Electrical Engineer

Electrical Eng

Electrical engineers work with electricity in its many forms - from the electrons to the large scale magnetic fields. In addition to designing new products, they construct, operate, and maintain a wide variety of electrical systems and equipment. Some specialize in electronics, others in even more specific areas, like space communications or industrial robotics.

Examples

Invent better MRI scanners, allowing doctors to see even more clearly inside a patient’s body
Create special effects for the movies
Design cell phones that work more reliably and have more features
Develop artificial retinas for the blind
Work on satellite communications systems that connect people around the world

Education

Electrical engineers need a bachelor's degree. While some have degrees in advanced physics or electronics, most have electrical engineering degrees.

Work Environment

Electrical engineers usually work 40-hour weeks, but can work longer hours on projects with pressing deadlines or in emergency situations. They often work on teams with other engineers and scientists and can find jobs in industry, government, universities, or in consulting.

Salaries

The starting salary for an electrical engineer (2009):

B.S. degree
$57,600

M.S. degree
$66,863

Ph.D.
$72,566

EngineerGirl - Electrical engineering

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IEEE ("eye-triple-E"). The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers helps advance global prosperity by promoting the engineering process of creating, developing, integrating, sharing, and applying knowledge about electrical and information technologies and sciences for the benefit of humanity and the profession.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
Electrical Engineers

JETS - electrical engineering

Sloan Career Center - Electrical engineering

The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America

World Wide Learn - electrical engineering