Substation Engineer Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure Substation Engineer as its own occupation, so this page uses Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $120,630 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $92,830 to $152,950.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Broader occupation
Electrical Engineers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $76,550 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $92,830 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $120,630 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $152,950 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $184,300 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $125,100 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.8 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $44.63 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $58 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $73.53 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $88.61 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $60.15 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages cover: OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. These are straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately. BLS pay-term definitions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers, United States. Download national data (ZIP).
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $120,630 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 2.37 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 47,480 | 23.9% | $105,470 | $82,830 to $142,210 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 44,480 | 22.4% | $105,780 | $82,840 to $145,460 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 20,330 | 10.2% | $122,430 | $99,220 to $136,730 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 8,540 | 4.3% | $98,550 | $80,080 to $124,870 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 8,470 | 4.3% | $132,020 | $98,280 to $185,760 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 7,260 | 3.7% | $98,550 | $79,820 to $124,120 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 2,860 | 1.4% | $102,550 | $82,640 to $129,630 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 1,650 | 0.8% | $108,250 | $87,070 to $129,920 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 1,510 | 0.8% | $100,280 | $78,810 to $126,850 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 1,430 | 0.7% | $99,570 | $78,250 to $126,420 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 1,230 | 0.6% | $133,080 | $78,360 to $177,610 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 1,150 | 0.6% | $128,350 | $86,730 to $191,960 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 960 | 0.5% | $98,130 | $80,100 to $123,490 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 770 | 0.4% | $110,650 | $95,740 to $134,830 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 710 | 0.4% | $127,400 | $84,050 to $157,690 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 370 | 0.2% | $124,420 | $95,990 to $168,480 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 200 | 0.1% | $109,350 | $80,350 to $139,670 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $126,420 | $98,550 to $165,690 | 4,450 | 1.11 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $124,390 | $89,410 to $161,080 | 5,720 | 1.11 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $99,160 | $81,040 to $131,260 | 3,420 | 1.13 |
| Columbus, OH | $102,380 | $83,510 to $126,830 | 1,100 | 0.78 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $113,520 | $92,320 to $134,330 | 4,290 | 0.74 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $187,060 | $157,150 to $218,170 | 4,160 | 2.87 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $128,080 | $102,000 to $144,040 | 2,320 | 1.5 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 317 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $187,060 | 4,160 | 2.87 |
| 2 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $167,010 | 50 | 0.41 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $166,030 | 2,470 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $164,880 | 100 | 0.36 |
| 5 | Albuquerque, NM | $163,720 | 1,280 | 2.47 |
| 6 | Vallejo, CA | $160,060 | 150 | 0.79 |
| 7 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $159,360 | 1,050 | 4.1 |
| 8 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $145,360 | 4,070 | 2.46 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $140,210 | 4,930 | 1.85 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $139,780 | 8,970 | 1.12 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 308 | Yuma, AZ | $91,080 | 40 | 0.48 |
| 309 | San Angelo, TX | $91,040 | 50 | 0.76 |
| 310 | Missoula, MT | $88,770 | 70 | 0.84 |
| 311 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $88,690 | 130 | 0.73 |
| 312 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $85,730 | 200 | 1.23 |
| 313 | Wausau, WI | $85,210 | 60 | 0.69 |
| 314 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $83,930 | 170 | 0.48 |
| 315 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $83,180 | 320 | 1.15 |
| 316 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $75,020 | 50 | 0.46 |
| 317 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $72,910 | 230 | 0.26 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $167,010 | $43,710 | 3.82 times | 50 | 0.41 |
| Aguadilla, PR | $98,540 | $26,480 | 3.72 times | 50 | 0.72 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $163,720 | $48,060 | 3.41 times | 1,280 | 2.47 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $131,330 | $39,740 | 3.30 times | 50 | 0.68 |
| Beckley, WV | $123,450 | $41,850 | 2.95 times | 40 | 0.69 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $136,100 | $46,800 | 2.91 times | 130 | 1.24 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $164,880 | $56,850 | 2.90 times | 100 | 0.36 |
| Fresno, CA | $134,780 | $46,910 | 2.87 times | 400 | 0.65 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $129,940 | $45,700 | 2.84 times | 70 | 0.51 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $106,620 | $37,750 | 2.82 times | 60 | 0.73 |
| Charleston, WV | $129,250 | $45,830 | 2.82 times | 60 | 0.47 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $159,360 | $56,530 | 2.82 times | 1,050 | 4.1 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $109,100 | $39,070 | 2.79 times | 30 | 0.33 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $99,960 | $35,830 | 2.79 times | 100 | 0.27 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $100,870 | $36,490 | 2.76 times | 100 | 0.49 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $124,800 | $45,350 | 2.75 times | 230 | 0.93 |
| Visalia, CA | $124,010 | $45,130 | 2.75 times | 90 | 0.4 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $133,030 | $48,710 | 2.73 times | 350 | 0.68 |
| Vallejo, CA | $160,060 | $58,620 | 2.73 times | 150 | 0.79 |
| Burlington, NC | $119,650 | $44,010 | 2.72 times | 30 | 0.39 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $132,930 | $49,290 | 2.70 times | 80 | 1.19 |
| Decatur, AL | $124,440 | $46,280 | 2.69 times | 160 | 2.07 |
| Johnstown, PA | $118,480 | $44,110 | 2.69 times | 50 | 0.75 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $136,240 | $50,770 | 2.68 times | 100 | 0.67 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $103,240 | $38,520 | 2.68 times | 60 | 0.53 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 17-2071 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $111,910 |
| May 2025 | $120,630 |
| Difference | +$8,720 (+7.8%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call waiting or availability pay | Left out | BLS excludes payment for time spent awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. BLS on-call pay definition. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Recruiter's read
Qualitative, not from BLS data.
Substation Engineer candidates are usually screened on 69 kV to 345 kV substation design; grounding; AutoCAD or MicroStation; PE.
We usually find them through utilities; power EPCs ; substation contractors. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.
Questions
What is the median pay for Substation Engineer?
The BLS median annual wage for Electrical Engineers nationally is $120,630 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most Substation Engineer earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $92,830 to $152,950, and 10% earned less than $76,550.
Is this the exact job title?
Electrical Engineers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 198,750 jobs nationally in Electrical Engineers across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for Substation Engineer: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring Substation Engineer?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
What the published rows say about Substation Engineer pay in the United States
Substation Engineer maps to Electrical Engineers, SOC 17-2071. For the United States, the May 2025 OEWS annual median is $120,630; the middle half runs from $92,830 to $152,950. This is a broader occupation, not a separate wage estimate for this exact job. BLS does not separate seniority titles that share this row. Clarify the systems this hire must own and where design responsibility ends and field support begins. The occupation estimate does not separately price a license, a platform or a travel requirement.
The middle-half spread is $60,120: $27,800 from the 25th percentile to the median and $32,320 from the median to the 75th. The upper interval is wider. Use these points to compare an offer, not to price a junior or senior hire. Percentiles are not experience bands, and this distribution alone does not explain why individual workers earn different amounts.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA reports a annual median of $139,780 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $19,150 above the United States's median.
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports a annual median of $128,340 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $7,710 above the United States's median.
The highest exact national industry medians in the loaded SOC 17-2071 rows are Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) at $237,660 and Software Publishers at $170,340. These are May 2025 national occupation estimates, not local data center pay. The loaded data has no local industry-by-occupation breakdown, so it cannot rank industries within the United States.
The matched median moved from $111,910 in May 2024 to $120,630 in May 2025: $8,720 higher. Both rows use SOC 17-2071, area 99 and the same annual basis. This is not adjusted for inflation or annualized, and it does not attribute the change to a particular employer.
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. This is neither pure base salary nor total compensation. Agree travel, per diem and relocation terms separately. No verified Substation Engineer-specific allowance is in this occupation row, so none is added to the figures.
Questions about Substation Engineer pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports Substation Engineer pay in the United States?
Substation Engineer maps to SOC 17-2071, Electrical Engineers. The May 2025 annual median for the United States is $120,630. The broader mapping is not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the figure cover the whole offer for Substation Engineer?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Travel and relocation terms still need their own discussion; this row supplies no separate allowance.
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- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.