Electronics Engineering

Types of Degrees Electronics Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many electronics engineering technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	3,344
Basic Certificate	2,930
Bachelor’s Degree	1,347
Undergraduate Certificate	932
Master’s Degree	39

What Electronics Engineering Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to EE tech and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for EE Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Skills for EE Tech Majors

When studying EE tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Abilities for EE Tech Majors

EE Tech majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Electronics Engineering Major?

People with a EE tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Electrical Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330
Electronics Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330
Electronics Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Non-Destructive Testing Specialists	5.2%	$63,200
Photonics Technicians	5.2%	$63,200

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,347 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering technology in 2021, making it rank #150 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 91% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of EE tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	94
Black or African American	165
Hispanic or Latino	256
White	637
International Students	83
Other Races/Ethnicities	112

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in EE Tech, too. About 6.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• India
• China
• Nigeria
• Kuwait

How Much Do Electronics Engineering Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in EE tech have a median salary of $60,951 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $57,574 (25th percentile) and $65,086 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to EE tech.

Salaries According to BLS

EE Tech majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $65,050 to $65,720 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Electronics Engineering

Some degrees associated with EE tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to EE tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.8%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	13.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	21.2%
Some College Courses	10.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	37.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	13.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	2.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.7%

Online Electronics Engineering Programs

In 2020-2021, 577 schools offered a EE tech program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	215	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	6	0
Associate’s Degree	463	11
Bachelor’s Degree	3	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	10	2
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Electronics Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a EE tech grad is $65,050 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 63% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $503,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Electronics Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to EE tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,906
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,593
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,964
Environmental Control Technology	8,690
Engineering-Related Fields	6,736
Mechanical Engineering Technology	6,013
General Engineering Technology	4,676
Construction Engineering Technology	4,330
Quality Control Technology	3,824
Computer Engineering Technology	3,595
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,768
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,290
Energy Systems Technologies	1,256
Civil Engineering Technology	1,187
Engineering-Related Technologies	989
Mining & Petroleum Technology	445
Nuclear Engineering Technology	220
Nanotechnology	114

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.