Which EE fields are in demand?

  • Thread starter Stewdogg78
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Ee Fields
In summary: China... to do the manufacturing. So, if you're looking to work on the actual products, you're out of luck.
  • #1
Stewdogg78
2
0
Hi, I have a Bachelor's degree in EE and currently have a non-engineering job. I would like to get into engineering again. I would like to know which EE fields are currently in demand? (power generation, robotics, manufacturing, etc)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I think they're all in good demand (at least in my area) but the life lesson I learned is that to get into an engineering job you need to have your daddy/uncle/cousin/friend work at the company that can put in a word for you, or else it's sort of like playing the lottery.
 
  • #3
According to bls.gov, none. Unless you are willing to work oversees for cheap cause that's where all of those jobs are going. Sucks cause I really like my Circuits class (well, sucks for a lot of other reasons).
 
  • #4
sydneyfranke said:
According to bls.gov, none. Unless you are willing to work oversees for cheap cause that's where all of those jobs are going. Sucks cause I really like my Circuits class (well, sucks for a lot of other reasons).

This is not what I'm hearing. According to this report, the unemployment rate for EEs has dropped to 4.6%, and my friends are telling me there are a lot of jobs out there. This report also says software is the best place to be.

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/news-events/news/2011/where-jobs-are-2011-software-engineering
 
  • #5
If you have a degree in EE, and you haven't found a job doing some kind of engineering work, something is wrong.

Just so you know, the Smart Grid effort has resulted in a bonanza of electrical power engineering jobs world-wide. You should be able to get your feet in at the ground floor and work your way up the ladder for as long as you care to make a career of it.
 
  • #6
JakeBrodskyPE said:
If you have a degree in EE, and you haven't found a job doing some kind of engineering work, something is wrong.

Just so you know, the Smart Grid effort has resulted in a bonanza of electrical power engineering jobs world-wide. You should be able to get your feet in at the ground floor and work your way up the ladder for as long as you care to make a career of it.
Thanks Jake. I have a real desire for electrical power engineering and all the publications I've read look very encouraging, however, in the south east it looks like a pretty dormant field. Thanks for reply.
 
  • #7
Utility work appears pretty dormant no matter when you look at it. You need to look at the individual utility web sites and read the positions that are open. Many of them have some rather odd names. They don't always hire "Electrical Engineers" out of the blue. Read about what the various professions are called.

As with many things, there are some rather arcane names for some professions...
 
  • #8
I got my internship without even interviewing because my boss said that they had a hard time finding any EE interns and just hired me on the spot. The head of our EE department at school said that US and most countries are in a severe shortage of engineers. He also said that large corporations, including universities are going to be retiring almost half of their engineers in the next decade. Add in the fact the government is throwing lots of money at "green" tech and the smart grid, I don't think EEs are going to have a difficult time finding a job whatsoever.

Also, I on IEEE I read an article that there is going to be a major shortage of Power Engineers. A lot of universities are gearing their programs towards telecommunications, electronics, and computer engineering leaving power by the way side. They are trying to find ways to recruit engineering students into power by offering scholarships and such.

Bottom line, especially in power, you are not going to have a hard time finding a job. :)
 
  • #9
Power is a good one since a lot of the old timers are retiring and universities haven't been producing a lot of grads in that field (but the work might be a bit dull).

FPGA design is a nice niche field with some good opportunities (we always have a hard time finding good fpga designers).

Embedded software is a bit broader and seems to have nice, steady prospects (again, hard to find good embedded people, most of them have EE backgrounds, not CS or SW)
 
  • #10
What about solid state devices or electronic material processing?
 
  • #11
What about solid state devices or electronic material processing?

If you're talking about working on the actual processes / materials work in fabs, then that is a very niche field for which you need a PhD.

Think about it like this: How many fabs are there in the world? That's your employment pool.

Most companies nowadays are fab free, meaning they design the circuitry and send it off to a place like TSMC to actually get manufactured. Even AMD spun off their fab as GlobalFoundries. Intel is still in that game, and there are a bunch of smaller fabs that don't work on the cutting edge process nodes for chips that don't need that kind of technology. But yes, very limited field so it is something to consider unless that is your one true passion in life.
 
  • #12
squall211 said:
Power is a good one since a lot of the old timers are retiring and universities haven't been producing a lot of grads in that field (but the work might be a bit dull).

Perish the thought! The grid is about to go through a major revolution. Remote generation with smaller generation sources and more intelligent load management are running many in the field ragged with effort. The communications and the safety system designs are just some of the many challenges.

Furthermore, motors, generation sources, and plant management systems all require high energy electronics design. This is not just a Grid management exercise but a full sized industrial design issue.

The whole concept of the electrical energy distribution system is about to go through a massive revolution --regardless of what happens to the so-called "Smart Grid" effort.
 

1. What are the top EE fields that are currently in demand?

The top EE fields that are currently in demand include artificial intelligence, renewable energy, robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), and telecommunications.

2. How is the demand for EE fields expected to change in the future?

The demand for EE fields is expected to continue growing in the future, especially in emerging areas such as green technology, cybersecurity, and data science.

3. Is it necessary to specialize in a specific EE field to be in demand?

While specializing in a specific EE field can make you more marketable, having a strong foundation in core EE concepts and skills is also important in the job market.

4. Which industries have the highest demand for EE professionals?

The industries with the highest demand for EE professionals include technology, healthcare, energy, telecommunications, and automotive.

5. Are there any specific skills or knowledge that can make an EE professional more in demand?

Having a combination of technical skills and soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication can make an EE professional more in demand in the job market.

Similar threads

  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
21
Views
4K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
3
Views
935
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
25
Views
3K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
12
Views
5K
  • STEM Career Guidance
2
Replies
39
Views
3K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
7
Views
770
Back
Top