Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between substation electricians and substations electrical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a substation electrician, becoming a substations electrical engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a substations electrical engineer has an average salary of $88,149, which is higher than the $67,906 average annual salary of a substation electrician.
The top three skills for a substation electrician include CDL, transformers and circuit breakers. The most important skills for a substations electrical engineer are IEEE, ac, and dc.
A Substation Electrician installs control panels and wiring systems, performs emergency repairs and regular maintenance on electrical substations delivering energy to the surrounding buildings and houses. The professionals work hand-in-hand with engineers and architects to create the substation's plan and layout. After completing the blueprints, the Substation Electricians can construct and install electrical equipment and wiring cabinets. Other duties performed may include testing, calibrating, and maintaining relays. They also operate various devices and troubleshoot transformers' issues and provide the right solutions.
Substation electrical engineers are engineering professionals who design medium and high voltage substations that are used to transmit and distribute electricity. These engineers are required to maintain substation equipment specifications that are according to the current industry standards and operating policies. They must review design drawings and perform load analysis to select the overall platform's power requirements. Substation electrical engineers must also provide cost estimates for substation projects as well as prepare layout drawings for future substation expansion.
Substation electricians and substations electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substation Electrician | Substations Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $67,906 | $88,149 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $98,000 | Between $68,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Albuquerque, NM |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Kiewit |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a substation electrician and a substations electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Substation Electrician | Substations Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between substation electricians' and substations electrical engineers' demographics:
| Substation Electrician | Substations Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.3% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 6% |