Top Electrical Engineering Careers With Salaries

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There are several career options within the field of electrical engineering. Many professionals who practice electrical engineering focus on developing, testing and implementing equipment that assists various aspects of the electrical industry. Learn what electrical engineering is, a few of the best electrical engineering careers and the most popular skills and qualifications to list on your resume so you can find the most fulfilling electrical engineering job for you.

What is electrical engineering?

Electrical engineering is a recently developed engineering sector that is concerned with electrical technology. Professionals in this industry can work in a wide range of fields including those dealing with electrical systems and machinery, power generation, motors, electronics and telecommunication. Additional specialized categories in the electrical engineering industry include:

  • Control engineering
  • Power engineering
  • Microelectronics and nanoelectronics
  • Instrumentation engineering
  • Computer engineering
  • Signal processing

Many electrical engineering professionals work in manufacturing, for the federal government or in a research and development organization. They typically work in a lab environment, manufacturing plant or office location. Industries that frequently employ electrical engineering professionals include commercial construction, aerospace, automotive and telecommunications.

Best electrical engineering careers

Here are a few of the best electrical engineering careers with average national salaries:

Electrical Technician

National Average Salary: $49,483 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: An Electrical Technician installs, repairs and maintains various electrical systems including wiring, lighting and control systems. They must be able to read electrical blueprints and diagrams as well as inspect electrical components.

Electrician

National Average Salary: $54,746 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Electricians are electrical professionals who install, maintain and inspect various electrical components and systems. They may also analyze and determine the cause of electrical malfunctions as well as repair the systems affected.

Production Manager

National Average Salary: $70,951 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Production Managers are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a production line or manufacturing facility. These professionals may hire and train new production employees as well as supervise them in their daily performance. Production Managers work with other supervisors in the workplace to devise operation strategies that maximize productivity and resource allocation.

Energy Engineer

National Average Salary: $73,995 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Energy Engineers are responsible for designing and developing products and programs that help reduce energy consumption and costs as well as improve energy efficiency during production and distribution processes. Some Energy Engineers choose to focus on a specific field in the industry such as electrical systems, lighting or air quality.

Biomedical Engineer

National Average Salary: $76,512 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Biomedical Engineers use electrical engineering knowledge to develop and manufacture new medications, medical equipment and other medical-related products within the biomedical industry. They may also design artificial organs and devices to replace human body parts as well as maintain, repair and install medical and biomedical equipment.

Design Engineer

National Average Salary: $78,830 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Design Engineers working in the electrical engineering industry are trained to create and manufacture circuit systems that utilize analog and/or digital signals. They may also work with production teams to ensure proper assembly of devices as well as silicon validation. Design Engineers additionally compose technical documents and specifications for marketing use.

Controls Engineer

National Average Salary: $82,917 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Controls Engineers are professionals who work within the electrical engineering industry to enhance system functionality in a variety of settings. For example, a Controls Engineer may work in the robotics sector to develop and maintain the control functions of robots being created. These professionals rely on the implementation of automatic-control theory in nearly every aspect of their jobs.

Engineering Consultant

National Average Salary: $86,416 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: An Engineering Consultant is a professional who works with a variety of clients in several industries to provide solutions and engineering insight on projects. Engineering Consultants who specialize in electrical engineering primarily offer consulting services on electrical and electronics-related projects.

Computer Engineer

National Average Salary: $86,506 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Computer Engineers focus on utilizing electrical engineering concepts combined with computer science knowledge to develop, create and implement computer software, hardware and smart devices. They may specialize in a concentration such as cybersecurity or computer architecture.

Electrical Engineer

National Average Salary: $89,663 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Electrical Engineers are professionals who design, create and test various electrical equipment systems including generators, motors and systems used for navigation and communication. They may specialize in a certain electrical field such as software development. Electrical Engineers are also responsible for creating and enforcing standards for the maintenance of various electrical systems and machinery.

Electronics Engineer

National Average Salary: $100,652 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Electronics Engineers are responsible for creating, designing and advancing electronic devices used by people on a daily basis. These devices may include computers, mobile phones and other communication devices as well as music players. Some Electronics Engineers specialize in a field such as lighting systems, telecommunications, automation or audio equipment.

Robotics Engineer

National Average Salary: $100,756 per year

Roles and Responsibilities: Robotics Engineers design, build, test and introduce robots that work to fulfill various duties within society. They ensure the safety and productivity of the robots and prepare them for purchase and use. Robotics Engineers utilize technology such as computer-aided manufacturing and design systems throughout the various stages of robot creation.

Popular skills and qualifications to list on a resume for electrical engineering jobs

While every job is different, here is a list of popular skills and qualifications you can list on your resume when applying for electrical engineering jobs:

Problem-solving skills

Most professionals within the electrical engineering industry must be able to solve problems on a regular basis. Whether they are figuring out how to improve a robotics feature or are developing a new biomedical product, electrical engineer professionals must be able to apply various concepts and principals to their work in a way that provides viable solutions. Having good problem-solving skills can set you apart from others in the field and assist in nearly all aspects of your electrical engineering career.

Communication skills

Electrical engineering professionals are often responsible for communicating discoveries, developments and solutions to clients, stakeholders and team members. As a result, good communication skills are typically an important quality to include on your resume.

Creative-thinking skills

Professionals in the electrical engineering field are often responsible for designing, building and demonstrating new electrical products. The better your creative-thinking skills, the more likely you are to succeed in this profession.