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What is a substations electrical engineer and how to become one

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

A substations electrical engineer is responsible for the design, maintenance, and operation of electrical substations. They ensure that the substation equipment functions safely and efficiently by performing regular inspections and tests. Additionally, they oversee the installation of new equipment and advise on upgrades to existing infrastructure to improve reliability and performance. They must have a strong understanding of electrical engineering principles, as well as knowledge of relevant codes and regulations.

What general advice would you give to a substations 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.
ScoreSubstations Electrical EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.9

Avg. Salary $88,149

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 16.55%

Black or African American 4.79%

Hispanic or Latino 11.09%

Unknown 4.70%

White 62.69%

Gender

female 11.11%

male 88.89%

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 substations electrical engineer?

Pros

  • Challenging and intellectually stimulating work

  • Variety of tasks and projects

  • Strong emphasis on safety and training

  • Potential for travel and field work

  • Opportunity to work with emerging technologies

Cons

  • High stress and pressure to meet deadlines

  • Exposure to dangerous high voltage equipment and harsh weather conditions

  • Frequent on-call duty, including weekends and holidays

  • High level of responsibility and accountability for system performance and reliability

  • Limited interaction with the public or customers

Substations electrical engineer career paths

Key steps to become a substations electrical engineer

  1. Explore substations electrical engineer education requirements

    Most common substations electrical engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.8 %

    Master's

    11.9 %

    Associate

    8.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific substations electrical engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    IEEE13.08%
    Ac9.40%
    Dc9.40%
    Substation Design9.17%
    Equipment Specifications8.75%
  3. Complete relevant substations electrical engineer training and internships

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

    • Perform review and quality assurance of protection and control design drawings assuring both client and NEC requirements are meet.
    • Perform battery calculation and develop detail DC system design.
    • Lead HV transformer replacement and circuit breaker as well.
    • Develop substation/switchyard (GIS and AIS : 13kV up to 550kV) general arrangement, layout and elevation drawings.
  5. Prepare your substations electrical engineer resume

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

    Build a professional substations 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 substations electrical engineer resume.
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
    Substations Electrical Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for substations electrical engineer jobs

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

Zippi

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Average substations electrical engineer salary

The average substations electrical engineer salary in the United States is $88,149 per year or $42 per hour. Substations electrical engineer salaries range between $68,000 and $112,000 per year.

Average substations electrical engineer salary
$88,149 Yearly
$42.38 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do substations electrical engineers rate their job?

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Substations electrical engineer reviews

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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.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

To Install And Maintain Mostly In Building And Industrial 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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