What is an electrical engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Dr. Angela Rasmussen
introduction image

An electrical engineer designs, develops, and tests electrical equipment and systems, including power generation and distribution systems, communication networks, and electronic devices. They work in industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, manufacturing, and healthcare. Electrical engineers use their technical knowledge to develop and improve technologies. They also troubleshoot electrical systems and ensure safety and regulatory compliance. They may work with other engineers, scientists, and technicians. An electrical engineer needs analytical skills, creativity, and attention to detail.

What general advice would you give to an Electrical Engineer?

D

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.
ScoreElectrical EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.3

Avg. Salary $81,026

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 16.16%

Black or African American 4.80%

Hispanic or Latino 11.13%

Unknown 4.70%

White 63.02%

Gender

female 10.04%

male 89.96%

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 an Electrical Engineer?

Pros

  • Good salary potential

  • Opportunity for career advancement

  • Strong job outlook

  • Potential for flexible work arrangements

  • High demand for skilled professionals

Cons

  • Potential for long hours and tight deadlines

  • Can involve risk of injury or exposure to hazardous materials

  • May require extensive travel or relocation

  • Can involve significant paperwork and documentation requirements

  • May require working on call or outside of regular business hours.

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Electrical Engineer career paths

Key steps to become an electrical engineer

  1. Explore electrical engineer education requirements

    Most common electrical engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.9 %

    Master's

    11.7 %

    Associate

    8.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific electrical engineer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Autocad6.02%
    Electrical Systems5.97%
    UL4.11%
    Electrical Design4.06%
    CAD3.83%
  3. Complete relevant electrical engineer training and internships

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

    • Achieve rugged secure extension of HMI modules with USB host and device auto switching capability.
    • Achieve low cost solution for professional tier radio with rug full color display and USB accessory interface.
    • Accomplish intelligent remote terminal unit (RTU) automatic control with graphical liquid crystal display (LCD).
    • Develop LabVIEW code to automate test procedures and to communicate with units for verification of functionality and accuracy.
  5. Prepare your electrical engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your 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 an 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 Electrical Engineer Resume templates

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

    Now it's time to start searching for an 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 Electrical Engineer Job

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Average electrical engineer salary

The average Electrical Engineer salary in the United States is $81,026 per year or $39 per hour. Electrical engineer salaries range between $59,000 and $109,000 per year.

Average Electrical Engineer Salary
$81,026 Yearly
$38.95 hourly

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How do electrical engineers rate their job?

4/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Electrical Engineer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

continuous learning

Cons

low scale pay which is not so good for the years of experience


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...


profile
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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