Electrical Engineering in Georgia

📊 Employment Overview

Georgia employs 6,080 electrical engineering professionals, representing approximately 3.2% of the national workforce in this field. Georgia ranks #8 nationally for electrical engineering employment.

💰 Salary Information

Electrical Engineering professionals in Georgia earn competitive salaries across all experience levels, with an average annual salary of $108,000.

Note: Salaries are adjusted for cost of living and local market conditions. Data based on BLS statistics and industry surveys (2024-2025).

🎓 Schools Offering Electrical Engineering

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🚀 Career Insights

Key information for electrical engineering professionals in Georgia.

🏢 Industry Landscape & Top Employers

Georgia's electrical engineering market — 6,080 engineers earning an average of $108,000 — is anchored by one of the most powerful university-to-industry pipelines in the Southeast (Georgia Tech), a major defense manufacturing presence in Marietta, a dominant telecommunications infrastructure sector centered on AT&T's Southeast operations, and the rapidly growing semiconductor manufacturing industry that is reshaping the state's economy. Georgia ranks #8 nationally and is one of the fastest-growing EE markets in the Southeast.

Major Employers: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (Marietta) manufactures the C-130J Super Hercules and operates the F-22 Raptor sustainment program, employing hundreds of electrical engineers for avionics, aircraft electrical systems, and systems integration. The Marietta facility is the last remaining major military aircraft production line in the southeastern United States. AT&T's Southeast regional operations in Atlanta employ telecommunications electrical engineers for network infrastructure, fiber optic systems, and 5G deployment — AT&T is one of Georgia's largest private employers. NCR Atleos (Atlanta), formerly part of NCR Corporation, develops ATM, self-checkout, and financial technology hardware. Georgia Power (a Southern Company subsidiary) employs power systems engineers across the state for generation (including Plant Vogtle, the newest nuclear power plant in the United States), transmission, and distribution. Norfolk Southern (Atlanta) employs electrical engineers for railroad traction power systems, signaling, and locomotive electronics. Siemens Energy has transformer manufacturing operations in Georgia.

Semiconductor Manufacturing Growth: Georgia has attracted significant semiconductor investment — SK hynix is considering facilities, and the state's aggressive incentive programs have drawn advanced manufacturing interest from multiple chipmakers. The CHIPS Act is directing investment toward states with strong STEM talent pipelines, and Georgia Tech's EE program makes Georgia competitive for semiconductor facility decisions.

Data Centers: Georgia — particularly the Atlanta metro — has become a major data center hub. Google, Microsoft, Apple, and numerous colocation operators have invested heavily, creating demand for EEs specializing in data center power distribution, UPS systems, and high-efficiency cooling electrical systems.

📈 Career Growth & Pathways

Georgia's EE career landscape offers distinctive advancement tracks in defense aerospace, power utilities, telecommunications, and an emerging semiconductor manufacturing sector — all within a growing Southeast tech economy that is actively competing with Texas and Florida for corporate investment.

Typical Career Trajectory:

• Junior Electrical Engineer (0–2 years): $70,000–$92,000 — Georgia Tech's powerful recruiting relationships with Lockheed Martin, Georgia Power, AT&T, and NCR provide strong entry pathways. The Marietta defense corridor is one of the most accessible entry points for aerospace EEs in the Southeast.
• Mid-Level Engineer (3–7 years): $92,000–$125,000 — Cleared engineers at Lockheed Martin Marietta and telecommunications specialists at AT&T's network operations advance strongly through this range. Georgia Power EEs pursuing PE licensure find the utility's structured advancement program aligns well with licensure milestones.
• Senior Engineer (7–12 years): $125,000–$162,000 — Technical leadership on aircraft systems programs, major utility projects, or large telecommunications infrastructure deployments. Lockheed Martin's Marietta campus offers particularly strong advancement opportunities given the sustained C-130J and F-22 sustainment work.
• Principal/Lead Engineer (12+ years): $162,000–$215,000+ — Senior technical roles at major defense primes, the highest utility engineering grades at Georgia Power, or senior individual contributor positions at technology companies.

Georgia Tech Advantage: Georgia Tech consistently ranks among the top 5 EE programs in the nation and has exceptional employer relationships within Georgia and the Southeast. Georgia Tech alumni networks are among the strongest in engineering, creating powerful career continuity effects for engineers who remain in the state.

Vogtle Nuclear Premium: Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 — the first new nuclear reactors built in the United States in over 30 years — are operational and require specialized nuclear EE expertise for operations, maintenance, and system upgrades. Nuclear-qualified electrical engineers at Georgia Power command significant premiums and rare-skill premiums.

💰 Salary vs. Cost of Living

Georgia's $108,000 average EE salary, against a cost of living that remains meaningfully below coastal markets despite Atlanta's rapid growth, creates solid purchasing power — particularly for engineers outside of Atlanta's most expensive neighborhoods.

Atlanta Metro: Georgia's dominant employment center, with cost of living roughly 5–15% above the national average — elevated by growth but still dramatically more affordable than any coastal tech hub. Median home prices of $380,000–$480,000 in popular intown and suburban markets are accessible for EE households, though desirable areas like Buckhead, Decatur, or Alpharetta have seen significant appreciation. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment averages $1,500–$2,000/month.

Marietta / Cobb County: Directly adjacent to Lockheed Martin's campus, with median home prices of $350,000–$450,000 and excellent suburban infrastructure. Engineers working in Marietta often find a better value proposition than equivalent intown Atlanta neighborhoods.

Savannah / Augusta: More affordable markets (cost of living at or below the national average) with growing defense and industrial employment. Augusta hosts the US Army Cyber Command at Fort Eisenhower, creating defense electronics demand, while Savannah's port-driven economy is attracting manufacturing investment.

Tax Note: Georgia has a personal income tax with rates reaching 5.49% (declining to 4.99% under recent legislation). Combined with the state's moderate overall tax burden and no estate tax, Georgia provides a reasonable financial environment for engineering professionals, though it doesn't match the appeal of no-income-tax states like Florida or Tennessee.

📜 Licensing & Professional Development

Georgia's EE professional development landscape reflects the state's dominant sectors: defense aerospace credentials for Marietta engineers, utility engineering qualifications for Georgia Power professionals, and telecommunications certifications for AT&T network engineers.

The Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors administers PE licensure via the standard FE → 4 Years Experience → PE pathway. Georgia has reciprocity with most other states, and PE licensure is well-recognized in the state's utilities and consulting engineering sectors.

Most Valuable Credentials in Georgia:

• DOD Security Clearances (Secret / TS): Required for engineers at Lockheed Martin Marietta working on C-130J avionics upgrades, F-22 classified sustainment programs, and other defense electronics work. The Marietta community has a significant cleared workforce that sets compensation norms in the local defense sector.
• Nuclear Quality Assurance (10 CFR 50 / ASME NQA-1): For Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle operations, nuclear-grade quality assurance expertise and NRC-regulated design change processes are essential credentials. Nuclear EEs at Georgia Power are among the highest-compensated in the state.
• Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD): Relevant for AT&T telecommunications infrastructure engineers managing large-scale fiber, wireless backhaul, and data center interconnection projects.
• NABCEP Solar PV Certification: Growing relevance as Georgia Power and commercial developers expand solar installations across the state, particularly in the rural utility-scale market.
• Certified Energy Manager (CEM): Valued for Georgia Power engineers and corporate energy engineers at Georgia's large manufacturing facilities (automotive, poultry processing, paper and forest products).

Education: Georgia Tech (Atlanta) is one of the nation's elite EE programs — its graduates are highly sought across all of Georgia's major EE employers. Mercer University (Macon), Georgia Southern University, and Kennesaw State University provide additional pathways, particularly for engineers targeting utility, industrial, and telecommunications roles.

📊 Job Market Outlook

Georgia's electrical engineering market is positioned for above-average growth, driven by semiconductor manufacturing investment, data center expansion, nuclear operations, and the continued strength of the state's defense aerospace sector.

Semiconductor Investment: Georgia's CHIPS Act positioning — backed by Georgia Tech's research capabilities and the state's aggressive economic development incentives — is attracting semiconductor manufacturing interest. Any major fab announcement in Georgia would represent a transformative demand event for the state's EE community, similar to what TSMC has done for Arizona.

Data Center Growth: Atlanta's position as the digital hub of the Southeast, combined with Georgia's relatively low power costs and available land, is driving continued hyperscale data center investment. Meta, Google, Microsoft, and QTS Realty Trust all have or are expanding Georgia data center operations, creating sustained demand for power systems EEs specializing in data center electrical infrastructure.

Nuclear Operations & Potential Expansion: Plant Vogtle's recent completion and the ongoing operation of Georgia's existing nuclear plants sustain nuclear EE demand. As the US considers additional nuclear expansion — particularly small modular reactors — Georgia's existing nuclear infrastructure and workforce position it as a potential host for future reactors.

Renewable Energy: Georgia Power has committed to significant solar expansion, and the state's favorable geography and land availability make it one of the stronger Southeast solar markets. Offshore wind development off Georgia's coast represents a longer-term but significant potential growth area for power systems engineers.

Workforce Projection: Georgia is expected to add 1,500–2,500 EE positions over the next five years, with semiconductor, data center, and renewable energy infrastructure driving growth alongside the state's established defense and utility sectors.

🕐 Day in the Life

Electrical engineering in Georgia combines technically ambitious work — from nuclear power plant systems to C-130 aircraft avionics — with Atlanta's world-class urban culture and Georgia's excellent outdoor recreation, all at a cost of living that makes the financial picture significantly better than comparable work in coastal markets.

At Lockheed Martin Marietta: EEs arrive at a massive campus that has built military aircraft for over 70 years. Avionics engineers working on C-130J systems review technical data from aircraft undergoing modification, analyze flight test data for system qualification, or develop aircraft wiring diagrams for a new capability installation. The C-130's enduring production run — continuous since 1954 — means engineers work on an aircraft with a deep knowledge base while continuously adding new capabilities to an evolving platform. Classified F-22 sustainment work adds a layer of exclusivity to the campus's technical portfolio.

At Georgia Power (Plant Vogtle): Nuclear EEs at the newest nuclear plant in America work in a meticulously controlled environment. Daily activities include surveillance testing of safety system instrumentation, reviewing engineering change documents against nuclear quality standards, and participating in outage planning for scheduled maintenance periods. The plant's AP1000 passive safety design is technically sophisticated, requiring EEs who understand both traditional nuclear instrumentation and the innovative passive safety feature control systems that make the AP1000 unique.

Lifestyle: Atlanta's lifestyle offerings are genuinely impressive — a world-class airport (world's busiest by passenger traffic), a thriving restaurant and craft beverage scene, professional sports teams in all major leagues, and a diverse, international cultural community. Georgia Tech's athletic events and the broader university community add intellectual energy to Atlanta's social fabric. North Georgia's mountains provide excellent hiking, whitewater kayaking, and camping within 90 minutes of the city. The cost of a comfortable Atlanta suburban life on an EE salary is dramatically more achievable than comparable lives in Boston, Seattle, or the Bay Area.

🔄 Compare with Other States

See how Georgia compares to other top states for electrical engineering: