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What is a senior electrical design engineer and how to become one

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

A senior electrical design engineer designs and develops electrical systems and products. They oversee the process from conceptualization to implementation while meeting safety and quality standards. They work with other engineers and technicians to create technical schematics and blueprints. They also test prototypes and troubleshoot design issues. A senior electrical design engineer has a strong understanding of electrical systems and experience with computer-aided design. They need to be detail-oriented and use strong communication skills.

What general advice would you give to a senior electrical design 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.
ScoreSenior Electrical Design EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $112,599

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.7

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 14.34%

Black or African American 4.90%

Hispanic or Latino 11.43%

Unknown 4.72%

White 64.42%

Gender

female 6.61%

male 93.39%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a senior electrical design engineer?

Pros

  • High earning potential

  • Opportunities for career advancement

  • Collaboration with a diverse team

  • Possibility of working on projects with a significant impact on society

  • Variety of projects and industries to work in

Cons

  • Long working hours and tight deadlines

  • High stress levels during project delivery

  • Risk of burnout due to workload and deadlines

  • Excessive paperwork and administrative tasks

  • Challenging working environments, such as construction sites or remote locations

Senior electrical design engineer career paths

Key steps to become a senior electrical design engineer

  1. Explore senior electrical design engineer education requirements

    Most common senior electrical design engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.8 %

    Master's

    12.8 %

    Associate

    11.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior electrical design engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Electrical Design8.19%
    RF5.86%
    PCB5.29%
    FPGA5.26%
    Circuit Design4.18%
  3. Complete relevant senior electrical design engineer training and internships

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

    • Manage the PCB layout, PCB fabrication, procurement, assembly, and verification of all boards and flex.
    • Develop tools using Perl script to automate integration/verification process.
    • Assist with firmware development base in VHDL and preform complete FPGA verification and checkout at the unit level.
    • Code the VHDL design, direct the PCB design and assembly, and perform integration and testing.
  5. Get senior electrical design engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior electrical design engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior electrical design engineer include electrical design engineer, electrical engineer team lead and senior electrical engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior electrical design engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior electrical design 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 a senior electrical design 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 senior electrical design engineer resume templates

    Build a professional senior electrical design 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 senior electrical design engineer resume.
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
    Senior Electrical Design Engineer Resume
  7. Apply for senior electrical design engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior electrical design 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 senior electrical design engineer job

Zippi

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Average senior electrical design engineer salary

The average senior electrical design engineer salary in the United States is $112,599 per year or $54 per hour. Senior electrical design engineer salaries range between $87,000 and $145,000 per year.

Average senior electrical design engineer salary
$112,599 Yearly
$54.13 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do senior electrical design engineers rate their job?

4/5

Based on 1 ratings

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Senior electrical design engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

continuous learning


profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021
Pros

Finding NEW devices to open up the range of features for nrw development! New technologies, new materials, allowing new concepts!

Cons

Right now, being stuck handling fine details of determining equivalents for parts which are currently unavailable (or 1year+ lead times for delivery). I can DO it, but regret the loss of higher-priority time/tasks...


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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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