Tennessee·Architecture and Engineering Occupations·SOC 17-3023

Best Electrical programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment

Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, adjust, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery for subsequent.

19 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 749 people a year. The job pays a median of $63,750 in Tennessee across about 1,820 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledTechnologistEngineering TechnologistElectronics Engineering TechnicianEngineering Technician (Engineering Tech)PrototyperTechnicianRelay TesterParts Designer
Graduates / yr
749
in Tennessee
Median pay · Tennessee
$63,750
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,820
people employed
Schools
19
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
42%
across those schools
Median net price
$20,346
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

5 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Tennessee page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 15.0000In Tennessee
524
70.0%
12$59,718$25,375
2
CIP 15.0303In Tennessee
190
25.4%
10$59,859$15,372
3
CIP 15.0406In Tennessee
25
3.3%
2$60,286$15,383
4
CIP 15.1201In Tennessee
8
1.1%
1$48,829$21,696
5
CIP 15.0305In Tennessee
2
0.3%
2$59,859$15,372

Top 19 schools in Tennessee

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 10 of the 19 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Pellissippi State Community College
Knoxville, TN Public · 2 feeder programs
204Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$77,07231%
2Chattanooga State Community College
Chattanooga, TN Public · 3 feeder programs
83Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$52,53126%
3Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN Public · 2 feeder programs
57Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$60,80854%69%
4Cleveland State Community College
Cleveland, TN Public · 2 feeder programs
52Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician37%
5Tennessee Technological University
Cookeville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
52Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$59,62258%76%
6South College
Knoxville, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
51Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician42%$20,346
7Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
38Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$62,08940%96%
8East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
36Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$56,55153%86%
9University of Memphis
Memphis, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
34Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$61,46551%72%
10Jackson State Community College
Jackson, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
31Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General$61,12326%
11Northeast State Community College
Blountville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
31Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician$39,95433%
12Columbia State Community College
Columbia, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
26Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General30%
13Southwest Tennessee Community College
Memphis, TN Public · 2 feeder programs
13Computer Engineering Technology/Technician19%
14Nashville State Community College
Nashville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
12Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician$52,42418%
15Walters State Community College
Morristown, TN Public · 2 feeder programs
12Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician33%
16Dyersburg State Community College
Dyersburg, TN Public · 2 feeder programs
8Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician34%
17Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest
Newbern, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
7Automation Engineer Technology/Technician69%
18Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Hohenwald
Hohenwald, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
1Telecommunications Technology/Technician65%
19Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Livingston
Livingston, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
1Telecommunications Technology/Technician78%

All 19 schools in Tennessee

Every school in Tennessee with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Tennessee that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Pellissippi State Community CollegeKnoxvillePublic2042
Chattanooga State Community CollegeChattanoogaPublic833
Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboroPublic572
Cleveland State Community CollegeClevelandPublic522
Tennessee Technological UniversityCookevillePublic521
South CollegeKnoxvillePrivate for-profit511
Austin Peay State UniversityClarksvillePublic381
East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityPublic361
University of MemphisMemphisPublic341
Jackson State Community CollegeJacksonPublic311
Northeast State Community CollegeBlountvillePublic311
Columbia State Community CollegeColumbiaPublic261
Southwest Tennessee Community CollegeMemphisPublic132
Nashville State Community CollegeNashvillePublic121
Walters State Community CollegeMorristownPublic122

What electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians earn in Tennessee

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Tennessee
$63,750
Mean annual
$66,410
Jobs in state
1,820
What the range looks like
10th pct$36,710Median$63,75090th pct$96,100
Versus the national median
-18.5%

U.S. median $78,190. Tennessee pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.91×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Tennessee

Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
$73,120median
60 jobs
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
$75,850median
240 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$71,490median
60 jobs
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
$67,380median
430 jobs
Knoxville, TN
$67,060median
290 jobs
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$66,480median
170 jobs
Johnson City, TN
$54,810median
60 jobs
Jackson, TN
$60,680median
40 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+0.6%
Little or no change
Openings per year
8,400
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
600
93,700 → 94,300
Typical entry education
Associate's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians page.

How to become a Electrical

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0
Typical entry education
Associate's degree

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningWritingSpeakingMonitoring

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Tennessee

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 9 majors mapped to Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 15.0000Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
  • 15.0303Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0305Telecommunications Technology/Technician
  • 15.0306Integrated Circuit Design Technology/Technician
  • 15.0399Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other
  • 15.0406Automation Engineer Technology/Technician
  • 15.0616Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/Technician
  • 15.1201Computer Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.1202Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician

Common questions

Answers for people weighing electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians programs in Tennessee.

What degree do you need to become an Electrical?+

Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General, which awarded 524 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 70.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming an Electrical?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 749 people a year in Tennessee.

How much do electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians earn in Tennessee?+

The median is $63,750 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 18.5% below the U.S. median of $78,190. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians growing?+

BLS projects a +0.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 8,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Tennessee?+

19 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Technologist, Engineering Technologist, Electronics Engineering Technician, Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-3023.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians in other statesIllinoisVirginiaOhioTexasFloridaCaliforniaKentuckyNew York

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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