How To Become An Electrical Systems Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is an electrical systems designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Fred Garber Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an electrical systems designer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $39.96 an hour? That's $83,110 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 9,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an electrical systems designer?

Fred Garber Ph.D.

Professor, Electrical Engineering, Wright State University

I think the primary question, in the minds of those who are yet to graduate or are still searching, is in regard to the strength of the technical job market, especially the local job market. But you are in a position to definitively answer that question.

In you article, I would ask that you address the following:
Number of employers looking to fill and number of job offerings in the region (by engineering and computer science major) compared to last year and to the previous five years.

Any noticeable differences in job descriptions Zippia is receiving relative to work environment, benefits, starting salaries, etc.

Many of our soon-to-graduate students would be very interested in these quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Additionally, vast numbers of potential students would benefit from such information to guide their career choices.

ScoreElectrical Systems DesignerUS Average

Salary

6.5

Avg. Salary $83,110

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 14.35%

Black or African American 4.89%

Hispanic or Latino 11.40%

Unknown 4.72%

White 64.46%

Gender

female 5.63%

male 94.37%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an electrical systems designer

Explore electrical systems designer education requirements

Most common electrical systems designer degrees

Bachelor's

51.6 %

Associate

32.6 %

High School Diploma

5.3 %

Start to develop specific electrical systems designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Autocad	19.90%
PLC	10.71%
Electrical Systems	10.39%
Electrical Design	10.00%
Allen-Bradley	6.75%

Complete relevant electrical systems designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New electrical systems designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an electrical systems designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real electrical systems designer resumes.

Research electrical systems designer duties and responsibilities

Lead RF characterization efforts of implantable medical device in order to determine safety limit.
Utilize AutoCAD skills to layout and draw specific diagrams/drawings.
Conduct site inspection of systems and materials to verify their quality and adherence to NEC, NFPA.
Design in Solidworks and fabricate components.

Get electrical systems designer experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become an electrical systems designer. The most common roles before becoming an electrical systems designer include electrical designer, electrical & instrumentation designer team lead and systems designer.

Prepare your electrical systems designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your electrical systems designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an electrical systems designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable electrical systems designer resume templates

Build a professional electrical systems designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your electrical systems designer resume.