Electrical Engineer

Career Overview

Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electronic equipment such as motors, communication systems, and power generators.

Education

A four-year bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or electrical engineering technology is necessary to obtain this position. A higher degree (master's or doctorate) in a related field, which may take an additional two-five years to earn, would be more valuable and may be required by some firms. Appropriate licensing as a Professional Engineer (PE) will also be a requirement to work as an electrical engineer.

Future Outlook

Overall employment of electrical and electronics engineers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Work Environment

Electrical engineers typically work for engineering firms, research-and development, and companies that manufacture various electronics. They generally work in offices, but they may have to visit sites to inspect equipment.

Recommended High School Courses

Chemistry
Computer Science
Algebra
Calculus
Physics
Computer Methods in Mechanical Engineering
English
Trigonometry

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Operate computer systems.
Create electrical schematics.
Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
Discuss designs or plans with clients.
Design electrical equipment or systems.
Design structures or facilities.
Maintain electronic equipment.
Survey land or bodies of water to measure or determine features.
Direct construction activities.
Direct equipment maintenance or repair activities.
Direct installation activities.
Prepare operational reports.
Investigate system, equipment, or product failures.
Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
Direct industrial production activities.
Inspect operational processes.
Devise research or testing protocols.
Design energy-efficient equipment or systems.
Design energy production or management equipment or systems.
Estimate operational costs.
Prepare project budgets.
Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.
Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
Test products for functionality or quality.
Design alternative energy systems.

Schools

Alfred State College

Alfred University

Arizona State University

Arkansas Tech University

Auburn University

Baylor University

Bethel University

Bluefield State College-...

Bob Jones University

Boise State University

Boston University

Bowling Green State Unive...

Bradley University

Brescia University

Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo...

California Institute Of T...

California State Universi...

Cape Fear Community Colle...

Capitol Technology Univer...

Carnegie Mellon Universit...

Central Washington Univer...

City College Of New York

Clackamas Community Colle...

Cleveland State Universit...

College Of New Jersey

Colorado School Of Mines

Colorado State University...

Colorado Technical Univer...

Community College Of Alle...

Cooper Union

Cuyahoga Community Colleg...

Delaware Technical And Co...

Drexel University

Duke University

Eastern Illinois Universi...

Eastern Michigan Universi...

Embry-riddle Aeronautical...

Excelsior College

Fairfield University

Fairleigh Dickinson Unive...

Fairmont State University

Ferris State University

Florida Agricultural And...

Florida Atlantic Universi...

Florida Institute Of Tech...

Florida International Uni...

Florida Polytechnic Unive...

Florida State University

Gannon University- Erie C...

George Washington Univers...

Georgia Institute Of Tech...

Georgia Southern Universi...

Grantham University

Grove City College

Hope College

Illinois Institute Of Tec...

Indiana Institute Of Tech...

Jacksonville State Univer...

Kettering University

Lamar University

Lawrence Technological Un...

Louisiana Tech University

Massachusetts Institute O...

Miami Dade College- Wolfs...

Minnesota State Universit...

Montgomery College- Rockv...

Mount Vernon Nazarene Uni...

New England Institute Of...

New Mexico Institute Of M...

New York University

Northeastern University

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Olin College

Oregon Institute Of Techn...

Pennsylvania State Univer...

Princeton University

Purdue Polytechnic Instit...

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Rose-hulman Institute Of...

Saint Cloud State Univers...

San Francisco State Unive...

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Spring Arbor University

Stanford University

Stevens Institute Of Tech...

Suny At New Paltz

Suny Farmingdale State Co...

Suny Polytechnic Institut...

Trinity College- Hartford...

Union College- New York

Union University

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University Of Wisconsin-...

Vaughn College

Webb Institute

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Widener University

Wilkes University

Worcester Polytechnic Ins...

Cambrian College

Collège Boréal

College Of The North A...

Conestoga College- Cam...

Conestoga College- Ing...

Dalhousie University

Dawson College

Durham College- Oshawa...

École De Technologie S...

Fleming College- Suthe...

Georgian College- Barr...

Nova Scotia Community...

Polytechnique Montréal

Red River College- Not...

Royal Military College...

Ryerson University

Sheridan College Insti...

University Of New Brun...

University Of Quebec-...

University Of Windsor-...

Concordia University- L...

Potential Scholarships

5 Strong Scholarship

Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...

- Traditional Fulbright P...

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:

Low End:

$63,020.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$98,530.00 /yr

High End:

$155,880.00 /yr

Related Careers

Biological Engineering

Sheet Metal Workers

Power Engineer

Biomechanical Engineer

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.