Electrical Engineers - 17-2071.00

Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.

Sample of reported job titles: Circuits Engineer, Design Engineer, Electrical Controls Engineer, Electrical Design Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Electrical Project Engineer, Instrumentation and Electrical Reliability Engineer (I&E Reliability Engineer), Power Systems Engineer, Project Engineer, Test Engineer

Tasks

• Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
• Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements.
• Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
• Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
• Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
• Compile data and write reports regarding existing or potential electrical engineering studies or projects.
• Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
• Prepare specifications for purchases of materials or equipment.
• Estimate labor, material, or construction costs for budget preparation purposes.
• Supervise or train project team members as necessary.
• Conduct field surveys or study maps, graphs, diagrams, or other data to identify and correct power system problems.
• Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems.
• Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
• Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.
• Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects.
• Design electrical systems or components that minimize electric energy requirements, such as lighting systems designed to account for natural lighting.
• Plan layout of electric power generating plants or distribution lines or stations.
• Assist in developing capital project programs for new equipment or major repairs.

Technology Skills

• Analytical or scientific software - Minitab ; Powersim PSIM; Synopsys PrimeTime; The MathWorks MATLAB (see all 43 examples)
• Computer aided design CAD software - Autodesk AutoCAD ; Dassault Systemes CATIA ; PTC Creo Parametric ; Zuken E3.schematic (see all 23 examples)
• Computer aided manufacturing CAM software - Rapid prototyping software
• Configuration management software - Perforce Helix software
• Development environment software - Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript ; National Instruments LabVIEW ; Verilog ; VHSIC hardware description language VHDL (see all 14 examples)
• Electronic mail software - IBM Notes
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software - SAP
• File versioning software - Apache Subversion SVN
• Financial analysis software - Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
• Graphics or photo imaging software - Microsoft Visio
• Industrial control software - Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software ; Wonderware InTouch HMI
• Object or component oriented development software - C++ ; JHDL; Practical extraction and reporting language Perl ; Python (see all 6 examples)
• Office suite software - Microsoft Office
• Operating system software - Linux ; Microsoft Windows Server; UNIX
• Presentation software - Microsoft PowerPoint
• Program testing software - Debugging software; Defect tracking software
• Project management software - Microsoft Project ; Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
• Requirements analysis and system architecture software - Requirements management software; Unified modeling language UML
• Spreadsheet software - Microsoft Excel
• WAN switching software and firmware - ATD protocol; X.25 Protocol
• Word processing software - Microsoft Word

Tools Used

• Accelerometers
• Capacitance meters - Inductance capacitance resistance LCR meters
• Computer servers
• Corona treaters - Cylindrical corona testers
• Diffractometers
• Digital camcorders or video cameras - Digital video cameras
• Electrical frequency meters - Noise figure meters
• Electronic measuring probes - Parameter analyzers
• Flow sensors - Electrical flow meters
• Frequency analyzers - Spectrum analyzers
• Frequency calibrator or simulator - Frequency drives; Signal analyzers
• Frequency counters or timer or dividers - Frequency counters
• Ion implantation equipment - Reactive ion etch systems
• Isolation glove boxes - Glove box systems
• Laboratory balances - Microbalances
• Laboratory evaporators - Filament evaporators; Metal evaporation systems; Vacuum system/thermal evaporators
• Laboratory safety furnaces - Annealing furnaces; Diffusion furnaces; Oxidation furnaces
• Laser measuring systems - Laser ranging systems
• Laser printers
• Level generators - Pulse generators
• Magnetic spin bars or stir bars or stirring beads - Spinners
• Metal markers or holders - Electrochemical etching devices
• Microwave core equipment - Microwave automatic load-pull tuners
• Multimeters
• Network analyzers
• Notebook computers - Laptop computers
• Oscillographs - Sweep oscillators
• Oscilloscopes - Digital oscilloscopes; Mixed signal oscilloscopes; Sampling oscilloscopes
• Personal computers
• Plotter printers - Plotters
• Power meters - Microwave power meters
• Pyrometers
• Reactors - Plasma reactors
• Scanning electron microscopes - Scanning electron microscopes SEM
• Scanning probe microscopes - Atomic force microscopes; Scanning tunneling microscopes STM
• Semiconductor process systems - Electron beam evaporators; Wafer steppers; Wet chemical clean benches; Wire bonders (see all 13 examples)
• Signal generators - Programmable function generators; Synthesized continuous wave CW generators; Vector signal generators
• Spectrographs - Imaging spectrographs
• Spectrometers - Auger electron spectrometers; Electrochemical CV dopant profilers; Secondary ion mass spectrometers SIMS; X ray photoemission spectrometers (see all 5 examples)
• Surface testers - Profilometers
• Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers - Rapid thermal annealers RTA
• Thermocouples
• Thickness measuring devices - Ellipsometers
• Transistor circuit testers - Universal microwave transistor test fixtures
• Transistor transistor logic TTL - Pattern generator systems
• Tube furnaces - Doping tubes; Oxidation tubes; Vertical furnaces
• Voltage or current meters - Digital voltmeters DVM; Pulsed current-voltage IV analyzer
• X ray generators - X ray guns

Knowledge

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
• Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
• Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
• Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Abilities

• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Interests

• Interest code: IR
  • Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Work Context

• Electronic Mail - 98% responded “Every day.”
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - 89% responded “Every day.”
• Face-to-Face Discussions - 72% responded “Every day.”
• Telephone - 62% responded “Every day.”
• Work With Work Group or Team - 64% responded “Extremely important.”
• Duration of Typical Work Week - 68% responded “More than 40 hours.”
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - 64% responded “Very important.”
• Freedom to Make Decisions - 49% responded “A lot of freedom.”
• Contact With Others - 44% responded “Constant contact with others.”
• Structured versus Unstructured Work - 44% responded “A lot of freedom.”
• Spend Time Sitting - 49% responded “More than half the time.”
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - 59% responded “Important results.”
• Frequency of Decision Making - 34% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Coordinate or Lead Others - 32% responded “Very important.”
• Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - 32% responded “Very high responsibility.”
• Time Pressure - 58% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - 40% responded “Every day.”
• Letters and Memos - 28% responded “Every day.”
• Deal With External Customers - 26% responded “Very important.”

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
70%	Bachelor's degree
23%	Master's degree
3%	High school diploma or equivalent

Work Styles

• Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
• Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
• Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
• Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
• Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
• Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
• Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
• Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
• Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
• Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
• Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
• Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Work Values

• Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
• Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
• Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Wages & Trends

• Median wages (2017)
  • $45.70 hourly, $95,060 annual
• Employment (2016)
  • 188,000 employees
• Projected growth (2016-2026)
  • Average (5% to 9%)
• Projected job openings (2016-2026)
  • 13,900