ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

What is this job like?

A global positioning system that can pinpoint a car's location. Giant generators that can power entire cities. A new design for an airplane's electrical system. Electrical and electronics engineers work on high-tech projects like these.

Electrical engineers design new and better electronics. They also test equipment and solve problems. A project starts by deciding what the new electronics will do. Then, the engineer designs the circuits and other parts of the electronics. Engineers might draw their designs using a computer.

Later, the engineers test their designs and make them better. Many projects don't work at first. The engineers have to figure out why and then fix them.

Electrical engineers work on many kinds of products. They might work on cars, robots, cell phone systems, the lighting and wiring in buildings, and radar and navigation systems, for example.

Engineers work in offices, labs, or industrial plants. Many work a normal 40-hour week. At times, they work longer to meet deadlines.

How do you get ready?

You need a college degree in engineering for almost all engineering jobs.

Getting into engineering school takes good grades in math and science. Students also need courses in English, social studies, and computers.

Engineers should be creative, curious, logical, and detail-oriented. They should also be able to work as part of a team.

How much does this job pay?

The middle half of electrical engineers earned between $60,640 and $94,050 in 2006. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $49,120. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $115,240.

The middle half of electronics engineers earned between $64,440 and $99,630. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $52,050. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $119,900.

How many jobs are there?

There were about 291,000 electrical and electronics engineers in 2006. Many worked for companies that make medical machines, communications equipment, or electronics.

What about the future?

Electrical engineers should have good job prospects. Jobs for electrical engineers are expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2016. There will be a need for more electronic devices like giant electric power generators and wireless phone transmitters.

Are there other jobs like this?

• Aerospace engineers
• Civil engineers
• Computer hardware engineers
• Industrial engineers
• Mechanical engineers

Where can you find more information? More BLS information about electrical and electronics engineers can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The Handbook also shows where to find out even more about this job.