Civil Engineers vs Electrical
Electrical earns $24,200 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Civil Engineers | Electrical | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $100,840 | $125,040 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $68,240 to $163,220 | $77,940 to $195,510 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 4 | 4 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Jobs opening up each year | 22,700 | 16,300 |
| Growth by 2035 | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| People doing it now | 380,600 | 297,900 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $122,500 in California down to $84,240 in Georgia | $158,520 in New Mexico down to $87,360 in Montana |
Also compared: Accountants vs Civil Engineers Advertising vs Electrical Aerospace Engineers vs Electrical Civil Engineers vs Construction Managers Civil Engineers vs Data Scientists Civil Engineers vs Dental Hygienists
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Electrical covers 3 separate job codes. “3 of 3” means 3 of those 3 name that job as closely related.
Civil Engineers
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Transportation Engineers
- Construction Managers
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Construction and Building Inspectors
- Environmental Engineers
What these usually take: Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
Electrical
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians3 of 3
- Mechatronics Engineers3 of 3
- Microsystems Engineers3 of 3
- Mechanical Engineers2 of 3
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment2 of 3
- Industrial Engineers2 of 3
What these usually take: Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
Civil Engineers
- Architectural and Engineering ManagersGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
- Architects, Except Landscape and NavalGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
Electrical
- Microsystems Engineers3 of 3Graduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2025, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.