Electrical engineers play an important role in a variety of industries such as aerospace, medicine, manufacturing, oil and gas, and automotive. While their responsibilities vary by sector, an electrical engineer’s general responsibilities are designing, testing, and implementing various electronic devices and components and ensuring that safety protocols are met. If you’re interested in a career in electrical engineering, below are some of the most common roles in this diverse industry.
Energy Sector Engineer
Engineers in the energy sector are responsible for developing solutions for energy consumption and use. This can involve duties such as creating, securing, testing, and implementing all the elements of an electrical plant. Engineers in this field will conduct research and design green solutions to cut down costs and environmental impact. Energy sector engineers can also create and operate industrial equipment like boilers, generators, turbines, compressors, diesel pumps, and more.
Average salary: AU$65,633
Naval Engineer
As the name implies, naval engineers are responsible for developing ship engines and for dealing with electrical and electronic engineering operations. This includes conducting maintenance and repairs on generators, motors, transformers, and emergency power systems on vessels. Naval engineers also play an important role as they are essential for the safety of marine travel and for ensuring that all operations pertaining to electrics and power are working correctly.
Average salary: AU$126,146
Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace engineers primarily work in the aerospace industry and ensure that aircraft designs and products meet engineering principles. Their main responsibilities are to design spacecraft, satellites, aircraft, and missiles and to create and test prototypes. This is a one of the high paying jobs in China. Aerospace engineers can also be responsible for complex tasks such as designing the interface that transfers electricity from the engine to the aircraft. Other duties include designing and operating guidance systems, communication systems, and satellites.
Average salary: AU$80,687
Controls Engineer
Control engineers are instrumental in the areas of electronics, mechanics, and general engineering. They also play an important role when it comes to plant operations. Not only are they responsible for analyzing plant processes, but they must be able to implement improvements, repairs, and solutions. Controls engineers are also vital when it comes to monitoring and developing control systems for advanced systems like aircraft or household devices such as washing machines. The primary role of these engineers is to design and develop equipment that monitors and controls the efficiency of engineering systems.
Average salary: AU$103,656
Electronics Engineer
Electronic engineers develop and design electronic equipment. This includes portable music players, communications systems, and global positioning systems (GPS) devices. Their main responsibilities are to test, design, and develop components that use electricity as a source of power. These components can include capacitors, diodes, resistors, and transistors for use in objects ranging from computers to refrigerators to heating systems.
Electronics engineers have a diverse skill set and are able to engage in any stage of a project that involves creating electronics. Online master’s electrical engineering degrees such as the ones offered at Kettering Global will put you in good stead for this role.
Average salary: AU$71,933
Automotive Engineer
An automotive engineer works in the automotive sector and is responsible for the development of passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, or off-road vehicles. They are also involved in managing the creation, operation, maintenance, and testing of all tools and components of a vehicle requiring electric power. These engineers also take care of the engine controller and safety systems like airbags, anti-lock brakes, navigation systems, electric locks, batteries, radios, and so on. Automotive engineers are also responsible for designing new products, modifying existing ones, and solving engineering problems.
Average salary: AU$116,548
Oil and Gas Engineer
Oil and gas engineers are experts in petrophysics and are responsible for ensuring that oil or gas surfaces from reservoirs are safe and efficient. They are also in charge of designing and maintaining electrical systems and components of oil refineries. Oil and gas engineers also play a crucial role in ensuring that drilling operations are conducted accurately and efficiently. They must also check that all components in a refinery are meeting the right standards of safety and efficiency.
Average salary: AU$121,343
Medical Engineer
Medical engineers often work in diverse fields such as research organizations, manufacturers, government agencies, or medical centers. They are responsible for researching, developing, testing, and evaluating medical devices and have been influential in the development of important technologies such as echocardiograms, prosthetic devices, and pacemakers. The primary role of a medical engineer is to help design electrical circuits, software, and other electronic components that are used in medical equipment.
Average salary: AU$201,136
