What Can You Do With an Electrical Engineering Degree?

An electrical engineering degree is one of the most versatile credentials in the technical workforce.  Power grids, smartphones, medical devices, electric vehicles, defense systems, satellite communications, industrial robotics — every one of these technologies was designed, built and maintained by electrical engineers. The degree is not just technical training; it is a credential that signals rigorous quantitative thinking, problem-solving ability and the capacity to work on systems that shape how the world operates. 

For engineers already in the field, an advanced degree opens the senior roles, leadership tracks and specialty paths that a bachelor's degree alone cannot reach. Ohio University's online Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) program is a 100% online program built for working professionals seeking to deepen their expertise and advance into higher-level engineering and management roles. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of electrical and electronics engineers is projected to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the average for all occupations — with about 17,500 openings projected each year. 

Power systems engineers design, analyze and maintain the electrical infrastructure that generates and distributes electricity. They work for utilities, renewable energy developers, engineering consulting firms and large industrial operators on projects ranging from grid modernization and substation design to wind and solar power integration. The electrification of transportation, buildings and manufacturing — driven by decarbonization mandates and demand for energy resilience — has significantly expanded this sector's hiring across the country. 

Core coursework relevant to this path includes power systems analysis, electric machinery, electromagnetic fields and power electronics. Common role titles span the full experience range: power systems engineer, distribution engineer, protection and controls engineer and senior transmission engineer. 

Defense contractors, government agencies and aerospace manufacturers employ electrical engineers to develop radar systems, communication equipment, avionics, electronic warfare systems and satellite payloads. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) — the world's largest technical professional organization — identifies defense and aerospace as one of the highest-paying and most technically demanding sectors for EE graduates, requiring expertise in signal processing, RF systems and embedded systems design. 

Many positions in this sector require a security clearance and U.S. citizenship. Engineers who pursue this path often work on programs with long development cycles and significant national security implications — a combination that provides job stability and above-average compensation. 

Consumer electronics companies and telecom firms employ electrical engineers in hardware design, wireless systems, chip architecture, firmware development and systems integration. This is the sector most associated with rapid technology cycles: the engineers who design smartphones, wireless chips, network infrastructure and consumer IoT devices work in fast-moving environments where product generations turn over quickly. 

Telecommunications-specific roles include RF engineer, signal integrity engineer and wireless systems engineer. Consumer electronics roles include hardware design engineer, embedded systems engineer, and test and validation engineer. Both paths reward depth in digital circuits, signal processing, communication theory and microelectronics — skills that compound in value with each successive product generation. 

The automotive industry's transition to electric vehicles, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and software-defined vehicle architecture has created sustained demand for electrical engineers across powertrain, battery systems, power electronics and vehicle networking. Automakers, Tier 1 suppliers and EV startups all actively recruit experienced EE professionals for roles in battery management systems, motor control, charging infrastructure and embedded automotive software. 

Beyond consumer products, transportation systems engineering — traffic control, rail electrification, autonomous vehicle sensing — draws on the same EE skills in control systems, sensor fusion and communications. It is a distinct career track for engineers whose interests run toward large-scale physical infrastructure. 

Medical device companies, hospital systems and healthcare technology startups employ electrical engineers to design diagnostic equipment, therapeutic devices, patient monitoring systems and implantable technologies. MRI machines, pacemakers, ultrasound systems, infusion pumps and wearable health monitors all require the circuit design, signal processing and electromagnetics expertise that an EE degree provides. 

The National Academy of Engineering has consistently identified biomedical engineering — which draws heavily on electrical engineering fundamentals — as one of the grand challenges for engineering, reflecting the sector's combination of technical complexity and social importance. Healthcare technology roles tend to require familiarity with FDA regulatory pathways, medical-grade design standards and human factors engineering alongside core EE competencies. 

An electrical engineering degree also opens doors to high-earning, high-demand careers outside of traditional engineering roles — paths where technical depth is a competitive advantage rather than a job requirement. The same analytical skills and systems thinking that make EEs effective in circuit design translate directly into intellectual property law, technical sales, product strategy and consulting. 

