Career Overview
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
Also Known As
- Design Engineer
- Electrical Design Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Project Engineer
Alternate Job Titles
- Automation Engineer
- Cable Engineer
- Circuits Engineer
- Controls Engineer
- Design Engineer
- Design Verification Engineer
- Distribution Engineer
- Distribution Field Engineer
- District Plant Engineer
- Division Engineer
- Division Plant Engineer
- Electrical Controls Engineer
- Electrical Design Engineer
- Electrical Designer
- Electrical Engineer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
- Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- Design
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Physics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Category Flexibility
- Near Vision
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Innovation
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Independence
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Apache Subversion SVN
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Autodesk Revit
- Bash
- Bentley MicroStation
- C
- C#
- C++
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
Tools & Equipment
- Accelerometers
- Annealing furnaces
- Atomic force microscopes
- Auger electron spectrometers
- Computer servers
- Cylindrical corona testers
- Diffractometers
- Diffusion furnaces
- Digital oscilloscopes
- Digital video cameras
- Digital voltmeters DVM
- Doping tubes
- Electrical flow meters
- Electrochemical CV dopant profilers
- Electrochemical etching devices
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $74,670 |
| Median | $111,910 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $175,460 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 188,790
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $127,590
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $77,180
Mechanical Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $102,320
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $71,300
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $68,730
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.