Electrical Engineers: Power for the People

Electrical engineers are the people who make things work. They are responsible for designing, developing, and testing the equipment that powers or controls electric motors and machinery. They also design lighting and wiring systems for buildings, automobiles, ships, and planes. Some electrical engineers design radar and navigation systems, while others implement the power transmission, control, and generation machines used by utilities.

Electrical and electronic engineering are slightly different careers. Electrical engineers specialize in engineering power systems or manufacturing electrical equipment. Electronic engineering typically applies to the design, development, and testing of smaller electronic equipment and larger equipment such as broadcast and communications systems, signal processing, and control systems.

Electrical Engineering Specializations

There are many different specialties within the field of electrical engineering, such as:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Power Distribution
• Power Generation
• Power Transition
• Signal Processing
• Electromagnetics
• Computer Electrical Engineering
• Microelectronics Engineering

Practical Requirements

Electrical engineers must have a thorough understanding of computers and electronics and be well versed in mathematics, physics, electricity, electromagnetism, as well as electrical system design, production, and processing. Good electrical engineers are able to troubleshoot problems and solve new challenges. They are critical thinkers who pay great attention to even the smallest details.

Educational Requirements

Electrical engineers usually enter the field after obtaining an undergraduate degree. Some research positions may also require a graduate degree. Electrical engineers who work directly with the public must be licensed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The top five best undergraduate electrical engineering schools for 2010, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report are:

• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Ind.
• Cooper Union, New York
• Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, Mass.
• California Polytechnic State University--San Luis Obispo, Calif.
• Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif.

Online Degree Programs

Many of the top colleges in the nation offer online degree programs for electrical engineering. There were 63 colleges or institutions offering graduate-level online engineering degree programs and 27 universities offering online degree programs with ABET accreditation. Some of the most highly regarded online degree programs in electrical engineering include:

• Polytechnic Institute of New York University
• Colorado Technical Institute
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• South Methodist University School of Engineering

Electrical Engineering Salaries

The lowest-paid and entry-level electrical engineers still cleared an annual wage of $52,000 in 2008. The median annual wage topped $82,000, and electrical engineers in the top percentage of earnings brought home more than $125,000 per year.

Future of Electrical Engineering Jobs

In 2008 more than154,000 electrical engineers were employed in the United States. Employment for electrical engineers is projected to grow six percent through 2016, slower than most professions and much slower than many other engineering subdisciplines. Increased consumer and commercial demand in electrical applications such as batteries, navigation systems, power generators and wireless phone towers are expected to increase demand for electrical engineers, but they face increased international competition. The best electrical engineering job prospects are for people working for larger firms.

Well-known Electrical Engineers

Allesandro Volta, whom the volt is named after, made the first prototype battery in 1800. Georg Ohm in 1827 devised Ohm's Law, which examined the mathematical relationship between current, voltage, and electrical resistance. In 1887 Nikola Tesla gave us alternating current.