Electrical Engineer Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Electrical engineers are one of Tucson's largest engineering groups, with about 1,710 in the metro and a mean pay near $122,700 in federal data. Raytheon's missile work drives much of that demand, alongside Tucson Electric Power and the copper mines. Current openings are below, followed by employers, pay and licensing.
Current Electrical Engineer Openings in Tucson, AZ
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Electrical Engineer Work in Tucson
Raytheon builds missiles at its plant south of Tucson International Airport, and its Tucson listings cover RF and radar design, circuit cards and production hardware. Most of that work requires U.S. citizenship and a Secret clearance, which keeps the candidate pool small and pay high. Tucson Electric Power hires electrical engineers to plan and operate the grid for the metro, where power-flow and stability studies, protection and reliability work keep a steady engineering staff busy.
The rest of the market is spread across the metro. Roche Tissue Diagnostics designs diagnostic instruments at its campus in the Oro Valley area, and Freeport-McMoRan's Sierrita mine near Green Valley needs engineers for the power distribution and motors that keep a 24-hour mill running. Federal wage data for May 2023 counted another 450 electronics engineers in the Tucson metro on top of the electrical count.
Top Tucson Employers for Electrical Engineers
These Tucson-area employers hire electrical engineers:
- Raytheon (RTX) - RF and radar subsystems, circuit card design and production hardware on its Tucson campus; U.S. citizenship and Secret clearance are standard.
- Tucson Electric Power - transmission operations planning, reliability and power production engineering for the regional utility.
- Roche Tissue Diagnostics - analog, digital and mixed-signal design, PCB integration and EMC testing for medical diagnostic instruments.
- Freeport-McMoRan - electrical engineers and senior electrical engineers for power distribution and plant equipment at the Sierrita mine near Green Valley.
Electrical Engineer Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (0-3 years): roughly $75,000 to $95,000 per year.
- Experienced (4-8 years): roughly $95,000 to $130,000 per year.
- Senior or principal (8+ years): roughly $130,000 to $165,000 per year.
Federal wage data for the Tucson metro (May 2023) put the median for electrical engineers at $50.46 an hour and the mean at $122,670 a year. Postings fit that picture: a Raytheon senior electrical engineer listing in Tucson ran $86,800 to $165,200, and a Roche electrical engineer listing ran $128,898 to $141,400. Cleared defense roles pay the most, and an active clearance is worth money on its own. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
How to Become an Electrical Engineer in Tucson
An ABET-accredited bachelor's in electrical or computer engineering is the usual entry ticket. The University of Arizona's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is the local program, and Pima Community College's Pre-Engineering Associate of Science at the West Campus covers the first two years for transfer students. For defense work, plan on U.S. citizenship and the ability to hold a Secret clearance. A PE license from the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration is needed to seal electrical drawings, such as power and building design submitted for permits; that path runs through the FE exam, registration as an Engineer in Training, and the Board's eight-year active engagement requirement before the PE exam. The Tucson Electric Power planning posting asks for a BS in electrical engineering and does not list a PE.
What the Job Involves
An RF engineer runs simulations, sits through design reviews, then takes hardware into a lab or test range and works through the data. A utility engineer runs power-flow and contingency studies, maintains system models and takes a turn on call. A medical device engineer writes specifications, designs and debugs circuit boards and runs EMC and environmental testing. Across all of it: schematics, simulation, bring-up, debug and a lot of documentation.
Skills Employers Look For
- Analog, digital and mixed-signal circuit design
- RF and microwave fundamentals for defense work
- Schematic capture, PCB integration and lab debug with scopes and analyzers
- Power-flow and stability tools for utility roles
- EMI and EMC testing and design-for-manufacturing
- U.S. citizenship and clearance eligibility for the defense share of the market
Career Path and Advancement
The usual Tucson ladder is electrical engineer, senior, principal, then either a technical fellow track or engineering management. Raytheon's size lets strong RF and hardware engineers keep designing at high levels without managing people, and moving into systems engineering on the missile programs is common. At Tucson Electric Power, engineers move up through numbered engineer levels to senior and principal, and at the mines the path leads toward electrical maintenance leadership.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the fields electrical engineers most often weigh or move into:
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Tucson employers hire electrical engineers?
Raytheon, the metro's largest private employer, hires electrical engineers in Tucson for work from RF design to production hardware. Tucson Electric Power, Roche Tissue Diagnostics and Freeport-McMoRan also hire electrical engineers locally, for utility, medical device and mining work.
Do you need a PE license to be an electrical engineer in Tucson?
Only if you seal drawings, such as power distribution or building electrical design submitted for permits. The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration issues the license after the FE exam, an eight-year active engagement requirement and the PE exam. The Tucson Electric Power planning posting asks for a BS in electrical engineering and does not list a PE.
How much do electrical engineers make in Tucson?
Federal data put the Tucson median at $50.46 an hour in May 2023, and the mean at $122,670 a year. Recent listings ran $86,800 to $165,200 for a Raytheon senior electrical engineer and $128,898 to $141,400 at Roche. Clearance, specialty and experience move pay the most.
Are there electrical engineering jobs in Tucson without a clearance?
Yes. Tucson Electric Power and Roche Tissue Diagnostics hire electrical engineers for utility and medical device work, and the postings read for this guide do not ask for a Secret clearance. Mining work at Freeport-McMoRan's Sierrita operation is another non-defense option. You give up some of the defense pay premium.
How long does it take to become an electrical engineer in Tucson?
About four years for a bachelor's at the University of Arizona, or two years at Pima Community College plus the rest at UA on the transfer path. You can work as an engineer right after graduating. A PE license takes longer because of the Board's eight-year active engagement requirement.
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