Electrical engineers can confidently stake a claim to keeping the world running. Point to something that needs electricity to work and you’re pointing at one or more electrical engineering specialists who had a hand in how it was researched, developed, built, tested, delivered and ultimately maintained.
That gives you an idea of how important electrical engineers are to almost every industry, government and utility. It’s why their demand is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations and why they command high salaries – on average over $105K a year and over $50 an hour.
The path to an electrical engineering career goes through education and training that can include a four-year bachelor’s in electrical engineering, internships and real-world field work, and certifications.
Charged up at the thought of being an electrical engineer? Let’s take a closer look at what you need to know, what you’ll do and, of course, how much you’ll earn doing it.
What is Electrical Engineering?
Simply put, electrical engineering is the science of harnessing, channeling and applying the power of electricity. From the smallest nanocircuit to the largest generator, from cars to smart phones, electrical engineers find new – or improve existing – ways to keep us in the light, connected and moving.
The work of electrical engineers impacts every aspect of our day-to-day lives, locally, nationally and globally. Not surprisingly, they can be found in countless industries including:
- Architectural, engineering and related services
- Electric power generation, transmission and distribution
- Navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing
- Scientific research and development services
- Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing
Education Sparks an Electrical Engineering Career
Your journey to an exciting and rewarding electrical engineering career starts with choosing an ABET-accredited college or university. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) rigorously vets programs to ensure students are prepared for highly technical careers. Electrical engineer licensure, registration and certification often require a degree from an ABET-accredited program.
There isn’t only one educational path to electrical engineering – but all roads lead through science and math. For example, you can complete a two-year associate degree program that’s less industry specific and more high-level in terms of coursework.
You will need to have a strong academic record (including a relatively high GPA) to get into your preferred school to study electrical engineering. Your math scores should be high, and your understanding of physics should be substantial.
The two-year route, often done in tandem with vocational training, gets you into the workforce faster than a four-year degree program.
A four-year bachelor’s degree is a deeper dive into the math and science of electrical engineering. Your overall program will depend on your specialization – chip design, robotics and data science to name a few.
Thus, in addition to courses in computing, circuitry, and electromagnetics, you will also take related electives like machine learning and optics.
Licensing & Professional Development Requirements for Electrical Engineers
Once you have your degree, you may technically be an electrical engineer. However, most states require you to have a professional engineer license. To do that, you need to take and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, work under a licensed professional engineer for a number of years and then pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering in electrical engineering.
PE licenses are issued by each state. In 42 states, plus the District of Columbia, continuing education units (CEUs) or professional development hours (PDHs) are required to renew your engineering license.
Electrical engineer education requirements may differ by state, but for most, electrical engineers need to have 15 hours of technical courses to renew their license. Other requirements may include engineering ethics, state engineering laws, and professional behavior CEUs.
Choose from a variety of professional engineering continuing education courses offered by McKissock Learning to enhance your professional engineering career and get on your path to license renewal!
Career Opportunities for Electrical Engineers
There are as many electrical engineering jobs as electrical applications. You can choose to be a generalist and work across different disciplines – a project engineer, for example, leads a team of engineers and needs to be “fluent” in many practices – or a specialist, like a computer engineer focused on computer design.
A sampling of electrical engineer specialist disciplines
Power system engineers design and maintain systems for electrical generation, transmission and distribution across sectors ranging from power plants to utility companies. They can be found optimizing power plant operations, maintaining and troubleshooting equipment, and working on energy efficiency strategies.
Computer engineers design and develop many of the parts and systems critical for computers of all types and uses. They are behind memory and processor chips, power management systems and can also be found working on hardware, like graphic cards and storage. Their components are in your laptop and in appliances, cars and industrial machines.
Telecommunications engineers design components that keep telecommunications networks and infrastructure running, as well as manage installation projects. They must stay on the cutting edge of cellular, broadband and other technologies to keep up with advances and consumer and system demand.
Microelectronics engineers are at work developing the semiconductors found in every digital and electronic device. Not only do they keep trucks, trains and even videogame systems running, microelectronic engineers are behind innovations in advanced computing, telecommunications and artificial intelligence.
Financial Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics paints a rosy picture for electrical engineers: an average salary of $106,950 and hourly wage of $52.41, with a 9% expected job growth through 2033. The “over/under” on that average is based on experience, specialization, industry, geographic location and other factors affect how much you can expect to earn as an electrical engineer.
In June 2024, Glassdoor reported the top five paying industries for electrical engineers in the US: Information Technology ($182,578), Retail & Wholesale ($162,949), Financial Services ($131,496), Government & Public Administration ($118,688) and Aerospace & Defense ($114,688).
From a US geographic perspective, electrical engineer salaries can vary by state and city. Consider the states with the best average salaries:
- California: $147,340
- New Mexico: $135, 310
- New Hampshire: $132,810
- District of Columbia: $127,950
- Massachusetts: $127,930
Digging deeper, California also has four of the top five metropolitan areas for electrical engineer salaries: San Jose ($185,390), Santa Maria ($154,220), San Francisco ($150,500) and Chico ($136,220).
Your salary will increase with your career time. An entry-level electrical engineer can expect to average $79,978 per year, with a mid-level professional targeting $93,622 and a senior-level electrical engineer $102,052 per year, respectively.
Conclusion
If you’re fascinated by the science of electricity, passionate about knowing why things work and coming up with a better or new solution, and want to combine hard research with creative, hands-on design, then a career in electrical engineering might be a great fit for you.
As an electrical engineer, you’ll be at the forefront of developing and implementing new and improved technology that pushes the boundaries of all applications of current science – faster computers and communication, more efficient and environment-friendly power generation, better devices for healthcare and saving lives.
The opportunities for driving an exciting, electrical future are endless. The only thing missing is you.
If you are ready to explore opportunities for growth within the engineering profession, McKissock is your partner. McKissock Learning’s Engineering Professional continuing education courses are designed to work with your schedule to give you the knowledge you need to advance in your career.
