Electrical and Electronics Engineers

• Nature of the Work

  Electrical and electronics engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment. Electrical equipment includes power generating and transmission equipment used by electric utilities, and electric motors, machinery controls, and lighting and wiring in buildings, automobiles, and aircraft. Electronic equipment includes radar, computer hardware, and communications and video equipment.

  The specialties of electrical and electronics engineers include several major areas-such as power generation, transmission, and distribution; communications; computer electronics; and electrical equipment manufacturing-or a subdivision of these areas-industrial robot control systems or aviation electronics, for example. Electrical and electronics engineers design new products, write performance requirements, and develop maintenance schedules. They also test equipment, solve operating problems, and estimate the time and cost of engineering projects.

• Working Conditions for Engineers

• Employment

  Electrical and electronics engineers held about 349,000 jobs in 1994, making it the largest branch of engineering. Most jobs were in engineering and business consulting firms, manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment, professional and scientific instruments, and government agencies. Communications and utilities firms, industrial machinery manufacturers, and computer and data processing services firms accounted for most of the remaining jobs.

• Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement for Engineers

• Job Outlook

  Employment opportunities for electrical and electronics engineers are expected to be good through the year 2005. Most job openings will result from job growth and the need to replace electrical engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. These openings should be sufficient to absorb the number of new graduates and other entrants.

  Employment in this engineering specialty is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations. Job growth is expected to be fastest in industrial sectors other than manufacturing. The need for electronics manufacturers to invest heavily in research and development to remain competitive will provide openings for graduates who have learned the latest technologies. Increased demand by businesses and government for computers and communications equipment is expected to account for much of the projected employment growth. Consumer demand for electrical and electronic goods should create additional jobs.

  Because many electrical engineering jobs are defense related, expected cutbacks in defense spending could result in layoffs of electrical engineers, especially if a defense-related project or contract is unexpectedly canceled. Furthermore, engineers who fail to keep up with the rapid changes in technology in some specialties risk technological obsolescence, which makes them more susceptible to layoffs or, at a minimum, more likely to be passed over for advancement.

  (See introductory section of this chapter for information on training requirements, earnings, and sources of additional information.)

• Earnings of Engineers

• Related Occupations for Engineers

  Engineers apply the principles of physical science and mathematics in their work. Other workers who use scientific and mathematical principles include physical scientists, life scientists, computer scientists, mathematicians, engineering and science technicians, and architects.

• Sources of Additional Information about Engineers

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