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work at home : Special Reports : Career : Job Report Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Job Report 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, computers, communications equipment, and
consumer goods such as TV sets and stereo components.

      The specialties of electrical and electronics engineers include several major areas--
such as power distributing equipment, integrated circuits, computers, electrical equipment
manufacturing, or communications--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.  Besides manufacturing and research, development, and design,
many are employed in administration and management or technical  sales.

Employment

      Electrical and electronics engineers held over 440,000 jobs in 1990, making in the
largest branch of engineering.  Most jobs were in firms that manufacture electrical and
electronic equipment, business machines, professional and scientific equipment, and
aircraft and parts.  Computer and data processing firms, engineering and business
consulting firms, public utilities and government agencies accounted for most of the
remaining jobs.


Job Outlook

      Employment opportunities for electrical and electronics engineers are expected to
be good through the year 2000 because employment is expected to increase much faster
than the average for all occupations and shortages of electrical engineering faculty and
laboratory equipment may act to restrict enrollments in electrical engineering programs.
Despite rapid growth, however, the majority of job openings will result from the need to
replace electrical and electronics engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the
labor force.

      Although increased demand by businesses and government for computers,
communications equipment, and military electronics is expected to account for much of the
projected employment growth, consumer demand for electrical and electronic goods and
increased research and development on robots and other types of automation should
create additional jobs.

      Since many electrical and electronics engineering jobs are defense related, cutbacks
in defense spending could result in layoffs.  Furthermore, those who fail to keep up with the
rapid change in technology in some electrical engineering specialties risk technological
obsolescence, which makes them more susceptible to layoffs or, at a minimum, likely to be
passed over for advancement.

Sources of Additional Information

      Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/United States Activities
      Board, 1111 19th St. NW., Suite 608, Washington, D.C.  20036.