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- 73
- Electrical and Electronics Engineers
-
- (D.O.T. 003.061, .167 except -034 and -070, and .187)
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- 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, computer hardware,
- and communications and video equipment.
-
- The specialties of electrical and electronics engineers include
- several major areas such as power generation, transmission, and
- distribution; communications; computer electronics; and electrical
- equipment manufacturing 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.
-
- An electrical engineer designs the lighting system for a city
- traffic circle.
-
- Employment
-
- Electrical and electronics engineers held about 370,000 jobs in
- 1992, making it 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 aircraft parts. Computer and data processing services
- 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 2005. Most job openings
- will result from job growth and the need to replace electrical
- engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor
- force. These openings should be sufficient to absorb the number
- of new graduates and other entrants.
-
- Employment in this engineering specialty is expected to increase
- about as fast as the average for all occupations. Job growth is
- expected to be fastest in industrial sectors other than
- manufacturing. Increased demand by businesses and government for
- computers and communications equipment is expected to account for
- much of the projected employment growth. Consumer demand for
- electrical and electronic goods and increased research and
- development on computers, robots, and other types of automation
- should create additional jobs.
-
- Because many electrical engineering jobs are defense related,
- cutbacks in defense spending could result in layoffs of electrical
- engineers, especially if a defense-related project or contract is
- unexpectedly cancelled. Furthermore, engineers who fail to keep up
- with the rapid changes in technology in most 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, 1828 L St. NW.,
- Suite 1202, Washington, DC 20036.
-
- (See introductory part of this section for information on training
- requirements and earnings.)
-