Occupation

Electrical Engineers

Human Advantage 69%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.3 / 10

This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.

Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.

Also Known As: Automation Engineer, Cable Engineer, Circuits Engineer, Controls Engineer, Design Engineer, Distribution Engineer, Distribution Field Engineer, District Plant Engineer +58 more

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Core Tasks

  1. Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
  2. Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
  3. Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
  4. Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
  5. Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
  6. Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
  7. Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.
  8. Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.
  9. Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems.
  10. Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements.
  11. Compile data and write reports regarding existing or potential electrical engineering studies or projects.
  12. Prepare specifications for purchases of materials or equipment.
  13. Estimate labor, material, or construction costs for budget preparation purposes.
  14. Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects.
  15. Supervise or train project team members, as necessary.
  16. Assist in developing capital project programs for new equipment or major repairs.

Supplemental Tasks (6)

  1. Collect data relating to commercial or residential development, population, or power system interconnection to determine operating efficiency of electrical systems.
  2. Develop systems that produce electricity with renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or biofuels.
  3. Develop software to control electrical systems.
  4. Integrate electrical systems with renewable energy systems to improve overall efficiency.
  5. Conduct field surveys or study maps, graphs, diagrams, or other data to identify and correct power system problems.
  6. Design electrical systems or components that minimize electric energy requirements, such as lighting systems designed to account for natural lighting.

Education & Training

Job Zone 4 Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Bachelor's Degree
82%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
11%
Master's Degree
7%

Relevant College Majors

  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering CIP 14.1001Design of electrical systems and electronic devices.
  • Telecommunications Engineering CIP 14.1004Communication systems and signal processing.

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Apache Subversion SVN
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Autodesk Revit
  • Bash
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • C
  • C#
  • C++
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • Eclipse IDE
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA
  • Microsoft Visual Studio
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Windows Server
  • Microsoft Word
  • Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
  • Perl
  • Python
  • SAP software
  • Shell script
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • UNIX

Software (122)

  • APLAC
  • ATD protocol
  • AVEVA InTouch HMI
  • Ada
  • Advanced boolean expression language ABEL
  • Altera hardware description language AHDL
  • Automated material handling software
  • Availability prediction modeling software
  • Cadence Allegro Design Entry Capture and Capture CIS
  • Cadence Encounter Test
  • Chip design software
  • Circuit simulation software
  • Computer aided design CAD software
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
  • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Debugging software
  • Defect tracking software
  • Digital timing diagram editing software
  • Dynamic object-oriented requirements system DOORS
  • ETAP
  • Electromagnetic analysis software
  • Electronic design automation EDA software
  • Electronic engineering calculator
  • Embedded systems testing software
  • Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software
  • Failure mode effects and criticality analysis FMECA software
  • Failure reporting analysis and corrective action FRACAS software
  • Fault modeling software
  • Fault tree analysis FTA software
  • Field programmable gate array FPGA design software
  • Finite difference time domain FDTD software
  • Finite element method FEM software
  • Floor planning software
  • Functional verification software
  • Hardware description language HDL
  • Hewlett-Packard HP Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer
  • IBM Notes
  • Integrated development environment IDE software
  • Isograph Markov
  • JHDL
  • Keysight Technologies Advanced Design System
  • Life cycle cost software
  • Logic synthesis software
  • MAGIC
  • MathWorks Simulink
  • Matrix calculation software
  • Mean time between failures MBTF software
  • Mean time to failure MTTF software
  • Mentor Graphics software
  • Microsoft OneNote
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript
  • Microwave circuit simulation software
  • Minitab
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • Optimization software
  • OrCAD Capture
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • Perforce Helix software
  • Physical design software
  • Power analysis software
  • Powersim PSIM
  • Printed circuit board design software
  • Programmable logic controller PLC code generation software
  • Programmable logic controller PLC software
  • Rapid prototyping software
  • ReliaSoft Weibull++ 6
  • Reliability analysis software
  • Requirements management software
  • SKM Systems Analysis Power Tools
  • Schematic design entry software
  • Siemens ModelSim
  • Signal integrity simulation software
  • Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE
  • SmugMug Flickr
  • Sun Microsystems Java
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Synopsys Design Compiler
  • Synopsys PrimeTime
  • Systems analysis programs for hands on integrated reliability evaluation software SAPHIRE
  • Tektronix EZ-TEST
  • Test automation software
  • Time and motion analysis software
  • Unified modeling language UML
  • Verilog
  • Very high-speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL
  • X.25 Protocol
  • Zuken E3.schematic

Tools & Equipment (80)

  • Accelerometers
  • Annealing furnaces
  • Atomic force microscopes
  • Auger electron spectrometers
  • Computer servers
  • Cylindrical corona testers
  • Diffractometers
  • Diffusion furnaces
  • Digital oscilloscopes
  • Digital video cameras
  • Digital voltmeters DVM
  • Doping tubes
  • Electrical flow meters
  • Electrochemical CV dopant profilers
  • Electrochemical etching devices
  • Electron beam evaporators
  • Ellipsometers
  • Filament evaporators
  • Fog chambers
  • Frequency counters
  • Frequency drives
  • Glove box systems
  • Imaging spectrographs
  • Inductance capacitance resistance LCR meters
  • Laptop computers
  • Laser printers
  • Laser ranging systems
  • Linearization testbeds
  • Low pressure chemical vapor deposition LPCVD systems
  • Metal evaporation systems
  • Microbalances
  • Microwave automatic load-pull tuners
  • Microwave power meters
  • Mixed signal oscilloscopes
  • Molecular beam epitaxy MBE systems
  • Multimeters
  • Network analyzers
  • Noise figure meters
  • Oxidation furnaces
  • Oxidation tubes
  • Parameter analyzers
  • Pattern generator systems
  • Personal computers
  • Photolithography equipment
  • Photoluminescence spectrometers
  • Plasma ashers
  • Plasma reactors
  • Plotters
  • Profilometers
  • Programmable function generators
  • Pulse generators
  • Pulsed current-voltage IV analyzer
  • Pyrometers
  • Rapid thermal annealers RTA
  • Reactive ion etch systems
  • Sampling oscilloscopes
  • Scanning electron microscopes SEM
  • Scanning tunneling microscopes STM
  • Secondary ion mass spectrometers SIMS
  • Signal analyzers
  • Signal generators
  • Spectrometers
  • Spectrum analyzers
  • Spin-coaters
  • Spinners
  • Sweep oscillators
  • Synthesized continuous wave CW generators
  • Thermocouples
  • Tube etchers
  • Tube furnaces
  • Universal microwave transistor test fixtures
  • Vacuum chambers
  • Vacuum system/thermal evaporators
  • Vector signal generators
  • Vertical furnaces
  • Wafer steppers
  • Wet chemical clean benches
  • Wire bonders
  • X ray guns
  • X ray photoemission spectrometers

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Production & Automation Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 4
Electrical Engineers You are here

Engineering Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 4
Electrical Engineers You are here

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Real Talk

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