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What does an electrical research engineer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.

The electrical research engineers are responsible for conducting research, designing and developing new and innovative electrical products or systems, and evaluate them to improve existing technical processes. They have strong analytical and critical thinking skills and professional competency to perform intensive research and collaborate on standards for procedures, and design testing methods to identify problems and solutions. Being an electrical research engineer is essential to a company since the job involves innovation and development processes.

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Electrical research engineer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real electrical research engineer resumes:

  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Implement automation designs in LabVIEW for advance lamp measurements.
  • Cpld-Base multiplexer master and slave PCB design with custom fiber serial link.
  • Communicate between microcontroller (89C51) PCB circuits and computers through RS232/RS485 interfaces.
  • Collect data and analyze data in MATlab and create PSpice models to analyze collect data.
  • Contribute to papers and designs for novel passive RF MRI coil designs for ISMRM conferences.
  • Develop implementation programming with Verilog and LabVIEW.
  • Implement modifications to the existing neural decoding algorithms in Matlab.
  • Direct electrical engineering students engage in RF telecommunication ICs designs and fabrication.
  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Modify PC boards per engineering documentation.
  • Develop various PIC I2C controller modules for remote distribute processing applications.

Electrical research engineer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 13% of Electrical Research Engineers are proficient in C++, Electrical Systems, and MATLAB. They’re also known for soft skills such as Concentration, Initiative, and Math skills.

We break down the percentage of Electrical Research Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • C++, 13%

    Created interrupt driven C++ test software and serial/parallel communication software to control instrumentation.

  • Electrical Systems, 11%

    Awarded 5 patents that provided a niche for the company in the area of load management for aircraft electrical systems.

  • MATLAB, 11%

    Implemented modifications to the existing neural decoding algorithms in Matlab.

  • Power Electronics, 8%

    Redesigned power electronics and control hardware to incorporate a more modular design for greater flexibility and easier implementation

  • ISO, 5%

    Performed internal audits on a quarterly basis per ISO 13485.

  • Autocad, 5%

    Reviewed AutoCAD diagrams and MIL-STD qualification test reports regarding electromagnetic interference.

"c++," "electrical systems," and "matlab" are among the most common skills that electrical research engineers use at work. You can find even more electrical research engineer responsibilities below, including:

Concentration. One of the key soft skills for an electrical research engineer to have is concentration. You can see how this relates to what electrical research engineers do because "electrical and electronics engineers design and develop complex electrical systems and electronic components and products." Additionally, an electrical research engineer resume shows how electrical research 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 research 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 research engineer resume, here's how electrical research engineers can utilize initiative in their job responsibilities: "showed initiative and desire to learn by stepping up to build circuit boards for testing. "

Math skills. electrical research engineers are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to electrical research engineer responsibilities, because "electrical and electronics engineers must use the principles of calculus and other advanced math in order to analyze, design, and troubleshoot equipment." An electrical research engineer resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "developed mathematical models with matlab and labview to evaluate new design vs existing product(s). "

Speaking skills. A big part of what electrical research engineers do relies on "speaking skills." You can see how essential it is to electrical research engineer responsibilities because "electrical and electronics engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical electrical research engineer tasks: "created lab demonstration and presented to customers voip integration into legacy analog phone switch for the vc-25a aircraft upgrade. "

Writing skills. Another common skill required for electrical research engineer responsibilities is "writing skills." This skill comes up in the duties of electrical research engineers all the time, as "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." An excerpt from a real electrical research engineer resume shows how this skill is central to what an electrical research engineer does: "experience in automated test procedures, system integration, and writing technical manuals. "

Most common electrical research engineer skills

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Compare different electrical research engineers

Electrical research 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.

