Electrical Engineer Career Assessment
Designing power systems, controls, and electronics
Welcome
Electrical engineers design the systems that move and control electric power. Power lines, substations, plant controls, motors, and electronics.
This is the best paying of the four engineering jobs in this set, and also the smallest in North Dakota. You will explore whether it fits you.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Electrical Engineer?
An electrical engineer designs, tests, and improves electrical equipment and systems. In North Dakota a lot of this work is power: generating it at a plant, moving it across the state, and controlling it at a substation. Other electrical engineers design the controls that run a factory, or the electronics inside a product. This job is not the same as an electrician. An electrician installs and repairs wiring. An electrical engineer designs the system the electrician builds.
The Reality: This is a four-year degree and the math is the hardest of the group. You take calculus 1, 2, and 3, differential equations, physics with calculus, and chemistry, and then circuit theory, signals, and electromagnetics on top of that. A lot of the work is invisible: you are doing math about things you cannot see. Four to five years is normal. There is also a real two-year door. An electrical and electronic engineering technician degree takes two years, and the middle ND technician earns about $38.91 an hour, or about $80,930 a year. That is the best technician pay in this whole set.
Your Responsibilities:
- Design electrical equipment, controls, and power systems
- Do detailed calculations for installation and manufacturing standards
- Use computer-aided engineering and design software
- Prepare technical drawings and written specifications
- Direct testing, installation, and maintenance work
- Watch a project's schedule and budget
- Troubleshoot systems that are not working right
- Train or supervise other members of a project team
You design the systems that keep the lights on for a whole region.
A Day in the Life
8:00 AM — Email. A substation had a fault overnight. Read the data it logged.
8:45 AM — Open the design software. Check a protection relay setting.
10:00 AM — Meet with the power company about a new line to a growing town.
11:30 AM — Do the math on how much current the new line must carry.
12:00 PM — Lunch.
1:00 PM — Review a contractor's drawings and mark up the errors.
3:00 PM — Drive out to a substation to watch a test.
4:30 PM — Write the test report and log your project hours.
Heavy computer and calculation work, with some field and plant visits.
Training in North Dakota
Electrical engineer jobs want a four-year degree. The two-year technician path pays the best of any technician job here. For the engineer title you need a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Look for an ABET accredited program — ABET is the national group that reviews engineering degrees, and the accreditation makes your license path much shorter. North Dakota has two ABET accredited electrical engineering degrees, and UND offers its version fully online.
Training Pathways:
- Two-year technician degree (2 years): An electronics, instrumentation, or electric power technology degree. You work as a technician for a utility, a co-op, or a plant. Strong pay, far less math.
- Two years here, then transfer (4 to 5 years total): Take your math and science at a North Dakota two-year college, then finish the bachelor's at NDSU or UND. Cheaper at the start.
- Straight to the university, or online (4 to 5 years): Start at NDSU or UND as an electrical engineering major. UND offers its BSEE 100% online, which matters if you cannot move to Grand Forks.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Electrical Engineering, BSEE, 126 credits, 4 to 5 years, offered 100% online or on campus. UND states the program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET and meets the requirement to sit for the NCEES FE exam — und.edu/programs/electrical-engineering-bsee
- North Dakota State University (Fargo) — Electrical Engineering, BSEE, and Computer Engineering, BSCPRE. NDSU lists both as accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET — ndsu.edu/oira/resourcesresearch_links/accrediting_agencies
- Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Electric Power Technology, Electrical Transmission Systems Technology, Electronics Technology, and Instrumentation and Control Technology. These are ND's main two-year doors into utility and plant electrical work — catalog.bismarckstate.edu
- Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Liberal Arts Engineering Pathway, AS, with an electrical and computer engineering version. BSC says the recommended courses may give you junior standing when you transfer to UND or NDSU — catalog.bismarckstate.edu
- North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton) — Electrical Construction and Mechatronics Engineering Technology AAS programs, plus a Liberal Arts (Engineering Transfer) AS — ndscs.edu/academics/programs
- Williston State College (Williston) — Electronics and Industrial Controls, a career and technical education program covering automation and plant controls — willistonstate.edu/programs
- United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck) — Pre-Engineering, AS, built to transfer into ABET accredited bachelor's programs at UND, NDSU, South Dakota School of Mines, and Navajo Technical University — uttc.edu/academics/programs/pre-engineering
Before You Start: High school diploma or GED. Take algebra 2, trigonometry, and pre-calculus if you can. Physics is important. This branch leans on math more than the others, so be honest with yourself about where your math is now and plan a catch-up class if you need one.
