Online Degrees

Electrical Engineering Degrees

Salaries For Degrees in Electrical Engineering

Those who majored in Electrical Engineering can work in a variety of occupations.  While no one can say with certainty what you personally will do with a degree in Electrical Engineering, our survey panel picked the following jobs as likely options:

• Electrical engineers
• Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
• Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
• Electronics engineers, except computer (Best salary!)

The median salary for people with a degree in Electrical Engineering is $62,439.13.  The lifetime value of this degree is approximately $1,455,550.00.

Salaries are highly dependent on individual negotiating skill, seniority in the field, policies at your employer, location, and a host of other factors.  The estimates we show on these pages are just that: estimates.  Your individual experience will likely vary.

Where does this come from?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the US government, classifies all workers into some 800-odd occupational categories.  We paid a team of freelancers to get their view on what type of degree a holder of each type of job would likely have majored in.  For pairs which had a high degree of consensus, we created a link between the degree and the job.

From this, we calculated the average salary for Electrical Engineering degrees and converted it into a lifetime value.  We then compared it against other degrees at the same level of schooling (such as associate's, bachelor's, or master's), so that you can make informed educational and employment decisions.

What Can Electrical Engineering Students Expect to Learn?

With the explosive growth of technology, there is a constant need for new ideas and people to implement them. Companies are searching for the next big thing, and this is often accomplished through the efforts of an electrical engineer. With this type of degree, there is an almost unlimited amount of avenues to be taken in the job market. Automotive, Information Technology, and Manufacturing are just a few examples of the market sectors that are actively seeking these trained individuals. The outlook is definitely bright for this kind of degreed professional.

Students, who want to explore a career in the electrical engineering field, will want to check out a variety of undergraduate technology programs before making their final decision. There are a number of required courses that must be fulfilled in order to complete the degree requirements. Along with the general education classes that are necessary for all students, an electrical engineer (ee) has to complete the basic core package, consisting of advanced math, science, and engineering classes as well. In this group are such things as Introduction to signal processing, digital design laboratory, circuit analysis, electromagnets, microelectronic circuits, and a final project for graduation. All of these were designed to impart general world knowledge along with specified instruction in the area of expertise.

An electrical engineer will be able to specialize in a particular area once the undergraduate courses are completed. This can include such hot fields as the computer industry (nanotechnology), automotive (electrical busses), and technology (media and entertainment). Most of the new innovations that are currently being seen in the multi-media applications (such as the Smartphone), are the result of hours of dedicated research and testing done by electrical engineers. The future is “right now” for those students who wish to see what the world of tomorrow will look like. For undergraduates, it is certainly an interesting path to consider.

A degree in electrical engineering can be obtained from a number of colleges and universities. Students can choose from taking online classes, or attending the more traditional campus setting. While it is not always easy to decide on which route to take, the best advice would be to consult with a few trusted family members, some guidance counselors, and also meet with school officials who could provide some additional input for this decision.

Online Schools Offering Accredited Electrical Engineering Degree Programs

Any online degree program comes with plusses and minuses. For the most part, the student is on his/her own for completing assignments, and downloading lectures and notes. Since there is nobody there to push or prod, it takes the right amount of dedication to be able to complete a course of study as rigorous as this one. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, or the prospective student shouldn’t even consider the possibility, but there are some definite items for debate. Colleges offering their coursework over the Internet are able to meet the demands of a changing job market. Many non-traditional students are now taking classes in preparation for a second career. Since they are already veterans of this process, it might be easier for somebody in this situation to get their training on the World Wide Web.

A variety of schools are offering the Electrical Engineering degree online at this time. Some well known names in distance learning that have established programs in this discipline are:

Master of Electrical Engineering

Ph.D. in Engineering Management

There are many more who have the Master’s program in this field once the Bachelor’s degree is finalized. More information and details are available on the respective schools websites, including tuition costs and schedules. Prospective students should consider this option as another way of getting their first college degree.

Top Colleges & Universities Offering Campus-based Electrical Engineering Degrees

The more traditional method of obtaining an electrical engineering degree is by going to campus and attending lectures. This has been going on for hundreds of years, with undergraduates going to higher places of learning to better their lot in life. It might be the best route for a prospective scholar straight out of high school. By being literally forced to attend class, a younger intellectual may have a better chance of success. Without parents or authority figures to mandate a proper schedule, it is likely that bad habits can form, putting an individual off track and leading to poor study habits.

There are a number of great schools that offer this degree program on campus. The list includes such notables as

• Carnegie Mellon
• Case Western Reserve
• The City College of New York, Clemson
• Columbia
• Cornell
• Florida State
• Gonzaga
• Louisiana State
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• North Carolina State
• Northwestern
• Ohio State
• Penn State
• Purdue
• Rutgers
• Stanford
• Syracuse
• Texas A&M
• The Naval Academy
• University of Michigan

Of course, this is just a short list to give an indication of the number of fine colleges and universities that offer this particular degree program. They all have a fine record of academic excellence, so graduates will have a head start in the job market. A bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from a quality school goes a long way in stating a candidate’s credentials in most cases. Since reputation means everything in the business world, having the proper diploma will create more viability in any portfolio. This probably trumps the online method in a couple of ways: there are more colleges still offering the bachelor’s degree on campus and being able to perform the hands on labs with the proper guidance makes a world of difference to most students.

Famous People of Electrical Engineering

A great many people have been awarded the bachelor’s of science in electrical engineering before venturing out in the somewhat scary world of capitalism. Many have gone on to become noted figures in this area, while others have gained some notoriety in other fields. There is really no predicting what the future holds for any candidate, and he/she must be open to change and willing to embrace whatever comes along.

The list of individuals who did their undergraduate work in electrical engineering is long and impressive. In the information technology field alone, there are such examples as William Hewlett and David Packard who are the co-founders of the Hewlett-Packard (HP) Company, James Truchard, founder and CEO of National Instruments, Jack Kilby - inventor of the integrated circuit and handheld calculator, Marcian Hoff who invented the microprocessor while at Intel, Seymour Cray- founder of Cray Research which manufactured the first supercomputer, and Stephen Wozniak (pictured below) who founded Apple and then later returned to finish school.

While all of these men are notable for their achievements in the computer industry, there are other fields that have been affected as well. Other individuals of note are engineer Nolan Bushnell - founder of Atari video games company, Nikola Texla - inventor of the induction motor and arguably the father of our modern electric power system, Nick Holonyak Jr. who invented the first light emitting diode (LED), and Ray Dolby, founder of Dolby Laboratories.

It is a veritable listing of some of the most important inventors ever seen, whose accomplishment helped to pave the way for the modern lifestyle that is enjoyed today. And the fact that much of it was predicated on being able to complete an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering should be enough incentive for others to follow in their footsteps.