A manager leading an electrical engineering team or program — overseeing design engineers on power systems, electronics, controls, embedded systems, or specific product development. Combines engineering technical depth with team leadership and project management.
Most days tend to involve project oversight, design review, client or stakeholder coordination, and the steady management work of running an engineering team. You'll often review circuit designs, sign off on technical decisions and specifications, attend project status meetings, and balance multiple active projects against budget and schedule. PE seal responsibility shapes decision-making at consulting and infrastructure firms.
The variance between settings is real — utilities electrical engineering managers oversee distribution, substation, or generation engineering teams under regulatory frameworks; electronics or hardware product companies focus on design cycles for consumer or industrial products; consulting engineering firms serve clients (utility, industrial, building) on project basis; aerospace and defense add classified-program and regulatory complexity. PE licensure is common but not universal — varies by industry.
People who tend to thrive here are technically grounded in electrical engineering, comfortable with people management, and patient with the long arc of engineering project lifecycles. PE plus management training anchors most career paths. The work tends to offer strong compensation and a clear runway toward principal engineer, director, or VP roles, with the trade-off being the cross-functional demands of engineering judgment plus team leadership plus client management — for those who enjoy leading technical teams toward shipping products or projects, the role offers durable craft.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Engineering roles →A manager leading an electrical engineering team or program — overseeing design engineers on power systems, electronics, controls, embedded systems, or specific product development. Combines engineering technical depth with team leadership and project management.
Median pay for an Electrical Engineering Manager is about $168K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $111K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Writing, and Speaking.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.8% through 2034, with roughly 210,340 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Engineering Director, Electrical Engineering Director, and Project Manager.
Truest gives you tools to understand your strengths, explore roles that fit, and plan your next move.
Explore Truest career tools