Tip: Start with financial aid and scholarships. Fill out the FAFSA, ask the school’s financial aid office what you qualify for, and ask an employer whether they help pay for school. That is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like tuition, books, a laptop, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you enroll rather than after. Worth asking about specifically: two-year degrees that train you for a job, like civil engineering technology, land surveying, mechatronics, electronics, or instrumentation. North Dakota two-year colleges also cost far less than a university. Ask about paid summer internships too — engineering firms, plants, and survey crews hire students while they are still in school.
Certification & Licensing
Many electrical engineers work without a license. Power and building work usually needs one. The North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors licenses engineers here. Electrical engineers who design products inside a company often never get licensed. Engineers who design power systems, substations, or building electrical systems usually do, because those drawings need a stamp. A stamp is an official mark saying you take responsibility for the design.
The License Ladder in North Dakota:
- No license needed for many in-company electronics and product design jobs
- Bachelor's degree first — the ND board says all registration in North Dakota is based on the bachelor's degree (ndpelsboard.org)
- FE exam — the Fundamentals of Engineering exam from NCEES. There are Electrical and Computer versions: Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics, and Power (ncees.org)
- Engineer Intern (EI, also called EIT) — after you pass the FE exam. With an ABET accredited engineering degree the board asks for no work experience for this step (ndpelsboard.org)
- Work experience — 4 years with an ABET accredited engineering degree, 8 years with a non-ABET engineering degree, 12 years with an engineering technology or engineering-related degree (ndpelsboard.org)
- PE exam, then Professional Engineer — NCEES says the PE exam is for engineers with at least four years of work after college. You send three licensed PE references plus two character references (ndpelsboard.org)
The Exams: The FE exam has 110 questions. The appointment is 6 hours, with 5 hours and 20 minutes of test time, taken on a computer at a Pearson test center, year-round. The PE exam is also on a computer, with one try per testing window and no more than three tries in 12 months. Results usually come in 7 to 10 business days (ncees.org).
Cost: NCEES lists $225 for the FE exam and $425 for the PE exam in most U.S. states. The ND board adds its own application fee, so call and ask for current amounts.
Keeping It Current: ND personal licenses renew every two years and expire December 31 of even-numbered years. You need 30 Professional Development Hours each two years, with 20 technical and 1 in ethics (ndpelsboard.org).
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Electrical Engineer Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $37.19–$40.09/hour ($77,350–$83,380/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $53.28/hour ($110,810/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $62.33–$74.77/hour ($129,640–$155,520/year)
What that means: North Dakota data was published for this job. The middle ND electrical engineer earns about $53.28 an hour, or about $110,810 a year. That is the highest pay of the four engineering jobs in this set. Notice the bottom tenth, about $37.19 an hour or $77,350 a year — even the starting pay is strong. But the state total is only about 310 workers, so this is a small group and the numbers can move around more than they would in a big state. The national middle is higher, about $58.00 an hour, and the national top is much higher, so people who want the very top pay often leave North Dakota.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 310 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 330 (about 8% growth). Expect about 20 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 7% growth — much faster than average.
Outlook: Good, but small. Only about 20 openings a year in North Dakota, because only about 310 people hold this job in the whole state. The growth rate is healthy, but you should expect to move for the right job or wait for one to open. The power industry here is stable and keeps hiring.
Who Hires in ND: Electric co-ops and utilities, power plants, transmission companies, oil and gas companies, manufacturing plants, engineering and consulting firms, and the state university system.
Work Setting: An office with a computer most of the time, plus visits to plants, substations, and construction sites. Substation and line work means being outdoors in North Dakota weather. Some utility jobs put engineers on an on-call rotation for outages, including nights, weekends, and blizzards.
Physical Demands: Low. Mostly sitting at a screen. Site visits mean walking on gravel and steel, climbing stairs, and standing outside in cold or heat. Safety training around live power is required. Good color vision helps, because wiring and drawings are color-coded.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 17-2071); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: Engineering Technician — A two-year-degree job testing and maintaining electrical equipment.
Path 2: Engineer Intern (EI) — Passed the FE exam. Working under a licensed engineer.
Path 3: Design Engineer — You design circuits, controls, or power systems.
Path 4: Protection or Substation Engineer — You design the systems that protect the grid.
Path 5: Professional Engineer (PE) — Licensed. You can stamp drawings.
Path 6: Engineering Manager — You lead the team, the schedule, and the budget.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- Highest pay of these four engineering jobs
- Strong pay even at the start
- The ND power industry is stable
- UND offers the degree 100% online
- Best technician pay if you take the two-year door
- Skills work anywhere in the country
What's Hard:
- Hardest math of the four
- Only about 20 ND openings a year
- Only about 310 people hold this job in ND
- Small sample makes ND numbers less steady
- Utility work can mean on-call nights and weekends
- Top national pay is well above ND pay
Be Honest: Are you willing to take calculus, differential equations, and circuit theory? Can you be patient in a field with only about 20 ND openings a year? Are you OK being on call for outages in bad weather?