Israeli Electrical Engineers Earn High Salaries, Chip Designers Top Earners
Entry-level electrical and electronics engineers in Israel earn between NIS 15,000 and NIS 22,000 gross per month, exceeding the national average salary of NIS 14,000-15,000. Those starting in traditional industries, infrastructure, or manufacturing firms are at the lower end of this range, while graduates joining chip companies or foreign R&D centers can expect NIS 22,000-27,000 before bonuses and stock options.
After five to six years of experience, the average salary for electrical engineers rises to approximately NIS 33,000 gross monthly, the highest among all engineering disciplines. University graduates average NIS 38,000, Technion graduates NIS 42,000, and college graduates NIS 28,000. Experienced engineers in general industry earn NIS 25,000-32,000, while chip design or verification engineers with over six years of experience command NIS 37,000-47,000.
Salaries vary significantly by specialization, with chip designers, verification engineers, and FPGA engineers earning the most. Radio communication engineers start at NIS 17,000-20,000 and reach NIS 25,000-35,000. Power systems engineers in infrastructure or manufacturing start lower, between NIS 14,000-18,000, and progress to NIS 25,000-35,000. Electronic board design engineers fall in the middle, starting at NIS 22,000-27,000 and reaching NIS 32,000-42,000 with experience.
The defense industry, including companies like Rafael and Elbit, offers experienced electrical engineers NIS 25,000-35,000, plus benefits like company cars and job security, comparable to mechanical engineers in the same sector. Senior roles like team leaders or development managers can earn NIS 37,000-50,000, and group managers or architects can reach NIS 50,000-65,000.
Rare specializations, transitions to chip companies, or stock options in foreign firms significantly boost earnings. Electrical engineers moving into embedded systems development can achieve salaries comparable to software engineers. The demand for electrical and electronics engineers is expected to grow, driven by major tech companies' R&D centers and defense industry orders. While chip design offers higher immediate pay, power and infrastructure roles provide stable demand.
