Talent Maps / Atlanta / Electrical Engineers

Atlanta Electrical Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What electrical engineers earn in metro Atlanta, which employers hold the talent, where in the metro they work, and the grid, data center and manufacturing projects competing for them.

Hiring electrical engineers in Atlanta?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers electrical engineers in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro area, using the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025) and grid and project data published in 2025 and 2026. Our electrical engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our mechanical, controls, data center and civil engineer talent maps for Atlanta.

$135,350Median pay for electronics engineers in metro AtlantaBLS, May 2025

$120,630Median pay for electrical engineers nationallyBLS, May 2025

4,430Electrical engineers employed in GeorgiaProjections Central, 2024

280Projected electrical engineering openings a year in Georgia through 2034Projections Central

9,885 MWNew generation Georgia regulators approved for Georgia Power in December 2025Georgia PSC

2,882 MWData center capacity under construction in Atlanta, the most in North AmericaCBRE, H1 2026

Electrical engineer salaries in Atlanta

The May 2025 BLS survey does not publish a separate Atlanta or Georgia estimate for electrical engineers. The closest local figures are for electronics engineers, a neighboring occupation, whose Atlanta median is $135,350, above the national median of $130,220. Nationally, electrical engineers have a median of $120,630.

Electronics engineers, annual pay	Atlanta metro	Georgia	United States
10th percentile	$80,830	$77,840	$81,840
25th percentile	$102,530	$94,790	$101,680
Median	$135,350	$123,010	$130,220
75th percentile	$177,690	$157,560	$167,670
90th percentile	$209,170	$181,720	$206,960

Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (SOC 17-2072). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine.

Electrical engineers, annual pay	United States
10th percentile	$76,550
25th percentile	$92,830
Median	$120,630
75th percentile	$152,950
90th percentile	$184,300

Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. No Atlanta or Georgia estimate was published for this occupation. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Electrical engineering technicians, who build, test and maintain electrical equipment and controls, earn a median of $78,610 in metro Atlanta, ranging from $48,640 at the 10th percentile to $110,060 at the 90th.

What the numbers mean in practice: Atlanta pays electronics engineers above national rates at every level from the median up, and the same utilities, data center builders and manufacturers compete for electrical engineers. Plan offers for experienced electrical engineers against national pay, not against a Georgia average.

Where Atlanta’s electrical engineers work

Utilities and power

Southern Company and Georgia Power are headquartered in downtown Atlanta. Oglethorpe Power and Georgia Transmission Corp., which plans and builds high-voltage lines for Georgia’s electric cooperatives, are both in Tucker.

Electric cooperatives such as Cobb EMC in Marietta and Jackson EMC, with an operations center in Lawrenceville, also hire distribution and system engineers.

Data centers

Data center developers and their contractors need electrical engineers for medium-voltage distribution, switchgear, UPS systems and commissioning. QTS runs an Atlanta-Metro campus on Jefferson Street NW and a large campus in Fayetteville.

See every large Georgia project on our Georgia data center tracker.

MEP and building systems design

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) design firms hire electrical engineers for power, lighting and fire alarm design. Atlanta examples include Newcomb & Boyd downtown and Jordan & Skala Engineers in Norcross.

Technology and aerospace

NCR Voyix is headquartered in Midtown Atlanta. Lockheed Martin’s Marietta site, with more than 5,600 employees, builds the C-130J and F-35 center wing and hires electrical and avionics engineers.

Where the talent sits: Atlanta submarkets

Downtown and Midtown

UtilitiesTechnologyMEP design

Southern Company, Georgia Power, NCR Voyix, QTS’s Atlanta-Metro campus, downtown MEP firms and Georgia Tech. The deepest pool for power systems and utility engineering.

Tucker and DeKalb

TransmissionGeneration

Oglethorpe Power and Georgia Transmission Corp. Strong in transmission planning, substation design and protection and controls.

Cobb

AerospaceDistribution

Marietta and Kennesaw, home to Lockheed Martin, Cobb EMC and Kennesaw State’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering.

