Routes to becoming an Electrical engineer

If you don’t want to go to university, you could do a Level 4 and 5 Higher National Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at college before looking for work. You’ll need 1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course. 

If you’d like to go to university and study different aspects of engineering in more detail, you can do a course in electrical or electronic engineering. You'll usually need 3 A levels, or equivalent, to get onto an Electrical engineering course. If you’d like to study and work at the same time, you could do a degree apprenticeship, where you’ll work full-time and study part-time.  

Degree apprenticeships

If you’d like to get some practical experience while studying, a degree apprenticeship is worth considering. On a degree apprenticeship you’ll split your time between university study and a workplace where you are employed throughout. You’ll gain your degree while earning a wage and getting real on-the-job experience in electrical engineering. Degree Apprentices do not pay tuition fees as these are covered by their sponsoring employer. Which apprenticeships are available, and how you apply, depends on where you live.

The entry requirements are set by both the employer and the course provider.

You can search for apprenticeship vacancies via .

Postgraduate courses

A masters will involve more specialised study than an undergraduate course. You'll focus on something that specifically interests you and will help your career, you’ll work closely with academics committed to the subject. 

You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate course, but most of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face. Your time will be split between lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory sessions and project work.  

You can also do a Master of Engineering (MEng). This will be a four-year course that takes your studies to master’s level. You can do Electrical engineering courses with an industrial placement year, as a four-year MEng, or as a five-year MEng with an industrial placement year.

Finding work experience

Whether you chose to do an apprenticeship or a bachelor’s degree, having some work experience can not only help your application onto an electrical engineering degree, but also make you stand out at job interviews after graduation.  

Try looking for work experience by

How to get a job as an Electrical engineer

Once qualified you can apply directly with companies. As an Electrical engineer you will be able to find work in different industries, from power and renewable energy to transport, construction, and manufacturing. 

To improve your career prospects, you can get incorporated or chartered engineer status.  

After completing your engineering qualification, you can work towards getting incorporated or chartered engineer status. This is often done whilst working, and through an accredited graduate scheme. Whilst engineering is the base of both, chartered engineers and incorporated engineers have some definite differences between them. 

Chartered engineers (CEng) develop solutions to engineering problems using new or existing technologies through innovation, creation and change and they may have technical accountability for complex systems with significant levels of risk. 

Incorporated engineers (IEng) maintain and manage applications of current and developing technology, and may undertake engineering design, development, manufacture, construction and operation.

What it's like to be an Electrical engineer

You’ll be involved in projects from the concept of the design, through to implementation, testing and handover. You may also work on maintenance programmes.

It's likely you'll work in multidisciplinary project teams, which can include engineers from other specialist areas as well as architects, marketing and sales staff, manufacturers, technicians, and customer service personnel.

Graduate starting salaries are around £20,000 to £27,000. With some experience, salaries can range from £28,000 to £40,000. Average salaries for experienced senior engineers, or those with chartered status, can exceed £60,000.

Is a role as an Electrical engineer right for you?

If you already have a passion for electronics and how they work, then this career will keep you entertained and allow you to become an expert. It’s a creative job, so if you’re a creative person with lots of ideas, being an electrical engineer can give you the opportunity to work on your ideas with a team that will help you achieve these. 

There’s a large demand for electrical engineers – they're needed worldwide. You are likely to have plenty of opportunities to travel and work remotely. A lot of electrical engineering jobs allow you to work in various places a few times a year too. If this element is of interest to you, it’s worth asking employers about travel in the interview stages. 

You won’t get bored. New electrical devices are invented and created every day. As soon as something goes to market, businesses are looking for the next big thing or a way to make the existing model better. Ideas are changed and new ideas for improvement and further innovation are always needed. You’ll always have new projects coming in to keep you interested.