What is an Electrical Engineer?
Electrical engineering is not about to go out of fashion any time soon. Electrical engineers create electrical devices to satisfy our ever-growing needs to stay comfortable and live effortlessly. They design, develop, test, and produce anything from IT to telecommunication devices, generators, engines, vehicles, and navigation systems so we can keep our universe under our control.
Electrical engineering is not something you can just dip your feet in and see how it goes. It is either all in or all out. If you opt for all in, you will spend years learning your craft and end up being an inventor of devices that might potentially make our world a better place.
Electrical engineering is becoming more and more intertwined with computer engineering as IT technologies develop and find their way into controlling mechanical engineering products. The more comprehensive the field becomes, though, the more power and resources go to the ones mastering it. That is why entry-level salaries of electrical engineers average around US$109,000 a year.
What Does an Electrical Engineer Do
Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, or power generation equipment. Electrical engineers also design the electrical systems of automobiles and aircraft.
How To Become an Electrical Engineer
Electrical and electronics engineers must have a bachelor’s degree. Employers also value practical experience, so participation in cooperative engineering programs, in which students earn academic credit for structured work experience. Having a Professional Engineer (PE) license may improve an engineer’s chances of finding employment.
Electrical Engineer Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of engineer you might progress to a role such as project engineer eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title project engineering manager.
Average Salary for an Electrical Engineer
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Electrical Engineer Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active electrical engineer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where electrical engineers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Electrical Engineer Jobs By State
Top Colleges for Electrical Engineers
1. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
2. Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, MA • Private
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
Top Skills For an Electrical Engineer
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 6.0% of electrical engineers listed autocad on their resume, but soft skills such as concentration and initiative are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Electrical Engineer Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Electrical Engineer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Electrical Engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Electrical Engineer Demographics
Electrical Engineer Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among electrical engineers, 10.0% of them are women, while 90.0% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among electrical engineers is White, which makes up 67.1% of all electrical engineers.
- The most common foreign language among electrical engineers is Spanish at 31.5%.
Work Experience Programs For Electrical Engineers
Virtual work experience programs replicate work at top companies and help you gain the skills to be successful when applying and working there. In only a few hours, learn the relevant tools necessary to complete a typical work day at that company. Virtual work experience programs are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced. No experience or application is required!
Company: Engineers Without Borders UK
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: John Holland Australia
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: Standard Bank
Cost: Free
Duration: 4-4.5 hours
Company: Blackbird Australia
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-10 hours
Company: General Electric
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: Walmart India
Cost: Free
Duration: 3.5-4 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 4 hours
Online Courses For Electrical Engineer That You May Like
Start your career in electrical & electronics engineering by learning everything about electric circuits and electronics...
Learn about different electrical machines such as DC, synchronous, and induction machines without any previous knowledge...
This electrical engineering bundle consists of electrical substation, high voltage, and electricity generation courses...
Best States For an Electrical Engineer
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an electrical engineer. The best states for people in this position are Washington, Alaska, California, and New Mexico. Electrical engineers make the most in Washington with an average salary of $111,676. Whereas in Alaska and California, they would average $102,897 and $98,790, respectively. While electrical engineers would only make an average of $94,728 in New Mexico, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Washington
$111,676
Avg. Salary
2. California
$98,790
Avg. Salary
3. Wyoming
$88,388
Avg. Salary
How Do Electrical Engineer Rate Their Jobs?
4.0
4.0
Install And Maintain All Electrical Power Systems Connection. • April 2020What do you like the most about working as Electrical Engineer?
To Install And Maintain Mostly In Building And Industrial Installation. Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
Repair, And Any Over Head Installation Show MoreTop Electrical Engineer Employers
Most Common Employers For Electrical Engineer
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $134,982 | $64.90 | 272 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $118,830 | $57.13 | 314 |
| 3 | Applied Materials | $114,640 | $55.12 | 100 |
| 4 | General Electric | $89,262 | $42.91 | 193 |
| 5 | Skyworks Solutions | $87,986 | $42.30 | 196 |
| 6 | Siemens | $86,929 | $41.79 | 99 |
| 7 | Kimberly-Clark | $86,833 | $41.75 | 101 |
| 8 | Populus Group | $83,729 | $40.25 | 110 |
| 9 | Boeing | $83,244 | $40.02 | 102 |
| 10 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $83,185 | $39.99 | 105 |
Electrical Engineer Videos
Becoming an Electrical Engineer FAQs
Mechanical Engineer Vs. Electrical Engineer
A mechanical engineer is someone who deals with the moving parts of a machine or system, while an electrical engineer is someone that is essential in the creation of equipment or machines that use or produce electricity.
Do Electrical Engineers Get Paid Well?
Yes, electrical engineers get paid well. The US average annual salary for electrical engineers is $92,000. Starting salary can be between $60,000-$85,000. California, Texas, and New York employ the most electrical engineers, and median salaries are closer to $110,000.
How Long Does It Take To Become An Electrical Engineer?
It takes at least four years to become an electrical engineer. This title typically requires a bachelor's degree from a college or university that is accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). You can study electrical engineering, electronics, or a related field.
Is Electrical Engineer A Good Career?
Yes, electrical engineer is a good career, but the overall job growth is slower in the US than in other fields due to a decrease in domestic manufacturing. Electrical engineers work in several industries. The most active sectors are government, telecommunications, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Is Electrical Engineer Hard?
Yes, electrical engineering is hard because of the combination of math, physics, and abstract thinking involved. To acquire a job, you should have at least a bachelor's degree in engineering. You will need to pass a series of exams to achieve the level of a professional electrical engineer.
Is It Hard To Become An Electrical Engineer?
Yes, it is hard to become an electrical engineer because it's a competitive and demanding field. In high school, you must show an aptitude in math and physics. Bachelor programs at the top schools are very competitive, and the coursework for an engineering degree is challenging.
What Exactly Does An Electrical Engineer Do?
What electrical engineers do varies greatly. Some electrical engineers may choose to work in aerospace or electric cars, while others may be more interested in renewable power or wireless communication systems.
Electrician Vs. Electrical Engineer
An electrician is a professional that handles electrical issues, while an electrical engineer is someone who helps design and install electrical systems.
Electricians handle malfunctioning and broken electrical equipment. They also can install electrical equipment. They may perform work in a person's residence, in a corporate office, a school, or in industrial facilities. Their primary focus is safety and functionality concerning electrical equipment.