An electrical engineer in Chile earns between CLP 2.1 million and CLP 3.0 million gross a month in the fourth year after graduating, depending on the institution, according to the Employment and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro, run by the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. The top bracket, CLP 2.5 million to CLP 3.0 million, belongs to graduates of U. de Santiago de Chile, Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso, U. de Chile and U. de Concepción.
The tool lists 10 Electrical Engineering programs, 5 of which report income, with an average lower bound of CLP 2.42 million. On average, 91.7% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 95.3% in their second. This guide explains how much an electrical engineer earns in Chile by institution, how long it takes to find work and how the field compares with similar degrees.
How much an electrical engineer earns in Chile by university
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 2.5 to 3.0 million | U. de Santiago de Chile, Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso, U. de Chile, U. de Concepción | 4 |
| CLP 2.1 to 2.2 million | U. del Bío-Bío | 1 |
| No data | U. de Tarapacá, PUC, U. de los Andes, U. Técnica Federico Santa María, U. de La Frontera | 5 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Electrical Engineering (10 programs, 5 with income data), accessed November 7, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly pay of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduating, calculated with data from the Internal Revenue Service (SII) and expressed in September 2025 pesos. The employment rate is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases show "no information" (s/i). The highest bracket the tool publishes runs from CLP 2.5 to 3 million.
Four of the five programs with income data, at the University of Chile, the University of Concepción, the University of Santiago and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, are in the highest bracket the tool publishes, CLP 2.5 to 3 million. Universidad del Bío-Bío is in the CLP 2.1 to 2.2 million bracket. Programs such as those at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María and Universidad de los Andes report no income because they have few cases.
In the table below you can search for your institution and sort by income or employment rate:
| Universidad de Santiago de Chile | 2.5 | 96.3% | 95.6% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 2.5 | 95.8% | 97.3% |
| Universidad de Chile | 2.5 | 93.3% | 97.7% |
| Universidad de Concepción | 2.5 | 91.3% | 92.6% |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 2.1 | 87.0% | 96.2% |
| Universidad de Tarapacá | No data | 93.3% | 97.4% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile | No data | 92.7% | 90.7% |
| Universidad de los Andes | No data | 90.4% | 98.2% |
| Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María | No data | 89.7% | 92.2% |
| Universidad de La Frontera | No data | 87.3% | No data |
Electrical engineer or electrical engineering technologist: how much each earns
In Chile there are two paths to working as an electrical engineer. Civil electrical engineering is a long university degree with more basic science, and in Mi Futuro its average lower bound is CLP 2.42 million with an actual duration of 15.5 semesters. Electrical engineering at the "ejecución" (technologist) level, offered by universities and professional institutes, is shorter: it takes 11.9 semesters in practice and its average lower bound is CLP 1.79 million.
| Institution | Program | Gross income, year 4 | Employed, year 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U. de Santiago de Chile | Ingeniería de Ejecución en Electricidad | CLP 2.1 million – CLP 2.2 million | 92,3% |
| Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso | Ingeniería Eléctrica | CLP 2.1 million – CLP 2.2 million | 92,0% |
| IP Santo Tomás | Ingeniería en Electricidad y Electrónica Industrial | CLP 1.9 million – CLP 2.0 million | 88,9% |
| U. del Bío-Bío | Ingeniería de Ejecución en Electricidad | CLP 1.9 million – CLP 2.0 million | 86,7% |
| IP Dr. Virginio Gómez G. | Ingeniería de Ejecución en Electricidad | CLP 1.6 million – CLP 1.7 million | 87,2% |
| IP de Chile | Ingeniería en Electricidad y Electrónica | CLP 1.6 million – CLP 1.7 million | 84,0% |
| U. Tecnológica de Chile Inacap | Ingeniería en Electricidad | CLP 1.6 million – CLP 1.7 million | 79,7% |
| IP Duoc UC | Ingeniería en Electricidad y Automatización Industrial, y Electrónica | CLP 1.5 million – CLP 1.6 million | 84,2% |
| IP AIEP | Ingeniería en Electricidad y Energías Renovables | No data | 90,4% |
| IP Inacap | Ingeniería Eléctrica | No data | 84,6% |
Source: Mi Futuro, generic degree "Ingeniería en Electricidad" (10 programs, 8 with income data), accessed November 7, 2026. The best incomes on this path are at the University of Santiago and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, at CLP 2.1 to 2.2 million. Both degrees have high employment: 87.0% in year 1 on average on the technologist path.
