A manager leading electronics engineering teams or product development — overseeing hardware engineers on PCB design, embedded systems, semiconductor work, RF, or product development. Combines technical depth in electronics with team leadership and product or project management.
Most days tend to involve design review on schematics, layouts, firmware, and test results; project schedule and resource management; cross-functional coordination with mechanical, software, and manufacturing teams; and the steady management work of running an engineering team. You'll often work in PLM and project management tools, review hardware decisions and sign-offs, and balance multiple active programs against schedule and cost.
The variance between settings is real — consumer electronics companies (semiconductor, smartphone, IoT) operate on product cycles with high volume manufacturing transitions; aerospace and defense add classified-program and regulatory complexity with longer development cycles; medical device adds FDA quality and design controls; industrial electronics serves industrial automation, instrumentation, or telecom infrastructure. Manager-of-engineers vs. hands-on engineering-management varies by company size and culture.
People who tend to thrive here are technically grounded in electronics, comfortable with hardware/firmware/software interfaces, and capable of leading engineering teams through product cycles. MS or strong BS plus product experience 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 and product-cycle pressure — for those who enjoy shipping electronics products, 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 electronics engineering teams or product development — overseeing hardware engineers on PCB design, embedded systems, semiconductor work, RF, or product development. Combines technical depth in electronics with team leadership and product or project management.
Median pay for an Electronics 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, Writing, Complex Problem Solving, Active Listening, 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, Project Manager, and Implementation Project Manager.
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