Electrical engineers are concerned with the design, development, construction and maintenance of equipment, machines and systems used for the generation, transmission and use of electricity. Although employment for electrical engineers has risen over the past ten years, the number of job openings in the next five years is predicted to be below average.
The main sectors that Electrical Engineers are employed in are:
The majority of Electrical Engineers are employed in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Due to the variety of industries that employ electrical engineering graduates, there are a number of sub-disciplines to work in. These include:
Electrical engineers can therefore work in a range of work settings, including offices, remote sites, and workshops.
Electrical Engineering graduates earn more than average graduates, with an average annual salary of $65,000. Electrical Engineers also make the top twenty highest paid jobs in Australia. Those starting in an industry job earn the highest, followed by those in government programmes and then those starting in an engineering practice.
The high wages of Electrical Engineering graduates are due to a skills shortage in this area, with retention of employees with these skills a major challenge for businesses. As a result, Electrical Engineering graduates have the highest employment rate for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths graduates, with 78% of graduates finding full time employment four months after graduating.
Some of the companies that hire Electrical Engineering graduates are:
There are also a number of opportunities for Electrical Engineering graduates overseas.
Options Strategy Development Lead at IMC Trading at Google
Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) (Honours) at Monash University
Graduate Electrical Engineer (Technical Support Substations) at TransGrid at TransGrid