Gwinnett

MEP designDistribution

Norcross and Lawrenceville, including Jordan & Skala and Jackson EMC’s Lawrenceville operations center.

South and west metro

Data centers

The data center corridor through south Fulton, Douglas, Fayette and Coweta counties, including QTS Fayetteville. Heavy demand for medium-voltage, power distribution and commissioning engineers.

What’s driving demand for electrical engineers in Atlanta

Grid build-out. Georgia Power’s 2025 plan, approved by the Public Service Commission in July 2025, prepares for about 8,500 MW of load growth over six years and includes a 10-year transmission plan covering more than 1,000 miles of lines. In December 2025 the PSC certified 9,885 MW of new generation, a $16.3 billion construction investment.
Data centers. CBRE counts 2,882 MW of data center capacity under construction in Atlanta, the most of any market in North America in the first half of 2026. Each campus needs substations, switchgear and backup power. Read more on the top US data center markets.
Rivian. Rivian’s Georgia plant east of Atlanta is on track for production in late 2028, with first-phase capacity of 300,000 vehicles a year. Vehicle plants need large teams of controls, automation and plant electrical engineers.
Aerospace. The state announced 1,200 new Lockheed Martin jobs in Marietta in June 2026.

Electrical specialties tied to these projects

Power systems and transmission planning engineers for utilities and cooperatives.
Substation design and protection and controls engineers for new substations serving data centers and generation.
Distribution and make-ready engineers for EMCs and utilities. See what a make-ready engineer does.
Data center electrical engineers for medium-voltage distribution, UPS and generators. See how to hire data center engineers.
MEP electrical design engineers for commercial buildings, hospitals and labs.
Controls and automation engineers for manufacturing plants. See how to hire a controls engineer.
Electronics and avionics engineers for aerospace and technology employers.

The talent pipeline

Georgia Tech. The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s undergraduate electrical engineering program is ranked No. 3 in the country by U.S. News for 2026, and its graduate electrical engineering program No. 7.
Kennesaw State University. The Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology in Marietta offers ABET-accredited degrees in electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology.
University of Georgia. The UGA College of Engineering in Athens, about 70 miles east of Atlanta, offers an ABET-accredited BS in electrical and electronics engineering.
Growth. Georgia is projected to grow from 4,430 electrical engineers in 2024 to 4,810 in 2034, with about 280 openings a year from growth and retirements.
Licensing. A Georgia PE license matters most in utility, substation and MEP design work, where engineers stamp drawings.

What this means if you’re hiring

Price against national pay. Atlanta pays above national rates for electronics engineers, and power engineers are in short supply everywhere.
Expect competition from utilities and data centers. Georgia Power’s build-out and the data center pipeline both need substation, power distribution and protection engineers at the same time.
Recruit near the work. A strong candidate in Marietta may turn down a job in Tucker because of the drive. Map the commute before you write the job post.
Grow your own. Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State and the University of Georgia turn out electrical engineering graduates every year. Pairing new graduates with senior PEs is often faster than waiting for the perfect experienced hire.

Need electrical engineers in Atlanta?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place power, substation, MEP, controls and data center electrical engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 404.474.4571 or see our Atlanta engineering recruiters page.

Hire electrical engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do electrical engineers make in Atlanta?

BLS does not publish a separate Atlanta figure for electrical engineers. Electronics engineers in metro Atlanta have a median salary of $135,350, and electrical engineers nationally have a median of $120,630, according to May 2025 BLS data.

How many electrical engineers are there in Georgia?

Georgia employed about 4,430 electrical engineers in 2024, and that number is projected to reach 4,810 by 2034, with roughly 280 openings a year.

Who hires electrical engineers in Atlanta?

The biggest employers include Southern Company and Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission Corp., electric cooperatives such as Cobb EMC, data center developers such as QTS, MEP design firms, NCR Voyix and Lockheed Martin.

Is Atlanta a good market for electrical engineers?

Yes. Georgia Power’s largest build-out in decades and the biggest data center construction pipeline in North America are both in the Atlanta area. Read more on whether electrical engineering is a good career.

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