Electrical engineer

Elektroingenieure und -ingenieurinnen sind in der Regel auf ein Teilgebiet der Elektrotechnik spezialisiert, z.B. auf die Informationstechnik, elektrische Energietechnik, Mess-, Regel- und Automatisierungstechnik oder Mikroelektronik. Sie können in vielfältigen Funktionen und Bereichen tätig sein. Als Entwicklungsingenieure und -ingenierurinnen berechnen, konstruieren und erproben sie neue Bauelemente, Maschinen, Anlagen und Systeme oder Verfahren zu deren Herstellung. Im Bereich Produktion und Fertigung überwachen sie die Herstellung, Instandhaltung und den Betrieb von elektrotechnischen Anlagen und Systemen. Für die Qualitätssicherung und -prüfung erarbeiten sie Test- und Prüfverfahren und kontrollieren die Ergebnisse. Arbeiten sie im Vertrieb, erstellen sie Angebote und unterbreiten diese dem Kunden. Im Kundenservice lösen sie technische Probleme, führen Anwenderschulungen durch oder beraten Unternehmen zur Anpassung von Anlagen. In der Betriebsorganisation und im Unternehmensmanagement nehmen sie Leitungs- und Personalführungsaufgaben wahr. Elektroingenieure und -ingenieurinnen finden Beschäftigung z.B.

• in Betrieben der Elektroindustrie
• in Betrieben des Maschinen- und Fahrzeugbaus, der Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie und der Energieversorgung, bei Herstellern von elektromedizinischen Geräten
• bei Softwareanbietern und in Ingenieurbüros für technische Fachplanung
• in Forschung und Entwicklung, z.B. in den Bereichen Medizin oder Umwelt

The salary level for Electrical engineer in Germany is: from 5003 up to 6324 EUR per month

What is it about?

Electrical engineers develop and design electrical products. They assume management positions in the production, operation, or sales of products and services in information and telecommunications technology, electrical power engineering, automation technology, or microelectronics.

Development and Production

Many electrical engineers are involved in the new and further development of products, procedures, and processes. During design, they work on computers using CAD or CAE software. They ensure that each development is both functionally appropriate and production-friendly in terms of materials, labor, and working time.

In information and communications technology, they deal with the generation, processing, and transmission of information (speech, text, images, data), particularly with the interfaces in information transmission between people, between people and machines, or between machines. For example, they work on the development of digital switching and terminal devices or on data transmission via satellites or fiber optic cables. Mobile communications also belong to information technology – as do television and radio technology, automotive infotainment, navigation, and radar technology.

In automation technology, electrical engineers deal with measurement and control devices, as well as processing computer intelligence and connecting communication bus systems. They design the overall systems and software, describe the process relevant to control and automation design, and develop measurement methods and transducers. They also develop the often extensive application software themselves. To meet the requirements of Industry 4.0, they may also plan and implement cyber-physical systems (CPS), which enable the integration of automation, process and corporate control, and even system maintenance.

In the field of microelectronics, electrical engineers design electronic circuits, semiconductor components, and complex integrated circuits, and plan and monitor their production and assembly. For example, they develop and program microchip architectures using specialized computer programs and test them with simulation programs. Electrical engineers also develop the software for computer-aided circuit design – here, microelectronics itself is the prerequisite for the development of ever-new design methods for microelectronic systems.

Energy Generation

In electrical power engineering, another important field of application, electrical energy is generated, transmitted, and distributed. Electrical engineers ensure cost-effective production, high efficiencies, availability, reliability, and environmentally friendly design, e.g., in energy generation in power plants or in the transmission and distribution of energy. Renewable energy technology is becoming increasingly important. For example, in the planning of photovoltaic systems or bio-power plants, these engineers can assume interface functions between project management and implementation. The application involves converting electrical energy into heat and light – or converting it into mechanical energy using electric drives.

Other Applications

Further fields of activity are also open to electrical engineers. In quality control, they create testing and inspection procedures for products. They can work in sales, the service sector, customer service, purchasing, or materials management, for example. If they work in component management, they support research and development with regard to component selection, collaborate on development and sample processes for assemblies, and are responsible for component test reports and the component release process. As air traffic control engineers, they introduce and commission new safety, positioning, and navigation systems in air traffic. They collaborate with testing bodies such as the VDE Testing and Certification Institute when it comes to the approval or recognition of, for example, power tools, electrical household appliances, or electric motors. In the field of medical technology, for example, they develop imaging diagnostics, modern prostheses, or optimize applications in telemedicine.