Electrical Engineer Career Guide

If tinkering with electrical equipment and coming up with creative solutions to problems sounds like something you would enjoy, becoming an electrical engineer could be the right career path for you.

An electrical electrical engineers are responsible for designing, developing, testing and supervising the manufacturing of electrical equipment. To become one, a bachelors degree in engineering is required as the bare minimum.

We provide detailed information on electrical engineering careers as well as a host of different professions in our career profiles below. Every career profile is prepared with unparalleled insight into the job because we talk to real people who do this work every day. Browse the profile of electrical engineers below to learn more about this exciting career.

Electrical Engineer Career Ratings

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Job Profiles

Real-Life Electrical Engineer Job Profiles

Below is a list of links to anonymous job profiles of REAL PEOPLE who have filled out our survey and offered to share their insights with our users about their job in the Electrical Engineer field.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33708	Electrical Engineer	Male	30	$70,000	Manchester, NH	01/01/2010
33482	Project Engineer	Male	36	$80,000	hauppauge, NY	01/01/2010
33040	Process Engineer	Male	42	$57,000	North Tonawanda, NY	01/01/2010

Overview

What an electrical engineer does

If tinkering with electrical equipment and coming up with creative solutions to problems sounds like something you would enjoy, becoming an electrical engineer could be the right career path for you!

Electrical engineers are responsible for designing, developing, testing and supervising the manufacturing of electrical equipment. It is a broad field with many specialities, such as working on power engineering, microelectronics engineering, control engineering, signals processing engineering, and a host of other specialized electrical engineering positions. Regardless of where they work, their typical duties and responsibilities include:

Designing and configuring new ways to use electrical power to develop or improve products
Performing detailed calculations to develop manufacturing, construction, and installation standards and specifications
Directing the manufacture, installation, and testing of electrical equipment
Ensuring that all electrical equipment meet specifications and codes
Investigating complaints from customers or the public about a product
Recommending solutions for faulty products
Working with project managers on production efforts to ensure that projects are completed satisfactorily, on time, and within budget

Why they are needed

What electrical engineers do for society is very important. They play a role in the production of nearly all the things we use day in, day out. They play the role of inventor and designer for smaller things such as phone and computer design, to larger things such as how electricity can be split to reach power outlets. A world without electrical engineers is a bit like a kitchen without a chef – unable to produce high quality products.

Pros and cons of a career as an electrical engineer

Pros:

Electrical engineers are offered competitive salaries
Electrical engineers are in high demand and there are lots of opportunity for advancement and progression
It is an exciting and fast-paced career
It is very rewarding as electrical engineers make a difference to society
There is a lot of variety because electrical engineers can work on a number of different projects

Cons:

It is often a competitive job market
There is often a lot of studying required to become a electrical engineer
Electrical engineers may be exposed to hazardous substances
Electrical engineers may often have to work long hours or an erratic schedule
The hours can be long and erratic

Employability

Job market

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of electrical engineers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations. This increase in employment is expected because more companies in the coming years will expect to tap into the expertise of engineers for projects involving electronic devices and systems. Finally, the rapid pace of technological innovation will create some demand for electrical engineers in research and development, an area in which engineering expertise will be needed to design distribution systems related to new technologies. These engineers will play key roles in new developments with solar arrays, semiconductors, and communications technologies.

Career paths

In order to land an entry-level electrical engineer job, you will need a bachelors degree in engineering (preferably electrical engineering). Whilst studying, you will learn through classes, laboratory work and field study in areas such as engineering principles, differential equations, electrical circuit theory and much more. Most colleges and universities offer cooperative programs in which students gain practical experience while completing their education.

In order to have the best employment and development opportunities, some electrical engineers will complete a 5-year program in engineering that leads to both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Regardless of what route they choose, all aspiring electrical engineers should aim to complete ABET accredited programs.

After completing the relevant degree and on-the-job training (where they will be supervised by experience engineers) to become licensed, electrical engineers can advance to supervise teams of engineers and technicians. At the later stages of their career, electrical engineers may go into sales and use their engineering background to inform the discussion of a products technical aspects with a potential buyer.

Example Job Titles for Electrical Engineer

Below is a list of common job titles in the Electrical Engineer field. Click the links below for more information about these job titles, or view the next section for actual real-life job profiles.

Benefits & Conditions

Income and benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for electrical engineers in the United States was $100,830 in 2020. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $64,870, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $159,520.

The top paying industry was the research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences, with a median annual salary of $116,050. This is followed by semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing ($107,680), navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing ($104,480), electric power generation, transmission and distribution ($102,510) and then, finally, engineering services ($94,440).

Autonomy and Flexibility

Generally speaking, electrical engineers will have high levels autonomy. They are often very senior team members in projects and therefore have control over plenty of decisions. Furthermore, as electrical engineers progress through their careers, their autonomy will increase further as they gather more experience, knowledge and responsibility.

Locations and commute

According to Zipp ia, the best states to be an electrical engineer, based on average annual salary and number of job opportunities, are:

Washington, where the average annual salary is $96,650
Massachusetts, where the average annual salary is $94,046
Wyoming, where the average annual salary is $83,410
Vermont, where the average annual salary is $90,340
New Mexico, where the average annual salary is $84,809

The worst states to be an electrical engineer, according to Zippia, are Indiana, Nebraska, West Virginia, South Dakota and Arkansas.

Work environment

The largest employer of electrical engineers in the United States was engineering services, which hired 20% of all electrical engineers in 2019. 9% of electrical engineers were employed by the electrical power generation, transmission and distribution industry. A further 7% by navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instrument manufacturing, 5% by research and development in the physical, engineering and life sciences industry and a final 4% by the semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing industry.