Patent Law and Intellectual Property 

Electrical engineers who pursue a law degree or sit for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's patent bar examination can practice patent law — drafting and prosecuting patents for electrical, electronic and computer-implemented inventions. Patent agents (who pass the bar exam without a law degree) and patent attorneys (who hold both a technical degree and a JD) both command strong compensation in technology law firms and in-house IP departments. 

Technical sales representatives in the legal technology space and IP litigation consultants also draw on EE credentials. The legal occupations group reported a median annual wage of $99,990 in May 2024, according to BLS. Senior patent attorneys at technology firms typically earn considerably above that figure. 

Technical Sales 

Technical sales roles at semiconductor manufacturers, test and measurement companies, industrial automation vendors and defense electronics distributors require the ability to understand and communicate the value of complex engineering products. Electrical engineers who move into technical sales can apply their circuit-level knowledge to match customer requirements with product capabilities — a skill that non-technical salespeople cannot replicate. 

According to BLS, sales representatives for technical and scientific products earned a median annual wage of $100,070 in May 2024. High performers in technical sales often exceed their base salary substantially through commission and bonus structures tied to deal volume. 

Product Management 

Product managers at hardware and deep technology companies increasingly require engineers with strong business communication skills and the ability to translate between customer requirements and engineering capabilities. Electrical engineers who develop product intuition and communication fluency can move into product management roles at consumer electronics companies, industrial technology firms and semiconductor companies. 

Product management roles tied to hardware products draw specifically on EE knowledge. Understanding component-level tradeoffs, PCB design constraints, signal integrity and power budget management are all relevant to making sound product decisions in electronics-heavy industries. 

Engineering Consulting 

Engineering consulting firms hire EEs to provide independent technical analysis on power systems, telecommunications infrastructure, facilities design, failure analysis and regulatory compliance. Independent consultants and those within large consulting firms advise clients ranging from utilities and municipalities to law firms and government agencies on technical questions that require third-party expertise. 

Management analysts — a category that includes many engineering consultants — earned a median annual wage of $101,190 in May 2024, per BLS. Consulting provides EE professionals with exposure to a wide range of technical problems and industries, often accelerating career development beyond what a single-employer track offers. 

Electrical engineering is one of the highest compensated fields in the technical workforce, with median salaries that significantly exceed the national average at every career stage. Compensation reflects the complexity of the work, the specialized skills the degree provides and the sustained demand for EE talent across multiple high-growth industries. 

BLS reports a median annual wage of $111,910 for electrical engineers in May 2024. Entry-level engineers typically earn in the range of $74,670 — the lowest 10% of the wage distribution — with compensation rising sharply as engineers gain experience, develop specialty expertise and move into senior or leadership roles. The top 10% of electrical engineers earn more than $175,460 per year. 

Electronics engineers, whose work focuses more heavily on circuit design and systems for consumer and defense electronics applications, earn even higher. BLS reports a median annual wage of $127,590 for electronics engineers (except computer) in May 2024, with the top 10% earning more than $199,060. 

Compensation also varies substantially by industry and geography. Electrical engineers in federal government roles, aerospace and defense, and semiconductor manufacturing typically earn above the national median. Those in technology hubs — the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, Seattle, Boston and the Research Triangle in North Carolina — command regional premiums that often exceed the national figures by a meaningful margin. 

The non-traditional career paths covered earlier carry equally competitive compensation. Technical sales representatives in scientific and technical products earned a median of $100,070 in May 2024. Management analysts and consultants earned a median of $101,190. The electrical engineering credential is valuable not just in engineering roles — it establishes professional credibility that commands premium compensation across a range of adjacent careers. 

A graduate degree accelerates progress toward the higher end of these ranges. Engineers with master's degrees are typically entrusted with leadership and project management responsibilities that command above-median compensation. Ohio University's online MSEE — delivered through the Russ College of Engineering and Technology and taught by faculty from the university's Avionics Engineering Research Center — offers six concentrations, three annual start dates and a 36-credit-hour curriculum designed to build the advanced skills that senior engineering roles require.