nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” - Bertrand Russell
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas A. Edison
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” - Theodore Roosevelt
“Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going sixty miles an hour or is the train going sixty miles an hour and you’re just sitting still?” - J. Paul Getty
“The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.” - Robert Frost
“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” - Peter Drucker
”Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” - James M. Barrie
”I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson
“Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” - David Rockefeller
Electrical engineers FACTS:
Summary, What Electrical engineers do, Work Environment, How to become one, Pay, Job Outlook, Similar Occupations and Contacts for More Information.
Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Summary
Electrical engineers work to design and develop electrical equipment, while electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment.
Quick Facts: Electrical and Electronics Engineers
2010 Median Pay $87,180 per year
$41.92 per hour
Entry-Level Education Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation None
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2010 294,000
Job Outlook, 2010-20 6% (Slower than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20 17,600
What Electrical and Electronics Engineers Do
Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPS).
Work Environment
Electrical and electronics engineers work primarily in industries that conduct research and development, for engineering services firms, in manufacturing, and in the federal government. They generally work indoors in offices. However, they may have to visit sites to observe a problem or a piece of complex equipment.
How to Become an Electrical or Electronics Engineer
Electrical and electronics engineers must have a bachelor’s degree. Employers also value practical experience, so graduates of cooperative engineering programs, in which students earn academic credit for structured work experience, are valuable as well.
Pay
The median annual wage of electrical engineers was $84,540 in May 2010. The median annual wage of electronics engineers was $90,170 in May 2010.
Job Outlook
Employment of electrical and electronics engineers is expected to grow 6 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations.
Similar Occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of electrical and electronics engineers with similar occupations.
O*NET
O*NET provides comprehensive information on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Contacts for More Information
Learn more about electrical and electronics engineers by contacting these additional resources.
What Electrical and Electronics Engineers Do
Electronics engineers analyze the requirements and costs of electrical systems.
Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, or power generation equipment. Electrical engineers also design the electrical systems of automobiles and aircraft.
Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment such as broadcast and communications systems, from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPS). Many also work in areas closely related to computer hardware.
Duties
Electrical engineers typically do the following:
Design new ways to use electrical power to develop or improve products
Do detailed calculations to compute manufacturing, construction, and installation standards and specifications
Direct manufacturing, installing, and testing to ensure that the product as built meets specifications and codes
Investigate complaints from customers or the public, evaluate problems, and recommend solutions
Work with project managers on production efforts to ensure projects are completed satisfactorily, on time, and within budget
Electronics engineers typically do the following:
Design electronic components, software, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, medical, military, or scientific applications
Analyze electrical system requirements, capacity, cost, and customer needs and then develop a system plan
Develop maintenance and testing procedures for electronic components and equipment
Evaluate systems and recommend repair or design modifications
Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, and systems to make sure they meet safety standards and applicable regulations
Plan and develop applications and modifications for electronic properties used in parts and systems to improve technical performance
Electronics
