Quick answer: The Blacksburg metro employs about 150 electrical and electronic engineering technologists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state engineering licensing board.
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Engineering technology is the degree where accreditation commission matters most. ABET accredits these programs under its Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) rather than the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) that covers BS engineering degrees. That distinction carries into Professional Engineer licensure: state boards differ on whether an ETAC degree qualifies a candidate to sit for the PE exam, whether it requires additional qualifying experience, and how it is treated under comity with other states. The national constants are the ABET accreditation itself and the NCEES exam sequence.
See the Virginia licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 6 schools
within 210 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
6 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians Earn in Blacksburg
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians in the Blacksburg area earn a median $61,460 per year, below the national median of $78,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Engineering Technology Pay in Blacksburg, VA
Metric
Blacksburg metro
Virginia
National
Median annual wage
$61,460
$79,540
$78,190
10th percentile
$48,000
$56,920
$49,510
25th percentile
$51,670
$64,210
$61,610
75th percentile
$71,860
$102,920
$97,650
90th percentile
$81,100
$123,610
$115,700
Employment
150
4,670
95,130
Location quotient
3.3
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Blacksburg median of $61,460 is below the national median of $78,190, and below the Virginia statewide median of $79,540 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 3.3 means electrical and electronic engineering technologists are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Engineering technology roles follow the region’s manufacturing plants, utilities, automation integrators and instrumentation employers rather than the national picture.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do electrical and electronic engineering technologists make in Blacksburg?
The median annual wage for electrical and electronic engineering technologists in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area is $61,460, below the national median of $78,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many electrical and electronic engineering technologists work in the Blacksburg area?
The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area employs about 150 electrical and electronic engineering technologists (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do electrical and electronic engineering technologists in Blacksburg need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Engineering technology is the degree where accreditation commission matters most. ABET accredits these programs under its Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) rather than the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) that covers BS engineering degrees. That distinction carries into Professional Engineer licensure: state boards differ on whether an ETAC degree qualifies a candidate to sit for the PE exam, whether it requires additional qualifying experience, and how it is treated under comity with other states. The national constants are the ABET accreditation itself and the NCEES exam sequence. Confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Can I study engineering technology online from Blacksburg?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
Is Blacksburg a better market than the rest of Virginia?
The Blacksburg metro median is $61,460 against a statewide median of $79,540 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3023), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
