What does an electrical project engineer do?
Electrical Project Engineers have licensed engineers involved in a project which specifically works on electrical or electricity-related concerns. They design the electrical systems that are needed for the success of the project. They draw up these systems using software and identify the materials needed to create these. They would then develop these systems by creating them using the materials and test if their design is working. Once they validate the design works and address the project's needs, electrical project engineers would work on controlling, maintaining, and repairing these systems as needed.
Electrical project engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real electrical project engineer resumes:
- Lead and contribute to the creation of documentation to satisfy FDA and ISO requirements.
- Manage load/unload operations for rail base raw material (HDPE and PPE feedstock) delivery.
- Develop LabVIEW code to automate test procedures and to communicate with units for verification of functionality and accuracy.
- Complete accurate and thorough documentation of qualification testing, field testing, technical specifications and NEC and IEEE standards compliance.
- Design several leer certified projects.
- Work on a plant start-up with client.
- Project set world record for paper machine start-up.
- Design HMI and SCADA systems using Wonderware InTouch.
- Maintain plant substations including arrangement of routine transformer, switchgear testing etc.
- Create, review and design electrical drawings, BOM, instrumentation and equipment specification.
- Utilize NEC, IEEE, and site engineering standards to meet federal, state, and corporate insurance regulations.
- Design electrical systems for residential and commercial properties using AutoCAD.
- Review electrical schematics and PLC programs for accuracy and completeness.
- Create FPGA architecture and digital circuit schematic from requirement specification document.
- Evaluate design specifications, design AutoCAD electrical control schematics, purchase and track components.
Electrical project engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Electrical Project Engineers are proficient in Project Management, Autocad, and PLC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Concentration, Initiative, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Electrical Project Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 9%
Provided technical engineering support and project management for design and development of clean room manufacturing equipment.
- Autocad, 8%
Evaluated design specifications, designed AutoCAD electrical control schematics, purchased and tracked components.
- PLC, 6%
Created electrical schematics and machine electrical components B/M - Performed troubleshooting on PLC based automated machinery.
- CAD, 4%
Supervised purchasing agent and mechanical technician and produced CAD drawings for product.
- Engineering Design, 4%
Analyzed new project specifications and optimized engineering design to submit cost effective bid-proposals.
- Electrical Design, 4%
Served as the Electrical Engineering representative on the Design/Build Project reviewing electrical designs for compliance with the design specifications.
"project management," "autocad," and "plc" are among the most common skills that electrical project engineers use at work. You can find even more electrical project engineer responsibilities below, including:
Concentration. One of the key soft skills for an electrical project engineer to have is concentration. You can see how this relates to what electrical project engineers do because "electrical and electronics engineers design and develop complex electrical systems and electronic components and products." Additionally, an electrical project engineer resume shows how electrical project engineers use concentration: "designed system monitor systems using abb plc's and including data concentration and climatecontrols. "
Initiative. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling electrical project engineer duties is initiative. The role rewards competence in this skill because "electrical and electronics engineers must apply their knowledge to new tasks in every project they undertake." According to an electrical project engineer resume, here's how electrical project engineers can utilize initiative in their job responsibilities: "presented preliminary and critical design reviews to executives and nasa providing procedural review for the creation of performance improvement initiatives. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of electrical project engineers is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday electrical project engineer duties, as "electrical and electronics engineers must use the principles of calculus and other advanced math in order to analyze, design, and troubleshoot equipment." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "used orcad capture and linear technology switcher cad simulation software, and mathcad to plan design of project. "
Speaking skills. electrical project engineer responsibilities often require "speaking skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "electrical and electronics engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians." This resume example shows what electrical project engineers do with speaking skills on a typical day: "reviewed submittals, and shop drawings, addressed discrepancies and resolved equipment issues. "
Writing skills. A commonly-found skill in electrical project engineer job descriptions, "writing skills" is essential to what electrical project engineers do. Electrical project engineer responsibilities rely on this skill because "electrical and electronics engineers develop technical publications related to equipment they develop, including maintenance manuals, operation manuals, parts lists, product proposals, and design methods documents." You can also see how electrical project engineer duties rely on writing skills in this resume example: "involved in writing codes for vhdl and verilog programming. "
The three companies that hire the most electrical project engineers are:
- Lee38 electrical project engineers jobs
- Sargent & Lundy28 electrical project engineers jobs
- Affiliated Engineers28 electrical project engineers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable electrical project engineer resume templates
Build a professional electrical project engineer resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your electrical project engineer resume.
Compare different electrical project engineers
Electrical project engineer vs. Senior field engineer
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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between electrical project engineers and senior field engineer. For instance, electrical project engineer responsibilities require skills such as "cad," "engineering design," "electrical design," and "ul." Whereas a senior field engineer is skilled in "rf," "excellent interpersonal," "technical problems," and "test equipment." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Senior field engineers really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $107,400. Comparatively, electrical project engineers tend to make the most money in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $86,779.senior field engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than electrical project engineers. In fact, senior field engineers are 3.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Electrical project engineer vs. Radio frequency engineer
A radio frequency engineer, also known as RF engineer, specializes in designing and developing communication systems using radio waves. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around creating networks and systems and testing equipment. They make sure that equipment is up to high standards by traveling to different areas as needed, troubleshooting issues to identify the root of problems and performing corrective measures required. Furthermore, a radio frequency engineer must continuously optimize equipment quality and ensure efficiency while adhering to the laws and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that electrical project engineer responsibilities requires skills like "project management," "autocad," "plc," and "cad." But a radio frequency engineer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "test equipment," "antenna," "system performance," and "troubleshoot."
Radio frequency engineers earn a higher average salary than electrical project engineers. But radio frequency engineers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $94,522. Additionally, electrical project engineers earn the highest salaries in the hospitality with average pay of $86,779 annually.In general, radio frequency engineers achieve higher levels of education than electrical project engineers. They're 8.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical project engineer vs. System design engineer
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, electrical project engineers are more likely to have skills like "autocad," "engineering design," "electrical design," and "ul." But a system design engineer is more likely to have skills like "architecture," "matlab," "c++," and "control systems."
System design engineers earn the highest salary when working in the automotive industry, where they receive an average salary of $116,222. Comparatively, electrical project engineers have the highest earning potential in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $86,779.system design engineers typically earn similar educational levels compared to electrical project engineers. Specifically, they're 4.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical project engineer vs. Engineer
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Types of electrical project engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
