Electrical Engineer Jobs | Green Job Profile

Electrical Engineer Green Job Profile

Posted on Apr 22, 2012 in Energy Efficiency Jobs by Anh Speer, Ph.D. 1 Comment

Electrical engineer jobs focus on designing, implementing, maintaining, or improving a wide array of electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for either commercial or domestic purposes. They tend to perform detailed calculations in order to establish standards or even specifications relating to manufacturing, construction, or installation of certain projects. Electrical engineers also prepare technical drawings, electrical system specifications, or topographical maps to ensure that their installations and operations meet the industry’s standards and of course the customer’s requirements. These green job holders may use the following tools:

Electron beam evaporators, filament evaporators, metal evaporation systems, vacuum system/thermal evaporators are laboratory tools
Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) , wafer steppers, wet chemical clean benches, wire bonders are tools to work with semiconductor systems
Programmable function generators, synthesized continuous wave CW generators, vector signal generators are signal generator tools used in designing, testing, troubleshooting, and repairing electronic or electro-acoustic devices
Auger electron spectrometers, electrochemical CV dopant profilers, secondary ion mass spectrometers SIMS, X ray photoemission spectrometers are tools used in designing electronic devices

Electrical engineer jobs and those workers in them use computer-assisted engineering or design software to perform engineering tasks. The following technologies may be used:

Analytical or scientific software such as HP Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer, Synopsys PrimeTime, Tektronix EZ-TEST and MATLAB help electrical engineers perform calculations.
Computer aided design software such as Autodesk AutoCAD software, Cadence Encounter Test, MAGIC layout editor, OrCAD Capture help electrical engineers with designing electrical systems and products.
Development software such as C/C++, Java, Python, Eclipse IDE, JHDL, Programmed logic controller PLC code generation software, VHSIC hardware description language VHDL may also be used when designing of electrical systems

Electrical engineers also discuss with other engineers or customers on current or future engineering projects or products. They prepare specifications for purchases of materials or equipment. Electrical engineers inspect customer or public complaints, determine problems, and recommend resolutions. Lastly, they manage project production efforts to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.

Green Job Summary

Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, components, or systems. These can be for commercial, military, or scientific use or potentially a combination of uses. Examples of these complex systems are electric motors, radar and navigational systems, communications systems, and solar power generation equipment.
Electrical engineers plan or implement research methodology and procedures in which the principles of electrical theory are applied to engineering projects.
Electrical engineers manage or coordinate the manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, and testing activities or documentation of projects to ensure they comply with specifications or customer requirements, such as being energy efficient.

Work Environment for Electrical Engineers

Electrical engineers work mainly in industries that perform research and development. They also work for engineering services firms, in manufacturing, and in the federal government. They generally work indoors and in offices. They may have to travel worksites occasionally to observe problems or assist with the management of complex equipment.

Education, Training and Licensing

Obtaining a green career as an electrical engineer requires a four-year bachelor’s degree in the following scientific area of study; technology, engineering, and mathematics educational disciplines: Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. Employers also value practical experience, therefore graduates of cooperative engineering programs, in which students earn academic credit for structured work experience have an advantage when entering the field. Employees in this job usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. This job usually involves coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others.

Employment Figures, Projections, Outlook and Earnings

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects employment in this field to grow 6 percent from 2010 until 2020; this is slower than the average for all jobs. The BLS projected 47,800 job openings between 2010 and 2020, and noted 154,000 electrical engineer jobs are currently filled. However, additional studies surrounding emerging technologies and green energy have revealed a shortage of qualified electrical engineers. Titles included Electrical Engineer, Electrical Design Engineer, Project Engineer, Electrical Controls Engineer, Test Engineer, Hardware Design Engineer, Broadcast Engineer, Circuits Engineer, Electrical and Instrument Maintenance Supervisor, Electrical Project Engineer. The BLS further reports that the median annual wage for salaried electrical engineers was $85,920 in 2011 with median hourly wage of $41.31.