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What is an electrical systems engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Angela Rasmussen

Electrical systems engineers are engineers employed in companies invested in power generating machines to research, develop, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment. Your duties include coordinating with senior electrical engineers and achieving hands-on experience on power generation and power transformers, operating design software to perform engineering tasks, assisting in electrical design, compiling data, and writing reports regarding potential electrical engineering projects. You are also in charge of installing and troubleshooting systems wiring according to the technical drawing package, overseeing project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget, and supervising project team members.

You need a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering to be an electrical system engineer. You should also be licensed as a professional engineer, and you should have strong analytic skills and quick decision-making skills. Your annual salary is an average of $96,639.

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

Dr. Angela RasmussenDr. Angela Rasmussen LinkedIn profile

Professor (Lecturer) Director of Mentoring and Advising Director of Electrical Engineering Senior Projects, University of Utah

Take heart that while Electrical Engineering jobs have been impacted by COVID19, it's impact is minimal in comparison to most other areas. While many areas have been hit hard by layoffs, Electrical Engineering has only slightly been affected in comparison. Many companies have declared hiring freezes and many others are still hiring. Therefore, don't get discouraged. There are Electrical Engineerings jobs needing to be filled! Make sure to be professional in all your interactions and work on improving your online presence.
ScoreElectrical Systems EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.8

Avg. Salary $86,969

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 14.52%

Black or African American 4.74%

Hispanic or Latino 10.92%

Unknown 4.69%

White 64.95%

Gender

female 8.01%

male 91.99%

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

Electrical systems engineer career paths

Key steps to become an electrical systems engineer

  1. Explore electrical systems engineer education requirements

    Most common electrical systems engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.3 %

    Master's

    14.9 %

    Associate

    10.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific electrical systems engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Electrical Engineering15.41%
    Electrical Systems9.65%
    System Design4.79%
    C++3.95%
    Autocad3.05%
  3. Complete relevant electrical systems engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New electrical systems engineers 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 engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real electrical systems engineer resumes.
  4. Research electrical systems engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead RF characterization efforts of implantable medical device in order to determine safety limit.
    • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
    • Generate FEA analyses for major system components and heavy-use parts.
    • Radio testing are done to assure both performance measurements, EMI & EMC meet spec.
  5. Prepare your electrical systems engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your electrical systems engineer 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 engineer 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 engineer resume templates

    Build a professional electrical systems engineer 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 engineer resume.
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
    Electrical Systems Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for electrical systems engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an electrical systems engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first electrical systems engineer job

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Average electrical systems engineer salary

The average electrical systems engineer salary in the United States is $86,969 per year or $42 per hour. Electrical systems engineer salaries range between $66,000 and $113,000 per year.

Average electrical systems engineer salary
$86,969 Yearly
$41.81 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do electrical systems engineers rate their job?

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Electrical systems engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

continuous learning

Cons

low scale pay which is not so good for the years of experience


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Working in electrical department is like a lifetime goal. And coming to the internship I can get to work with new people on my favourite site then put on some skills.

Cons

I like everything about it.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

To Install And Maintain Mostly In Building And Industrial Installation.

Cons

Repair, And Any Over Head Installation


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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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