The annual salary of senior field engineers is $11,337 higher than the average salary of electrical research engineers.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between electrical research engineers and senior field engineers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like power electronics, autocad, and ac dc.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between electrical research engineers and senior field engineer. For instance, electrical research engineer responsibilities require skills such as "c++," "electrical systems," "matlab," and "iso." Whereas a senior field engineer is skilled in "technical support," "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 research engineers tend to make the most money in the utilities industry with an average salary of $86,744.On average, senior field engineers reach lower levels of education than electrical research engineers. Senior field engineers are 10.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 3.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Electrical research engineer vs. Instrumentation & control engineer

An instrumentation and control engineer is responsible for installing and designing technical components for engineering systems that would support production and manufacturing processes. Instrumentation and control engineers inspect control systems, modify features and infrastructure, configure controllers, and run multiple quality checks to ensure stability and optimal performance. They must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in developing system codes and analyzing programming languages to serve control functions and development. An instrumentation and control engineer also resolves system issues and write resolution reports for reference.

A career as a instrumentation & control engineer brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an electrical research engineer. In fact, instrumentation & control engineers salary is $6,697 higher than the salary of electrical research engineers per year.A few skills overlap for electrical research engineers and instrumentation & control engineers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "electrical systems," "autocad," and "ac dc. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that electrical research engineer responsibilities requires skills like "c++," "matlab," "power electronics," and "iso." But an instrumentation & control engineer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "p id," "process control," "engineering design," and "dcs."

Instrumentation & control engineers earn a higher average salary than electrical research engineers. But instrumentation & control engineers earn the highest pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $98,177. Additionally, electrical research engineers earn the highest salaries in the utilities with average pay of $86,744 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Instrumentation & control engineers tend to reach lower levels of education than electrical research engineers. In fact, they're 7.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for electrical research engineers in the next 3-5 years?

Edoardo Sarda Ph.D.Edoardo Sarda Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, Robotics Engineering, Lake Superior State University

It's evident that social distancing regulations have already affected our way of life, including our work routine, and will continue to do so for the near future. This is only going to accelerate the growth of robotics and automation that we had already been experiencing in recent years. A human working closely with a robot is still tolerated, while multiple humans being close to each other is becoming less acceptable. Besides, robots are not affected by any sort of virus, including COVID19 (the exception being computer viruses, of course). This tells me that the trend towards human-robot collaboration will become more dominant as the regulations for social distancing become stricter in the industry. Mobile robots represent another technology that may gain popularity, due to the pandemic. Applications that require non-stationary, autonomous systems, such as disinfecting facilities, greeting people, serving customers, and others, will benefit from using mobile robots.

Electrical research engineer vs. Outside plant engineer

The job of an outside plant engineer revolves around design, constructing, and maintaining plant infrastructure, engineering, and conducting route analysis of aerial and underground fiber-optic installations. Typical day-to-day duties include assisting clients in resolving issues when they arise, developing engineering plans, schedules, and costs relevant to the projects, and providing guidance on telecommunication issues. As an outside plant engineer, you need to ensure the proper installation of the infrastructure and the availability of fiber cable storage, access, and termination equipment.

On average, outside plant engineers earn lower salaries than electrical research engineers, with a $164 difference per year.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an electrical research engineer is likely to be skilled in "c++," "electrical systems," "matlab," and "power electronics," while a typical outside plant engineer is skilled in "cad," "outside plant," "osp," and "fiber optic."

Outside plant engineers typically earn lower educational levels compared to electrical research engineers. Specifically, they're 11.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Electrical research 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.

Engineers tend to earn a higher pay than electrical research engineers by an average of $6,310 per year.While both electrical research engineers and engineers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like c++, electrical systems, and matlab, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between electrical research engineers and engineers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an electrical research engineer might have more use for skills like "autocad," "circuit boards," "electrical design," and "data collection." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of engineers require skills like "python," "cloud," "c #," and "aws. "

In general, engineers earn the most working in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $97,672. The highest-paying industry for an electrical research engineer is the utilities industry.The average resume of engineers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to electrical research engineers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 5.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 2.4%.

Types of electrical research engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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