Manufacturing
Electrical Engineer
Last updated
Electrical Engineers in manufacturing design, specify, and maintain the electrical systems that power and control production equipment and facilities. From motor drives and control panels to power distribution and factory automation, they apply circuit theory, power systems knowledge, and safety standards to keep machines running safely, efficiently, and within regulatory compliance.
Role at a glance
- Typical education
- Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) or Electrical Engineering Technology (BSEET)
- Typical experience
- Entry-level to 7+ years
- Key certifications
- PE License, NFPA 70E, TÜV Functional Safety Engineer, OSHA 10/30
- Top employer types
- Automotive/EV manufacturers, semiconductor fabrication, defense, pharmaceutical, industrial automation
- Growth outlook
- Above-average growth driven by EV/battery manufacturing, industrial automation, and reshoring of semiconductor and defense industries.
- AI impact (through 2030)
- Augmentation — AI enhances power systems analysis and predictive maintenance, but physical infrastructure design, safety compliance, and hands-on troubleshooting remain core human responsibilities.
Duties and responsibilities
- Design electrical control systems for production machinery: motor starters, VFDs, servo drives, and safety relay circuits per IEC and NFPA standards
- Develop electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and panel layouts using AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or E3.series
- Specify electrical components: breakers, contactors, transformers, PLCs, I/O modules, cables, and conduit based on load calculations and application requirements
- Perform power systems analysis: load flow, short circuit calculations, and arc flash studies to ensure safe and compliant facility power distribution
- Commission new electrical installations: verify wiring, perform point-to-point checks, test control logic, and document as-built drawings
- Investigate electrical failures in production: troubleshoot motor drive faults, wiring faults, control logic errors, and power quality issues
- Ensure compliance with NEC (NFPA 70), NFPA 79 (Industrial Machinery), OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, and applicable UL/CE standards
- Lead machine safety reviews: design safety circuits (E-stop, light curtains, interlocks) to SIL/PLr levels per IEC 62061 and ISO 13849
- Support capital project engineering: write equipment specifications, review vendor submittals, and provide electrical acceptance testing
- Develop and maintain preventive maintenance programs for electrical distribution equipment, UPS systems, and motor control centers
Overview
Electrical Engineers in manufacturing are the people who make sure the power gets to where it's needed, the machines are controlled correctly, and nobody gets hurt when something goes wrong. That scope covers everything from a wall outlet in the break room to a 4,160-volt distribution system feeding a 500-ton press — and the design principles underlying both are the same even if the scale is radically different.
In a typical manufacturing plant, the electrical engineer's week splits across several areas. Production support involves troubleshooting equipment problems: a VFD throwing a ground fault, a PLC I/O card that's reading incorrectly, a transformer that's running hot. These problems arrive urgently and demand a combination of systematic diagnostic approach and hands-on electrical knowledge.
Capital project work involves designing new electrical systems: new production lines, facility expansions, power upgrades. The engineer writes equipment specs, reviews vendor submittals, develops schematics, and manages the installation from a technical standpoint. Getting the power distribution design right before construction starts is vastly less expensive than changing it after the conduit is in the wall.
Compliance and safety are non-negotiable backdrops. NEC, NFPA 79, OSHA's electrical standards, and UL listings govern how electrical systems are designed and installed. Arc flash studies, lockout/tagout procedures, and machine safety circuit design (SIL/PLr assessments) are areas where the electrical engineer carries significant personal professional responsibility. An engineer who shortcuts safety circuit design to meet a schedule creates liability that outlasts their tenure.
The most effective manufacturing EEs combine technical depth with production context — they understand not just how to design a correct system but how that system needs to perform at 2am when a maintenance tech is troubleshooting under pressure.
Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelor's in electrical engineering (BSEE) — required at most employers
- Bachelor's in electrical engineering technology (BSEET) with hands-on curriculum
- Master's in electrical engineering or power systems for advanced design roles
- PE (Professional Engineer) license — EIT exam after graduation, PE exam after 4 years of experience
Certifications:
- PE License (Professional Engineer) — required for design sign-off in regulated contexts and consulting
- NFPA 70E Electrical Safety — expected for engineers working in energized environments
- TÜV Functional Safety Engineer (FSE) — IEC 62061/ISO 13849 safety system design
- OSHA 10 or 30 — baseline for plant-floor roles
- ETAP or SKM Arc Flash Certification — validates power systems analysis competency
Technical skills:
- Power distribution design: single-line diagrams, load schedules, panel schedules, conductor sizing
- Control system design: IEC 61131-3 compliant PLC logic, safety relay circuits, HMI specification
- Electrical schematic software: AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN P8, E3.series
- Power systems analysis: arc flash studies, load flow, short circuit calculations using ETAP or SKM
- VFD and servo drive specification: Rockwell PowerFlex, ABB ACS880, Siemens SINAMICS, Yaskawa GA800
- Standards fluency: NEC (NFPA 70), NFPA 79, IEC 60204-1, UL 508A, OSHA 1910 Subpart S
Career outlook
Electrical engineering remains one of the most in-demand engineering disciplines in manufacturing. The BLS consistently projects above-average growth for electrical engineers, and the manufacturing sector's demand is being amplified by several concurrent trends.
EV and battery manufacturing is a major driver. New gigafactories and EV assembly plants require massive electrical infrastructure — power distribution systems at a scale most industrial facilities have never needed, high-voltage test equipment, motor drive systems for new process equipment. Electrical engineers with high-power system experience are in particular demand.
Industrial automation expansion creates ongoing need for controls-oriented EEs who can design safety circuits, specify drives, and commission automated production lines. The manufacturing base that's returning to the U.S. — semiconductors, defense, pharmaceuticals, electronics — is highly automated and requires sophisticated electrical engineering support.
Grid-tied renewable energy and power quality work is creating new opportunities for EEs with power systems backgrounds. Manufacturing facilities installing large solar arrays, battery storage, or microgrids need EEs who understand both the internal distribution system and the utility interconnection requirements.
Salary progression is strong throughout the career. Entry EEs in manufacturing earn $72–82K; engineers with 5–7 years of experience and project lead capability earn $92–115K; senior electrical engineers, engineering managers, and principal engineers earn $120–160K at major manufacturers. PE licensure typically adds $8–15K to market rates for mid-career engineers in roles where the credential has practical value.
Sample cover letter
Dear Hiring Manager,
I'm applying for the Electrical Engineer position at [Company]. I'm a BSEE with five years of experience at [Employer], a custom machine builder serving the automotive and consumer goods sectors, where I've been the lead electrical engineer on new machine projects.
My core work is control system design: developing schematics in AutoCAD Electrical, specifying PLCs and I/O (primarily Rockwell ControlLogix), sizing VFDs and servo drives, and designing safety circuits to PLr Category 3 per ISO 13849. I work from concept through commissioning — I'm on the floor for machine startup, troubleshoot the wiring issues that show up during integration, and update the as-built drawings before the machine ships.
The project I'm most proud of involved redesigning the safety architecture on an existing machine that had failed a CE certification audit. The original design used a proprietary safety relay but hadn't been formally assessed against the required PLr. I performed the PL assessment using SISTEMA software, identified that one safety function was only meeting PLc where PLd was required, redesigned that circuit using a dual-channel safety relay with feedback loop monitoring, and produced the required documentation for the TÜV assessor. The machine passed re-certification on the first attempt.
I'm interested in [Company] because of your transition toward larger-scale industrial automation projects and the power distribution scope I see in your current openings. I'd like to develop more high-voltage distribution design experience, and your facility power upgrade program looks like the right context for that.
[Your Name]
Frequently asked questions
- Do Manufacturing Electrical Engineers need a PE license?
- PE licensure is required for engineers who sign designs for facilities with public utility interconnection, for some arc flash study sign-offs, and for consulting firms providing stamped drawings. In internal manufacturing roles, many EEs work effectively without a PE. The license is worth pursuing for those who want design sign-off authority, consulting options, or leadership roles where external credibility with utilities and regulators matters.
- What electrical design software do manufacturing EEs use?
- AutoCAD Electrical is the most common schematic software in U.S. manufacturing. EPLAN Electric P8 is dominant in European-origin equipment and is growing in U.S. industrial applications. E3.series (Zuken) is common in automotive OEM supply chains. For power systems analysis, ETAP and SKM PowerTools are industry standards for load flow and arc flash studies. SolidWorks Electrical is used in mid-market machine builders.
- What is an arc flash study and why does it matter?
- An arc flash study analyzes the incident energy at each electrical panel and switchgear in a facility to determine the required PPE for workers who might be exposed to an arc flash event. NFPA 70E requires manufacturers to perform these studies and label their equipment. The electrical engineer who designs or modifies power distribution systems is responsible for keeping the arc flash study current — outdated studies result in workers using inadequate PPE for actual incident energy levels.
- What is the difference between an electrical engineer and an electrician in a manufacturing plant?
- An electrician installs, maintains, and repairs electrical systems — pulling wire, terminating connections, replacing components. An electrical engineer designs those systems — calculating load requirements, specifying equipment, drawing schematics, and ensuring compliance with standards. In practice, manufacturing EEs often work closely with plant electricians, and experienced plant electricians frequently have a better hands-on understanding of the existing installation than the engineer. The best EE/electrician working relationships are collaborative.
- How is the push toward electrification affecting electrical engineering jobs in manufacturing?
- Significantly and positively. EV and battery manufacturing facilities require extensive power infrastructure — megawatt-scale charging systems, high-voltage battery test equipment, large motor drives for cell formation. Electrification of industrial processes (electric furnaces replacing gas, heat pumps replacing steam) is generating capital spending on power systems upgrades. Electrical engineers who understand high-power applications and power quality are in strong demand.
More in Manufacturing
See all Manufacturing jobs →- Distribution Manager$72K–$118K
Distribution Managers run the warehouse and shipping operations that get finished products from a manufacturing facility to customers, distributors, and retail stores. They manage inbound receiving, inventory storage, order picking and packing, outbound shipping, and the workforce that executes those functions — balancing throughput, accuracy, and cost against customer service commitments.
- Electrical Engineering Technician$48K–$78K
Electrical Engineering Technicians assist electrical engineers in designing, testing, and maintaining electrical equipment and systems. They build prototype circuits, conduct electrical tests, troubleshoot equipment failures, interpret schematics and wiring diagrams, and document test results — serving as the hands-on technical support that turns engineering designs into working hardware.
- Demand Planner$62K–$98K
Demand Planners generate and maintain statistical forecasts for product demand, blending historical data with market intelligence, sales input, and promotional plans to produce the numbers that drive purchasing, production scheduling, and inventory decisions. Their accuracy directly determines whether a manufacturer has too much inventory sitting in a warehouse or too little to fill customer orders.
- Electrical Maintenance Technician$52K–$85K
Electrical Maintenance Technicians keep production equipment running by diagnosing and repairing electrical faults, performing scheduled preventive maintenance, and responding to breakdowns that shut down production lines. They work on motor drives, PLCs, sensors, control panels, and power distribution equipment — and they do it under pressure, because every minute of unplanned downtime costs money.
- Manufacturing Supervisor$58K–$95K
Manufacturing Supervisors lead frontline production teams — operators, assemblers, and machine operators — on a single shift or area, ensuring daily output targets, quality standards, and safety requirements are met. They are the direct management layer for hourly production workers, handling assignments, performance coaching, safety enforcement, and real-time problem-solving when production doesn't go as planned.
- Quality Assurance Analyst$52K–$88K
Quality Assurance Analysts design and execute test plans, audits, and inspection procedures that verify manufactured products meet design specifications and regulatory requirements. They investigate defects, trace root causes through production data, and work with engineering and operations teams to close the gap between what was planned and what gets built.