,410 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 178,580 | $93,010 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 183,770 | $94,210 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 183,370 | $95,060 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 186,490 | $96,640 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 185,570 | $98,530 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 185,220 | $100,830 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 186,020 | $100,420 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 182,210 | $103,320 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 185,430 | $106,950 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 188,790 | $111,910 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 198,750 | $120,630 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (91)

### Employment series

1. [Wikipedia — American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE founding 1884, membership growth)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Electrical_Engineers), Wikipedia
2. [Wikipedia — IEEE (AIEE-IRE merger, combined membership history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE), Wikipedia
3. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electrical Engineers (historical employment context, 1980-81 edition)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
8. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

9. [Wikipedia — American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE founding 1884, Franklin Institute)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Electrical_Engineers), Wikipedia
10. [Wikipedia — Electrical engineering (history: Cornell first EE graduates 1885)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering), Wikipedia
11. [Wikipedia — Vacuum tube (invention, de Forest triode, role in radio and telephony)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_tube), Wikipedia
12. [Wikipedia — Transistor (invention 1947, Bardeen and Brattain at Bell Labs; 1956 Nobel Prize)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor), Wikipedia
13. [Wikipedia — Integrated circuit (Kilby at TI 1958; Noyce at Fairchild monolithic IC)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_circuit), Wikipedia
14. [Wikipedia — IEEE (January 1, 1963 merger of AIEE and IRE; 486,000 current members)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE), Wikipedia
15. [Wikipedia — Electronic design automation (SPICE 1972 Berkeley; early EDA history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_design_automation), Wikipedia
16. [Wikipedia — Synopsys (founded 1986 by Aart de Geus, Research Triangle Park; IPO 1992)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synopsys), Wikipedia
17. [Wikipedia — Cadence Design Systems (founded 1983 as SDA; 1988 merger with ECAD)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_Design_Systems), Wikipedia
18. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electrical Engineers (current edition, work activities)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
19. [Wikipedia — CHIPS and Science Act ($52.7B semiconductor subsidies, signed August 9, 2022; TSMC AZ, Intel OH, Samsung TX)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHIPS_and_Science_Act), Wikipedia
20. [BLS National Employment Matrix — 17-2071 Electrical Engineers (2024-34 projections: +7.2%, solar +184%, semiconductor +15.1%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2071&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Forecasts and exposure studies

21. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 17-2071 Electrical engineers (2025: 199.7 thousand; 2035: 219.5 thousand; +9.9%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2071&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
22. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers: probability 0.1, rank 172 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
23. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 17-2071.00, human-rated β 0.406)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

24. [Wikipedia — American Institute of Electrical Engineers (founding October 7-8, 1884; founding members)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Electrical_Engineers), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — Electrical engineering (AC power standardization, 1893 Chicago World's Fair)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia — Transistor (invention December 23, 1947; Bardeen, Brattain, Shockley; 1956 Nobel Prize)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor), Wikipedia
27. [Wikipedia — Integrated circuit (Kilby TI September 12, 1958; Noyce Fairchild monolithic IC; Kilby Nobel 2000)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_circuit), Wikipedia
28. [Wikipedia — IEEE (January 1, 1963 merger; AIEE founded 1884; IRE founded 1912; 486,000 members)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE), Wikipedia
29. [Wikipedia — Synopsys (founded 1986; IPO 1992; $75.4B market cap 2025)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synopsys), Wikipedia
30. [Wikipedia — CHIPS and Science Act (signed August 9, 2022; $52.7B semiconductor provisions; TSMC, Intel, Samsung grants)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHIPS_and_Science_Act), Wikipedia

### Predecessors & successors

31. [Wikipedia — Electrical engineering (telegraph era, pre-1884 professional formation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering), Wikipedia
32. [Wikipedia — American Institute of Electrical Engineers (founding membership included mechanical engineers)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Electrical_Engineers), Wikipedia
33. [BLS OOH — Electricians (47-2111, upskill path to 17-2071 via EE degree)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Electrical Engineers (17-2071.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2071.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electrical and Electronics Engineers (2024–2034)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [AI Changing Work — Will AI Replace Electrical Engineers? (2026; 62% theoretical vs. 25% observed exposure)](https://aichanging.work/en/blog/will-ai-replace-electrical-engineers), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Pathwise.io — Electrical Engineering Job Market 2026 Outlook & Pay (BLS 7% growth, $111,910 median, demand drivers)](https://pathwise.io/electrical-engineering-job-market/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Bloomberg Intelligence — AI could add $6 billion to EDA market through 2030](https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/insights/artificial-intelligence/ai-could-add-6-billion-to-electronic-design-automation-market/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Cadence — Cerebrus AI Studio product page (5–10x delivery speedup, 20% PPA improvement)](https://www.cadence.com/en_US/home/tools/digital-design-and-signoff/soc-implementation-and-floorplanning/cadence-cerebrus-ai-studio.html), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Siemens — Fuse EDA AI Agent launch at NVIDIA GTC 2026 (March 2026)](https://news.siemens.com/en-us/siemens-fuse-eda-ai-agent/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Ansys — 2025 R2 Engineering Copilot embedded in HFSS, Maxwell, Fluent, Discovery](https://aopds.com/whats-new-in-ansys-2025-r2/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Ansys — HFSS 2026 R1 GPU-accelerated solving and 17x faster radiation pattern simulation](https://aopds.com/whats-new-in-ansys-2026-r1/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [ETAP — Electrical Digital Twin for AI Factory power simulation, grid-to-chip (March 2025)](https://etap.com/company/news/in-the-news/2025/03/13/etap-introduces-world-s-first-electrical-digital-twin-to-simulate-ai-factory-power-from-grid-to-chip-level-using-nvidia-omniverse), accessed 2026-05-23
- [AWS Partner Blog — Synopsys DSO.ai on AWS: \>3x designer productivity, 15% power reduction](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/apn/boost-chip-design-with-ai-how-synopsys-dso-ai-on-aws-delivers-lower-power-and-faster-time-to-market/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Cadence — Allegro X AI: 10x turnaround reduction; three-day placement in 75 minutes with 12% wire-length improvement (2023–2025)](https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/blog/2024-generative-ai-for-pcb-design-with-allegro-x-ai), accessed 2026-05-23
- [EMA Design Automation — Danfoss Allegro X AI case study (energy-efficiency PCB design)](https://www.ema-eda.com/ema-resources/case-study/danfoss-uses-cadence-allegro-x-ai-to-amplify-pcb-design-for-energy-efficiency/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [PR Newswire — Siemens Fuse EDA AI Agent: end-to-end semiconductor, 3D IC, PCB automation details](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/siemens-launches-fuse-eda-ai-agent-for-automation-across-semiconductor-3d-ic-and-pcb-system-workflows-302714880.html), accessed 2026-05-23

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.