Electronics engineer

Electronic engineering is an exciting and fast paced industry which can see you working in areas such as telecommunications, manufacturing, aerospace or robotics

As an electronics engineer, you'll design, develop and test components, devices, systems or equipment that use electricity as part of their source of power. These components include capacitors, diodes, resistors and transistors.

You may be involved at any stage of a project including the initial brief for a concept, the design and development stage, testing of prototypes and the final manufacture and implementation of a new product or system. You'll typically work in project teams with colleagues from other branches of engineering.

As electronics are used widely across all sectors, you can find work in a variety of areas including:

• acoustics
• defence
• medical instruments
• mobile phones
• nanotechnology
• radio and satellite communication
• robotics.

Types of electronic engineering

You could specialise in a particular subfield of electronic engineering, such as:

• control engineering
• instrumentation
• signal processing
• telecommunications engineering.

Job roles in these areas may have different titles such as control and instrumentation engineer so consider this when looking for vacancies.

Responsibilities

You'll need to:

• discuss proposals with clients
• work with colleagues to design new systems, circuits and devices or develop existing technology
• test theoretical design
• write specifications and technical reports
• follow defined development processes
• systematically improve the detailed design of a piece of electronic equipment
• ensure that a product will work with devices developed by others, can be made again reliably, and will perform consistently in specified operating environments
• create user-friendly interfaces
• ensure safety regulations are met
• carry out project planning and prepare budgets
• supervise technicians, craftspeople and other colleagues.

The tasks you're responsible for will depend on the level at which you're working. For example, you may be in a role where you have responsibility for certain aspects of a project and day-to-day operations. Or at a higher level, possibly with chartered status, you may have more a strategic role where you take responsibility of entire projects and look to develop solutions.

Salary

• Starting salaries for electronics engineers are around £25,000 to £33,000. Graduate training schemes may pay towards the top end of this scale.
• With experience, possibly working at an incorporated engineer level, you could earn around £30,000 to £45,000.
• As a senior engineer you can expect a salary in the range of £45,000 to £65,000+, with chartered engineers earning a salary at the top end of this scale.

Salaries vary from company to company, with some sectors attracting higher salaries due to demand.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Hours of work can vary, but a 40-hour week is typical. The commercial pressures associated with electronic design mean that extra hours during evenings and weekends may be required at busy times to meet deadlines. Contract staff are often recruited to meet peaks in workloads.

Self-employment and freelance work as a contractor is sometimes possible if you have a good track record and relevant experience. Short-term contract work is available, and is often arranged through agencies.

What to expect

• You'll typically be based in a laboratory or office, although some projects may require you to work in factories, workshops or outdoors.
• As with all areas of engineering, women are under-represented. However, initiatives are in place to help redress the balance and encourage women into the industry. These include the Women's Engineering Society (WES) and WISE.
• Opportunities are usually available across the UK but may be more common in areas with a strong manufacturing or research base.
• Travel within the working day can be frequent. Overnight absence from home and overseas travel may be required, depending on your employer and nature of the business.
• There are increasing opportunities to work abroad. Chartered engineers can apply for European engineer status (EUR ING), in order to gain professional recognition in other European countries.

Qualifications

Most electronics engineers have a degree in electrical or electronic engineering. Other relevant subjects that may feature an electronics element include:

• aeronautical engineering
• communications engineering
• computer/software/computer science engineering
• mathematics
• mechanical engineering
• physics and applied physics
• production and manufacturing engineering.

If you have an HND, relevant NVQ Level 3 qualification or have completed an apprenticeship, you may be considered for an engineering technician post. However, this means working at a lower level and you'll need to complete further training to become an electronics engineer.

A postgraduate qualification isn't a necessity but it may be useful if your first degree isn't in electrical or electronic engineering.

Search for postgraduate courses in electronic engineering.

It's useful if your first degree or Masters is accredited by a relevant professional body, such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as it can help you to achieve the status of incorporated or chartered engineer at a later date. Details of accredited courses are available at Engineering Council - Accredited Course Search.

If you're unsure about completing a degree, you may want to consider a degree-level apprenticeship. This allows you to gain practical experience through work while also completing your study towards a degree. Find out more about the embedded electronic systems design and development engineer level 6 degree apprenticeship.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• a high level of technical knowledge and IT skills
• strong analysis and practical problem-solving abilities to improve designs
• oral, written and diagrammatic communication skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear concepts
• creativity, innovation and attention to detail
• strategic thinking and commercial awareness of the industry you're in
• organisation, project management and leadership skills
• the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team with other engineers
• an understanding of electrical health and safety legislation.

Work experience

Pre-entry experience isn't essential but carrying out a relevant placement or industry-based project is useful. You're usually able to count some of the experience gained during a sandwich placement towards qualifying for chartered engineer (CEng) status. It can also help you make contacts with future employers.

Placements, vacation work and a year out in industry can all provide crucial evidence of skills development and commercial awareness, which are increasingly important in this sector.

The IET Power Academy offers a scholarship to electrical and electronic engineering students who are on or about to start an IET accredited BEng or MEng at certain universities. This provides a bursary for each year of study, mentoring from industry partners, paid summer work placements and an annual summer seminar on sector-specific topics.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

You could find employment in a range of industries, including:

• the electrical and electronics industry, including robotics, digital technology, automotive, telecommunications, electronics consultancies and electronic equipment manufacturers
• other engineering industries, such as aerospace, energy, chemical and marine
• non-electrical organisations, e.g. helping to implement and maintain computer systems, telecommunications and other technical equipment
• utility companies
• research establishments, both academic and commercial
• the public sector, including the Civil Service, local authorities, hospitals and educational institutions
• government departments like the Ministry of Defence (MoD) within specialist areas such as the Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG) Graduate Scheme.

A number of large companies recruit regularly and often provide opportunities for working abroad. There are many for you to consider but some examples are:

• BAE Systems
• BT
• Philips
• Siemens
• Sony
• Thales
• Vodafone.

Employment can also be found with the many small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

Look for vacancies at:

• Babcock International
• CWJobs
• Electronics Weekly Jobs
• The Engineer Jobs
• Engineering & Technology Jobs

In some instances, work in sensitive, security-related industries is not open to non-UK citizens or applicants who have a criminal record. You'll need to pass security clearance for work with the MoD.

Vacancies at all levels are advertised by specialist recruitment agencies such as:

• Matchtech
• Precision People

Professional development

You'll usually be offered in-service training by your employer and short courses for specific needs may be available. It's important to check what your employer offers as you might need to seek out opportunities yourself.

Many firms encourage working towards incorporated (IEng) or chartered (CEng) engineer status. These are internationally-recognised qualifications that are awarded by the Engineering Council. Achieving them improves your career prospects and earning potential as it shows you’re working at a certain level of skill and knowledge.

You'll need to be a member of a professional body, such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), and you must be able to meet a certain set of criteria. For more information see Engineering Council - Professional Registration.

You'll be expected to carry out continuing professional development (CPD) throughout your career. If you're a professionally active member of the IET you’ll be required to complete at least 30 hours of CPD over a year and will need to keep a record of your activity. Many things can count towards your CPD including training, events and seminars, academic study, volunteering and self-study (e.g. reading industry press).

The IET offers various courses on technical areas such as electrical safety management and these are often discounted for members. There is also the opportunity to take part in local network workshops and technical webinars. You can also use the IET’s Career Manager to plan and record your professional development. Find out more at IET Continuing Professional Development.

Career prospects

Most engineering careers lead to senior positions managing other staff and/or larger projects and budgets. To progress in the profession it's increasingly important to achieve professional status as an incorporated (IEng) or chartered (CEng) engineer.

If you have CEng status, you may be able to apply for EUR ING status with ENGINEERS EUROPE. This provides formal professional recognition in other European countries, enabling you to work overseas. For more information see Engineering Council - European Engineer registration.

As a professionally qualified engineer, you may become a senior manager or move into other roles within the industry, such as marketing, recruitment, sales, and training.