Electrical Lead Designer Salary in the United States

How much does an Electrical Lead Designer make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Electrical Lead Designer in the United States is $152,300 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $73.

However, an Electrical Lead Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $178,187
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $139,357 to $165,850
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $127,573
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View as table View as graph 25% $139,357 10% $127,573 90% $178,187 75% $165,850 $152,300 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Electrical Lead Designer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $165,850 $13,821 $3,189 $80
Average $152,300 $12,692 $2,929 $73
25th Percentile $139,357 $11,613 $2,680 $67
Check out Electrical Lead Designer Job Openings in the United States
Electrical Distribution Designer

Sterling Engineering Inc. - Columbus, OH

Electrical Designer II (Arc Flash)

Meade - Columbus, OH

Electrical Lead Modeler

Hatzel & Buehler Inc - Columbus, OH

Electrical Estimator

The Romanoff Group - Columbus, OH

Search More Electrical Lead Designer Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Electrical Lead Designer Salaries

An Electrical Lead Designer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Electrical Lead Designer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Electrical Lead Designer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $101,271
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $127,731
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $151,303
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $179,811
  • Expert (over 8 years): $197,147
Levels Salary
Electrica... Level Electrical Lead Designer$101,271
Electrica... Level Electrical Lead Designer$127,731
Electrica... Level Electrical Lead Designer$151,303
Electrica... Level Electrical Lead Designer$179,811
Electrica... Level Electrical Lead Designer$197,147
$101,271 0 yr
$127,731 < 2 yrs
$151,303 2-4 yrs
$179,811 5-8 yrs
$197,147 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Electrical Lead Designer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Electrical Lead Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $168,627.
  • California: $167,987.
  • Massachusetts: $165,748.

Top Paying Cities for Electrical Lead Designers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $192,096
  • San Francisco: $189,993
  • Oakland: $185,989

What Skills Can Increase an Electrical Lead Designer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.77% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.92% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
  • Performance Review (Mentioned in 1.92% Job Postings): Assessing employee performance and identifying strengths and weaknesses to promote communication and provide constructive performance feedback.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.77%
Continuous Improvement 1.92%
Performance Review 1.92%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Electrical Lead Designer's salary.
  • Project Design: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Security Clearance: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Project Design
$167,530
10%
Security Clearance
$166,007
9%
Staff Development
$166,007
9%
System Design
$166,007
9%
Avionics
$164,484
8%
Performance Review
$161,438
6%
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Electrical Lead Designer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Electrical Lead Designer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 32% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Internet sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 15% above the average. In contrast, Electrical Lead Designer positions in Transportation or Insurance typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Electrical Lead Designer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Electrical Lead Designer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$175,145$84.015%
Internet$170,576$82.012%
Telecom$169,053$81.011%
Financial Services$167,530$81.010%
Pharmaceuticals$164,484$79.08%

How Education impacts an Electrical Lead Designer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Electrical Lead Designers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Electrical Lead Designer with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $153,424 and $161,446).

Electrical Lead Designer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Electrical Lead Designer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.4%
High School 2.4%
Associates 4.9%
Bachelors 43.1%
Masters 35.8%
Doctorate 13.8%
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Electrical Lead Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Electrical Lead Designer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Electrical Lead Designer

Salaries for an Electrical Lead Designer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $162,041 in 2023 to around $161,585 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Electrical Lead Designer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Electrical Lead Designer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$162,041
2024
$162,939
2025
$161,585
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $162,041
2024 $162,939
2025 $161,585
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Electrical Lead Designer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Electrical Lead Designer

Here are companies hiring for Electrical Lead Designer and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Electrical Lead Designer Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Electrical Lead Designer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • OTC Industrial Technologies (Ohio Transmission Corporation)

    Columbus, OH

    OTC Industrial Technologies (Ohio Transmission Corporation) | Columbus, OH

    Industrial Equipment Technician. This position offers a hourly wage ranging from $20.00/hr. to $30.00/hr., depending on experience and qualifications. What... more

    5 Days Ago

  • Walbridge

    Columbus, OH

    Walbridge | Columbus, OH

    Superintendent, ElectricalCategorySuperintendentWork LocationUS-OH-ColumbusID2025-2292OverviewJoin Our Team for a World-Class Data Center Project in Columb... more

    7 Days Ago

  • Ohio Business College

    Columbus, OH

    Ohio Business College | Columbus, OH

    Ohio Business College is looking for a full-time or two part-time lab assistant(s), for our electrical program.Classes are held Monday - Thursday, hours ar... more

    3 Days Ago

  • The Misch Group

    Columbus, OH

    The Misch Group | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Description. We are seeking a full-time electrical engineer or electrical designer with at least 3 years of experience to... more

    3 Days Ago

  • Affiliated Engineers, Inc

    Columbus, OH

    Affiliated Engineers, Inc | Columbus, OH

    Electrical QA/QC Agent. Join a team where engineering excellence drives opportunity. At Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI), we bring together expertise and i... more

    5 Days Ago

  • iNTERMOUNTAIN ELECTRONICS INC

    Columbus, OH

    iNTERMOUNTAIN ELECTRONICS INC | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Description. Intermountain Electronics (IE). delivers dependable and effective critical power and process infrastructure ... more

    5 Days Ago

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FAQ about Electrical Lead Designer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Electrical Lead Designer?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Electrical Lead Designer roles, with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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