Electrical engineers work in power generation, transmission and distribution, mining, industry, renewable energy projects and automation and control companies. The energy transition, with new solar and wind plants, storage systems and transmission lines, keeps demand for these profiles high.
Employment of electrical engineers in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of the year-4 income bracket | CLP 2.42 M |
| Employment rate in year 1 | 91.7% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 95.3% |
| Average actual duration | 15.5 semesters |
| Indicator (Electrical Engineering) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate in year 1 | 87,0% (U. del Bío-Bío) – 96,3% (U. de Santiago de Chile) | 91.7% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 90,7% (PUC) – 98,2% (U. de los Andes) | 95.3% |
| Actual length of the degree | 13,8 – 18,5 | 15.5 semesters |
| First-year retention | 73,8% (U. de Santiago de Chile) – 92,5% (U. Técnica Federico Santa María) | 83.2% |
Source: Mi Futuro, our own calculation of simple averages. Electrical Engineering has one of the highest employment rates in Chilean higher education: between 87% and 96% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year, depending on the institution. The relationship between income and employment by institution is shown in this chart:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Universidad de Santiago de Chile | 96.30% | 2.50 |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 95.80% | 2.50 |
| Universidad de Chile | 93.30% | 2.50 |
| Universidad de Concepción | 91.30% | 2.50 |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 87.00% | 2.10 |
Electrical engineers versus other engineering degrees
| Degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate in year 1 | Programs with income data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metallurgical Engineering | CLP 2.77 million | 80.5% | 4 |
| Mining Engineering | CLP 2.52 million | 80.1% | 4 |
| Electrical Engineering | CLP 2.42 million | 91.7% | 5 |
| Mechanical Engineering | CLP 2.40 million | 83.7% | 7 |
| Chemical Engineering | CLP 2.24 million | 81.3% | 5 |
| Industrial Engineering | CLP 2.15 million | 85.1% | 29 |
| Electrical Eng. (technologist) | CLP 1.79 million | 87.0% | 8 |
Source: Mi Futuro, accessed November 7, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Electrical Engineering is in the top group with Mechanical, Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, and beats Industrial Engineering, which has 34 programs in the tool. To compare, see how much an industrial engineer earns, how much a computer engineer earns and how much a geologist earns.
How much an electrical engineer earns in Chile: from gross to net pay
For an electrical engineer with gross pay equal to the degree's average lower bound, CLP 2.42 million, the legal deductions are the pension fund (AFP) contribution (10% plus the fee), health (7% in Fonasa or the isapre plan), unemployment insurance (0.6% on an open-ended contract) and income tax. With a fee of about 1.5%, contributions add up to roughly 19.1%, leaving about CLP 1.96 million before income tax, which depends on the income bracket (our own approximate calculation). For reference, the minimum wage in Chile has been CLP 553,553 since May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an electrical engineer earn right after graduating in Chile?
There is no official first-year income figure. Mi Futuro reports income in the fourth year: between CLP 2.1 million and CLP 3.0 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 2.42 million.
Where should you study Electrical Engineering to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of U. de Santiago de Chile, Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso, U. de Chile and U. de Concepción are in the top bracket in year 4, CLP 2.5 million to CLP 3.0 million.
Is it easy to find work as an electrical engineer?
On average, 91.7% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 95.3% in their second, according to Mi Futuro.
How much does an electrical engineering technologist earn?
According to Mi Futuro, between CLP 1.5 and 2.2 million gross in the fourth year after graduating, with an average lower bound of CLP 1.79 million.
Does an electrical engineer or an industrial engineer earn more?
On average, the electrical engineer: an average lower bound of CLP 2.42 million in year 4, versus CLP 2.15 million in Industrial Engineering, according to Mi Futuro.
