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Discover Electrical Engineering

What Does an Electrical Engineer Do?

Imagine designing the technology inside your phone or gaming system. Or creating a robot that can help doctors perform surgery. Or building the systems that keep entire cities powered and connected. That’s the kind of impact electrical engineers have every day.

Electrical engineers design, build, and improve the systems that power our world—from tiny microchips smaller than a grain of sand to massive power grids that light up entire cities. They work on cutting-edge technologies like robotics, wireless communication, computer networks, and medical imaging. Whether it’s helping a car’s airbags deploy at the right moment or advancing life-saving medical devices, electrical engineers are the innovators behind the technology we rely on every day.

Meet Change Makers In Electrical Engineering!

Meet Denise Evans

Denise is a technical lead at Northrop Grumman where she builds chips that make computers super powerful.

Meet James Dougherty

James is an electronic test technician at RTX who operates robotics to help create lasers, antennas and high-power microwave circuits for radars.

Meet Fred Barrera

Fred is a product development engineer at TE Connectivity who works on products that go into the air, space, sea, and land!

Meet Joan Higginbotham

Joan Higginbotham is an electrical engineer, rocket scientist and astronaut whose job took her out of this world!

Meet Nicholas Weddington

Nicholas is a product development engineer at TE Connectivity who works on 3D modeling and sensor testing for a range of products from life-saving medical devices to oil rigs.

Electrical Engineering Career Overview1

$118,780

Median salary

287,900

Number of jobs in 2024

7%

Expected job growth over next 10 years

Electrical Engineering Jobs and Education

Bachelor’s Degree:

  • Invent better MRI scanners, allowing doctors to see even more clearly inside a patient’s body.
  • Design technology for harvesting energy from exercise machines.
  • Develop artificial retinas for the blind.
  • Work on satellite communications systems that connect people around the world.

 

Associate Degree:

  • Repair or replace faulty components in machines, robots, or control systems.
  • Monitor factory equipment to catch electrical issues before breakdowns happen.

 

High School Diploma/GED + Certification

  • Work on sensors, wiring, and control systems in vehicles, aircraft, or drones.
  • Install and maintain telecommunications equipment for high-speed internet, cell phones, and security systems.

Real World Electrical Engineering Projects

Engineers Working on Powerful New Solutions for Renewable Energy

At first glance, it looks like a simple pile of sand. But in Finland, engineers at Polar Night Energy have turned sand into a powerful new way to store renewable energy. In a recent Live Science feature, this “sand battery” is shown storing heat generated from solar and wind power—holding it for days or even months until it’s needed. By solving one of the biggest challenges in clean energy—how to store it—electrical engineers are proving that big ideas don’t always look high-tech at all.

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References:

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm