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Electrical engineer internship vs senior field engineer

The differences between electrical engineer interns and senior field 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 field engineer. Additionally, a senior field engineer has an average salary of $97,104, 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 field engineer are RF, technical support, and excellent interpersonal.

Electrical engineer internship vs senior field engineer overview

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Field Engineer
Yearly salary$63,398$97,104
Hourly rate$30.48$46.68
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs80,74486,767
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
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 field engineer do?

A senior field engineer is in charge of overseeing and providing technical support on-site, helping operations run smoothly and efficiently. Among their responsibilities include performing installations and upgrades, performing research and analysis, managing staff, producing progress reports, and conducting inspections, ensuring compliance with state laws and regulations. They must also perform regular maintenance checks on equipment, performing corrective repairs and adjustments when necessary. Furthermore, as a senior field engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior engineers while implementing the site's safety policies and regulations.

Electrical engineer internship vs senior field engineer salary

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

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Field Engineer
Average salary$63,398$97,104
Salary rangeBetween $44,000 And $90,000Between $67,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CityBellevue, WASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyKLAApple
Best paying industryHospitalityEnergy

Differences between electrical engineer internship and senior field engineer education

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

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Field Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical engineer internship vs senior field engineer demographics

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

Electrical Engineer InternshipSenior Field Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 86.9% Female, 13.1%Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9%
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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical engineer internship and senior field 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 field engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage a team of 10 engineers to install and repair commercial HVAC and refrigeration units.
  • Promote from original position as a staff engineer managing a variety of geotechnical engineering activities to a field engineer inspector position.
  • Upgrade firmware on all components in the SAN.
  • Provide UNIX host setup and provide administration for the duration of the engagement.
  • Work with vendor partners to troubleshoot hardware and software issues with core nodes.
  • Perform site acceptance testing and provide system maintenance support for FAA and DOD sites.
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Electrical engineer internship vs senior field engineer skills

Common electrical engineer internship skills
  • C++, 6%
  • Analog, 5%
  • Revit, 5%
  • CAD, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • RF, 4%
Common senior field engineer skills
  • RF, 7%
  • Technical Support, 6%
  • Excellent Interpersonal, 6%
  • Technical Problems, 5%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
  • Linux, 4%

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