Career comparison
Electrical Engineer vs. Sales Engineer
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Sales engineers earn more at the median ($124,900 vs. $120,630), while electrical engineers usually get to work faster (4 years of training). Electrical engineers design power systems, electronics and controls that run modern life. Sales engineers combine engineering know-how and sales to design solutions for customers.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Electrical Engineer | Sales Engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $120,630 ($58.00/hr) | $124,900 ($60.05/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $76,550 – $184,300 | $73,870 – $195,270 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +9.9% (much faster than average) | +2.8% (about as fast as average) |
| Openings per year | 11,400 | 3,800 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4 years | 4 years plus experience |
| Key credential | Engineer in Training (EIT) | Vendor technical certifications |
| Work setting | Electrical engineers work in offices, labs, plants and at project sites.. | Sales engineers work in offices, remotely and at customer sites, with travel for meetings and demonstrations.. |
What each job does
Electrical Engineer
- Design electrical systems
- Develop circuits and electronics
- Calculate loads and specify equipment
- Create schematics and drawings
- Test and troubleshoot systems
Sales Engineer
- Learn customer technical requirements
- Design technical solutions
- Deliver product demonstrations
- Answer technical questions
- Write proposals and RFP responses
How they’re similar
Both careers involve high-pay, problem-solving, and teamwork. They sit in different fields, science, engineering & lab and sales & retail, but share transferable skills such as problem solving and communication.
Which should you choose?
Choose electrical engineer if…
- I love electricity and electronics
- I enjoy math and physics
- I want high pay
Choose sales engineer if…
- I love technology
- I enjoy explaining technical topics
- I like solving customer problems
Still torn? Take the Electrical Engineer fit quiz and the Sales Engineer fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, electrical engineer or sales engineer?
Sales Engineers earn more at the median: $124,900 versus $120,630 for electrical engineers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Electrical Engineers typically train faster (4 years) than sales engineers (4 years plus experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects electrical engineers to grow +9.9% from 2025–35, compared with +2.8% for sales engineers.