Electrical engineers may work in a field or in a lab setting. While the work of an electrical engineer requires mental concentration, it is not generally physically intensive. Qualified electrical engineers will have work opportunities in the public and private sectors and usually earn an above-average income.

Career Satisfaction

Common Matching Personality Types

Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in Electrical Engineer careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and Electrical Engineer career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in Electrical Engineer.

16 Types (Myers-Briggs)

Big Five (OCEAN)

None

DISC

Enneagram

Type 5

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

Personality types

There has been no scientific exploration into exactly what personality types will make a successful electrical engineer. However, like most other engineers, a successful electrical engineer is likely to be the the Myers Briggs personality type of ISTP, or otherwise known as ‘the Virtuoso’. ISTPs are likely to be suited to a career in engineering because they can use their five senses in a manner that is concrete and literal. They typically have innate mechanical abilities and love to understand how things work, which makes them perfectly suited to being an electrical engineer.

Accomplishment and mastery

Like all other engineering careers, it will take a long time to become fully qualified. It isn’t until engineers are qualified that they have autonomy and responsibility. Therefore, when an electrical engineer finally qualifies, they are likely to feel a huge sense of achievement, accomplishment and skill mastery.

Furthermore, throughout their career, electrical engineers will aways be coming up with creative solutions to a whole host of electrical problems. Each time an electrical engineer finds a solution and designs, develops, tests and supervises the manufacturing of electrical equipment, they will feel accomplished.

Meaning and contribution

What an electrical engineer does for society is very important. They play a critical role in the production of nearly all the things we use day in, day out – without them, we would have no computers, fridges, radios or lights. As a result, electrical engineers will find that their work has a huge amount of meaning and contribution!

Life fit

Most electrical engineers will work normal full time hours. They may, on occasion, have to work overtime when travelling to sites to observe and problem or piece of complex equipment.

Who will thrive in this career?

There are many qualities that an electrical engineer will need in order to thrive. For example, they should be mathematically minded in order to apply engineering principles to solve problems. They should also have good IT skills, and be analytical.

Importantly, electrical engineers need to be able to work with others. To truly thrive as an electrical engineer, you should be an effective and confident communicator and display excellent teamwork skills. On the contrary, electrical engineers also need to be able to work independently to tackle problems. As a result, adaptability is a key trait to being a thriving electrical engineer.

Who will struggle in this career?

Although everyone can thrive as an electrical engineer, there are some things that may inhibit their success, such as:

Seeking an active career, as electrical engineers spend a lot of time sat down at computers
Those who are not naturally creative and can’t think outside the box
Those who are not natural born problem solvers
Those who can’t pay attention to detail
People who want to work always as part of a team, or always independently

Requirements

Skills

Skills and talents

Electrical engineers will learn many of the skills they need to be successful during their education and training. However, they must also have skills such as:

Mathematical skills, because electrical engineers must use the principles of calculus and other advanced topics for analysis, design and troubleshooting
Initiative, as electrical engineers must apply their knowledge to new tasks in every project they undertake
Interpersonal skills, as they will need to work with others during the manufacturing process to ensure that their plans are implemented correctly
Writing skills, as electrical engineers must develop technical publications, including manuals, parts lists, product proposals and design methods documents
Concentration, as electrical engineers are responsible for designing and developing complexed electrical systems and they must be able to keep track of multiple design elements

Education

Electrical engineers will need a bachelors degree in engineering (preferably electrical engineering). Generally, most aspiring engineers will complete cooperative programs as this allows students to gain practical experience while completing their education. All electrical engineers should aim to complete ABET accredited programs.

In order to have the best employment and development opportunities, some electrical engineers will complete a 5-year program in electrical engineers that leads to both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.

Certifications

Electrical engineers can achieve a professional engineering (PE) license later on in their career. Licensing demonstrates an engineer competence and gives them more progression opportunities. Licensed engineers can oversee the work of other engineers, sign off projects and provide service directly to the public. To achieve a PE license, aspiring engineers will need:

A degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program
A passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
Relevant work experience
A passing score on the Professional Engineering (PE) exam

How to Become

Summary

An electrical engineer is responsible for designing, developing, testing and supervising the manufacturing and electrical equipment. They will tinker with different parts of electronics to come up with creative solutions to a whole host of electrical problems. It is a broad field with many specialities, such as working on power engineering, microelectronics engineering, control engineering, signals processing engineering, and a host of other specialized electrical engineering positions.

They play an important role in our world as they play a critical role in the production of all the products we use in our everyday life. From fridges to cars, electrical engineers are very important!

Immediate action

If you’re at high school and looking to become an electrical engineer, you should consider taking courses in chemistry, biology, physics, and math (including algebra, trigonometry, and calculus). To have the best chance of getting accepted onto an engineering degree programs, we advise having lots of extra-curricular activities (e.g., sports teams, art classes).

Education and learning

Electrical engineers will need a bachelors degree in engineering that is accredited by the ABET. Some aspiring petroleum engineers will enrol in 5-year programs, where they can obtain a bachelors degree and a master’s degree.

Skill development

Electrical engineers will learn many of the advanced skills and knowledge they need through their education. Once they graduate, they can take further training in order to give them more career progression opportunities, which will further advance their skills.

FAQs

Ask a Question

Have a question about Electrical Engineer careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33708	Electrical Engineer	Male	30	$70,000	Manchester, NH	01/01/2010
33482	Project Engineer	Male	36	$80,000	hauppauge, NY	01/01/2010
33040	Process Engineer	Male	42	$57,000	North Tonawanda, NY	01/01/2010

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