Many career opportunities are available if you have a degree in electrical engineering. From energy to gadgets, you will touch every part of our electrical product world. Here are just a few jobs you can get with an electrical engineering degree.
Research Engineer
Research engineers are the driving force behind new technology. You innovate and redesign. You will need patience and creativity to get things right when you are in the lab testing and inventing products that make lives easier.
Design Engineer
Once a new product is thought up, design engineers are in charge of creating it. By using computer simulation, you will develop a plan to make the blueprints a reality.
Project Engineer
A project engineer exhibits leadership qualities. You are qualified in a variety of disciplines within electrical engineering. Project engineers will lead a group of engineers through the entire process of a venture, from inception to completion.
Test Engineer
Someone needs to check the products once the prototype is ready. Test engineers do just that. You get to play with the new electronics and then troubleshoot whatever goes wrong. You figure out how to take the product from good to great. Test engineers ensure quality products.
Systems Engineer
Anything that runs on electricity needs a systems engineer, from power lines to power grids and everything in between. You install and maintain the systems that keep us connected. Certified systems engineers are in a competitive market, yet you will still be in high demand.
Applications Engineer
Applications engineers build and test a variety of products. You will find out what your clients’ needs are and then figure out a way to give it to them, whether it is a complete redesign of what is already implemented or something brand new. You also do research and development.
Electrical Engineering Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) states that electrical engineers earn a median annual salary of $107,890. Those at the top 10% earned an annual salary of $162,930, while those just entering the field will make about $62,360 per year.
The top paying industries that employ electrical engineers are in research and development of physical, engineering, and life sciences, and semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing. Both have an average pay that is more than $100,000 per year.
Becoming an electrical engineer will take a few more years than being an electrician (electrical engineer training = approx. four years / electrician training = as few as 10 months), but either job will place you in an interesting well-paid and stable career!
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