SOC 17-2071 · Salinas, CA metro

Electrical Engineers Salary in Salinas, CA

The average salary for electrical engineers in Salinas, California is $136,120 a year ($65.44 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $126,460: half of the 50 people in this job in the Salinas, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($125,905).

$136,120average per year

$65.44 / hourMedian $126,460Take-home ≈ $95,737

  • $86K10th
  • $104K25th
  • $126KMedian
  • $161K75th
  • $209K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

50people in this job
+8%vs U.S. metro average
#10 of 20California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Electrical Engineers pay range in Salinas

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $86,390 a year or less, while the top 10% make $208,790 or more. The middle half of electrical engineers in Salinas earn between $103,760 and $160,650.

  • $86K10th
  • $104K25th
  • $126KMedian
  • $161K75th
  • $209K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$136,120$11,343$65.44
Median$126,460$10,538$60.80
Entry level (25th percentile)$103,760$8,647$49.88
Experienced (75th percentile)$160,650$13,388$77.24

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Electrical Engineers salary after taxes in Salinas

On the average salary of $136,120, a single filer in Salinas takes home about $95,737 a year, or $7,978 a month and $3,682 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Salinas a good place for electrical engineers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Salinas area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.0), so the average $136,120 buys what about $124,833 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Salinas ($47,380). A typical home costs $850,461, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $136,120 is worth in another city

Electrical Engineers salary in other California cities

Salinas ranks 10th of 20 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($189,370).

All Electrical Engineers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for electrical engineers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($189,370).

Electrical Engineers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Electrical Engineers in Salinas, CA.

Electrical Engineers salary in Salinas: questions

How much do electrical engineers make an hour in Salinas?

$65.44 an hour on average, and $60.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level electrical engineers salary in Salinas?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $86,390 a year and the 25th percentile is $103,760, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the electrical engineers take-home pay in Salinas?

About $95,737 a year ($7,978 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $136,120. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do electrical engineers earn more in Salinas than elsewhere?

The average here is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($125,905).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-2071; area Salinas, CA (41500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.3%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.23, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.23).

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