Career
Electrical engineers
Design the systems that generate, move and use electricity.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Writing, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $120,630 a year and 11,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Electrical EngineeringSee the degree →
- Electrical and Electronics EngineeringCIP 14.1001
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, OtherCIP 14.1099
- Electromechanical EngineeringCIP 14.4101
- Electrical and Computer EngineeringCIP 14.4701
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$130,220 · +3.7%
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 · +2.4%
- Mechanical Engineers$104,110 · +11.2%
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$74,090 · +0.3%
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 · +1.3%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.