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The differences between substations electrical engineers and electrical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a substations electrical engineer and an electrical engineer. Additionally, a substations electrical engineer has an average salary of $88,149, which is higher than the $81,026 average annual salary of an electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a substations electrical engineer include IEEE, ac and dc. The most important skills for an electrical engineer are autocad, electrical systems, and UL.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,149 | $81,026 |
| Hourly rate | $42.38 | $38.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,451 | 68,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Electrical engineers are responsible for designing and developing new electrical systems, solving issues, and testing equipment. They work on various technologies, including telecommunication systems, satellite communications, and electrical power stations. Electrical engineers study and apply the mathematics and physics of electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity to small and large-scale electrical systems to transmit energy and process information. They often work with all types of electronic devices, such as supercomputers and power transmission. They also work in the emerging field of microelectronics.
Substations electrical engineers and electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,149 | $81,026 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $112,000 | Between $59,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albuquerque, NM | Redmond, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Kiewit | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between a substations electrical engineer and an electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between substations electrical engineers' and electrical engineers' demographics:
| Substations Electrical Engineer | Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 16.2% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |