What does a junior electrical engineer do?
A junior electrical engineer specializes in designing and developing electrical systems, ensuring efficiency and safety. In a company setting, a junior electrical engineer typically follows the directives of managers or senior engineers, providing them with regular progress reports. They may also liaise with clients to identify their needs, produce prototypes and designs, coordinate with other technicians and engineers, and manage the workflow of projects and programs, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, a junior electrical engineer may also participate in training new members of the workforce, sharing their expertise and insights along the way.
Junior electrical engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real junior electrical engineer resumes:
- Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
- Design PLC schematics for system relaying and protection.
- Design RTL modules in Verilog HDL to develop algorithms in Matlab, and verify them by writing test benches.
- Upgrade a chemical exhaust scrubber with a newer PLC to allow data logging and process monitoring to meet EPA standards.
- Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
- Support EMC, ESD transient testing.
- Test embedded designs at the PCBA level and for EMC compliance.
- Review and interpret vendor drawings & data for avionics and engine control equipment.
- Integrate avionics installations into existing aircraft.
- Develop various PIC I2C controller modules for remote distribute processing applications.
Junior electrical engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Junior Electrical Engineers are proficient in Revit, RF, and C++. They’re also known for soft skills such as Concentration, Initiative, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Junior Electrical Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Revit, 10%
Produce high-quality AutoCAD and Revit Architecture models and drawings for schematic design, design development, and issued for construction documents.
- RF, 7%
Collaborated as a part of a team responsible for the testing of RF signal measurement, Network Optimization.
- C++, 7%
Created interrupt driven C++ test software and serial/parallel communication software to control instrumentation.
- Electrical Components, 6%
Designed a variety of new electrical components for use on the aircraft using CATIA V5.
- UL, 6%
Provided additional supports for Chinese-speaking customers to smooth out their process for obtaining UL product safety certifications.
- Control Systems, 5%
Helped design industrial control systems for EO and steam sterilizers while utilizing AutoCAD to produce schematics and assembly drawings.
Most junior electrical engineers use their skills in "revit," "rf," and "c++" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential junior electrical engineer responsibilities here:
Concentration. One of the key soft skills for a junior electrical engineer to have is concentration. You can see how this relates to what junior electrical engineers do because "electrical and electronics engineers design and develop complex electrical systems and electronic components and products." Additionally, a junior electrical engineer resume shows how junior electrical 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 junior electrical 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 a junior electrical engineer resume, here's how junior electrical 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. junior electrical engineers are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to junior electrical 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." A junior electrical engineer resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "programmed mathematical models of a gps antenna visibility diagram in matlab, based on the l3nav gps toolbox almanac. "
Speaking skills. For certain junior electrical engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "speaking skills." The day-to-day duties of a junior electrical engineer rely on this skill, as "electrical and electronics engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what junior electrical engineers do: "presented new products for ul, ce, semi s2 certifications. "
Writing skills. Another common skill required for junior electrical engineer responsibilities is "writing skills." This skill comes up in the duties of junior electrical 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 junior electrical engineer resume shows how this skill is central to what a junior electrical engineer does: "assist in writing acceptance test procedures for casup project. "
The three companies that hire the most junior electrical engineers are:
- INFICON9 junior electrical engineers jobs
- L3Harris4 junior electrical engineers jobs
- Astrodyne TDI4 junior electrical engineers jobs
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Compare different junior electrical engineers
Junior electrical 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
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, junior electrical engineer responsibilities require skills like "revit," "c #," "electrical components," and "ul." Meanwhile a typical system design engineer has skills in areas such as "system design," "architecture," "cad," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
System design engineers really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $116,222. Comparatively, junior electrical engineers tend to make the most money in the construction industry with an average salary of $71,474.The education levels that system design engineers earn slightly differ from junior electrical engineers. In particular, system design engineers are 10.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a junior electrical engineer. Additionally, they're 1.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Junior electrical 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, junior electrical engineer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "revit," "electrical components," "ul," and "nec." Meanwhile, an engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "python," "cloud," "aws," and "java." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Engineers may earn a higher salary than junior electrical engineers, but engineers earn the most pay in the automotive industry with an average salary of $97,672. On the other hand, junior electrical engineers receive higher pay in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $71,474.engineers earn higher levels of education than junior electrical engineers in general. They're 7.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for junior electrical engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Galen Duree
Head of the Department of Physics and Optical Engineering and Professor, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Junior electrical engineer vs. Electrical & instrumentation designer
An electrical instrumentation designer's main job is to design instruments that can be used in various areas such as laboratories, power plants, or research institutes. They work together with a team or individually to design instruments, create a prototype, and test its functions. They can even install these instruments in different establishments and locations. They are tasked with repair and training engineers. At other times, they are assigned to record expenses and other documentation.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a junior electrical engineer is likely to be skilled in "revit," "rf," "c++," and "c #," while a typical electrical & instrumentation designer is skilled in "instrumentation design," "p id," "electrical design," and "panel layouts."
When it comes to education, electrical & instrumentation designers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to junior electrical engineers. In fact, they're 4.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Junior electrical engineer vs. Instrumentation engineer
An instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Types of junior electrical engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
