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What is a staff electrical engineer and how to become one

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

A staff electrical engineer is responsible for designing and developing electrical systems and equipment. He/She generates the design and execution document using market design requirements and system architect specifications. He/She reviews new products and approves future electrical product designs. Also, he/she collaborates with vendors to ensure accurate implementation of the design and manages compliance testing of electro-mechanical products. Furthermore, he/she develops strategies to enhance existing systems and performs regular maintenance checks.

For this role, candidates need a minimum of a bachelor's degree in electrical/electronics engineering, instrumentation, applied physics, or a related field. You must have at least five years of proven experience in a related role. The skillset required for this position includes communication, analytical, collaboration, technical, interpersonal, leadership, and problem-solving skills. You must also be experienced in CAD software and layout tools. Staff electrical engineers earn a whooping sum of $102,215 annually. Their salary varies between $75,000 and $140,000.

What general advice would you give to a staff electrical 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.
ScoreStaff Electrical EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $112,225

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 15.09%

Black or African American 4.86%

Hispanic or Latino 11.32%

Unknown 4.71%

White 63.84%

Gender

female 5.40%

male 94.60%

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

Staff electrical engineer career paths

Key steps to become a staff electrical engineer

  1. Explore staff electrical engineer education requirements

    Most common staff electrical engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.0 %

    Master's

    18.6 %

    Associate

    6.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific staff electrical engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Electrical Engineering16.28%
    Analog5.06%
    Electrical Systems4.03%
    PCB3.80%
    C++3.76%
  3. Complete relevant staff electrical engineer training and internships

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

    • Accomplish intelligent remote terminal unit (RTU) automatic control with graphical liquid crystal display (LCD).
    • Design and build RF/DC operational burn-in test interface for MRFDL subassemblies using Autocad and Orcad.
    • List and/or certify generators to the appropriate UL, CSA NEMA, IEEE or IEC standards.
    • Perform verification of part of main FPGA code which implements PCI / message router / Ethernet interface.
  5. Prepare your staff electrical engineer resume

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

    Build a professional staff electrical 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 staff electrical engineer resume.
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
    Staff Electrical Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for staff electrical engineer jobs

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

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Average staff electrical engineer salary

The average staff electrical engineer salary in the United States is $112,225 per year or $54 per hour. Staff electrical engineer salaries range between $82,000 and $152,000 per year.

Average staff electrical engineer salary
$112,225 Yearly
$53.95 hourly

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Staff electrical engineer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

continuous learning


profile
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 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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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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