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Electrical engineer internship vs senior electrical engineer

The differences between electrical engineer interns and senior electrical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an electrical engineer internship and a senior electrical engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, which is higher than the $63,398 average annual salary of an electrical engineer internship.

The top three skills for an electrical engineer internship include C++, analog and revit. The most important skills for a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.

Electrical engineer internship vs senior electrical engineer overview

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Electrical Engineer
Yearly salary$63,398$109,315
Hourly rate$30.48$52.56
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs80,74482,639
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does an electrical engineer internship do?

The electrical engineer internship offers tasks to undergraduate engineering students related to electrical systems analysis and branch circuiting, site investigations, lighting calculations, and design drawings by complementing theoretical knowledge with practical duties on the job to gain experience and increase marketability. Through the internship, the undergraduate engineering students may develop professional aptitude, strengthen their character, and may increase their confidence in their work as it prepares them for what to expect in their field.

What does a senior electrical engineer do?

A senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.

Electrical engineer internship vs senior electrical engineer salary

Electrical engineer interns and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Electrical Engineer
Average salary$63,398$109,315
Salary rangeBetween $44,000 And $90,000Between $82,000 And $144,000
Highest paying CityBellevue, WASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyKLAApple
Best paying industryHospitalityTechnology

Differences between electrical engineer internship and senior electrical engineer education

There are a few differences between an electrical engineer internship and a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Electrical Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical engineer internship vs senior electrical engineer demographics

Here are the differences between electrical engineer interns' and senior electrical engineers' demographics:

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Electrical Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 86.9% Female, 13.1%Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 19.7% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical engineer internship and senior electrical engineer duties and responsibilities

Electrical engineer internship example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Design hardware and firmware for HVAC user interface project.
  • Board interface Wiznet TCP/IP chip and Ethernet switch controllers.
  • Debug and repair malfunction circuits boards used to control custom scientific apparatus.
  • Prepare engineering specifications, schematics, and bill of materials (BOM).
  • Provide a study of the cost saving of using solar power versus ac power.
  • Show more

Senior electrical engineer example responsibilities.

  • Develop LabVIEW code to automate test procedures and to communicate with units for verification of functionality and accuracy.
  • Design of water/waste water facilities, including microprocessor controls, MCC, SCADA.
  • Develop the motor control algorithms and analog processing for sensing position using motor current feedback.
  • Train crews how to retrofit 2x4 fixtures.
  • Perform dc battery calculations and 2D design of system.
  • Have installed some electrical panel board according to NFPA standards.
  • Show more

Electrical engineer internship vs senior electrical engineer skills

Common electrical engineer internship skills
  • C++, 6%
  • Analog, 5%
  • Revit, 5%
  • CAD, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • RF, 4%
Common senior electrical engineer skills
  • Control Systems, 5%
  • Electrical Equipment, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
  • Analog, 4%
  • RF, 4%
  • Electrical Design, 4%

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