Do you have a deep found interest in electrical stuff and gadgets and want to know how to become an electrical engineer? Keep reading to find out yourself!
Did you always have a knack for testing electrical sockets or do you enjoy hitting the science behind the workings of electrical gadgets? Are you someone who would segregate different parts of electrical devices to understand how they are incorporated together? In that case, electrical engineering may be the right career option for you.
To know how to become an electrical engineer, let us first understand what they do. Electrical engineers are the ones who develop and work with electrical components, be it machines, gadgets, anything that runs on electricity falls under the expertise of these engineers.
In this article, a professional electrical engineer shares how to become an electrical engineer in India, the subjects you need to take, universities you should apply for, tuition fees, career options, and more.
1. Role of an Electrical Engineer
Electrical engineers are usually responsible for designing, supervising, and testing electrical devices. They need to be able to detect the faulty parts of the machines and have the ability to fix them. They also need to develop electrical components that work well with different devices.
Contents: Jump to Section
2.2 Entrance Exams
2.3 Academic Qualifications/ Options
2.4 License Required
2.5 Internship/ Work Experience Required
2.6 Cost of Tuition and Training
2.7 Competition & Scope in India for an Electrical Engineer
2.8 General Age to Start Professional Career for Electrical Engineers
2.9 Governing Bodies
3.2 Companies & Institutions that Employ Electrical Engineers
3.3 Growth Prospects
3.4 Entrepreneurship Opportunities
3.5 What is the Salary of an Electrical Engineer in India?
4.2 Top Universities in World
4.3 Famous Personalities
1.1 Is Being an Electrical Engineer a Good Career Option?
People share a divided opinion on whether electrical engineering is a good career option or not. People who are passionate and have an interest in this field can achieve great success at a young age. However, this job is tiring as it requires fieldwork, inspections, and much more, so not everyone will find it satisfactory.
2. How to Become an Electrical Engineer in India
2.1.1 Courses Taken: Subjects Taken at School
PCM+English/Computers
Since you will need to join an engineering institute in order to become an electrical engineer, you’ll need to study the Science stream to qualify for the entrance exams. So, take Physics, Chemistry and Maths for 11th and 12th (high school).
2.1.2 Subjects Taken in College
Electrical Machines, Transmission of Electricity, etc.
The courses and subjects to take at the college level include the following:
- Knowledge and history of electrical machines
- Power system analysis
- Transmission and distribution of electricity
- Analog and digital systems
- Design and built of electrical machines, etc.
Circuit theory is the major topic during the first year of college. During the second year onwards you will have the option to elect subjects of your interest along with these core subjects.
2.2 Entrance Exams
IIT/JEE, GATE
Entrance tests are conducted for both bachelor’s and master’s levels. Just like any other field, the entrance tests are slightly difficult to qualify for the government colleges when compared to the private colleges due to limited student capacity, which further reduces in premium colleges like IIT Bombay or IIT Guwhati. The common entrance tests for the sector are IIT-JEE.
Upon the completion of a bachelor’s degree, you are required to sit for placements. However, you can either pick a job by sitting for college placements or apply to your desired companies on your own. You can also choose to pursue master’s by further clearing entrance exams like GATE, AIEEE, IES, etc.
In some cases, you might still need to clear the above-mentioned exams to get a government sector job.
2.3 Academic Qualifications/ Options
Graduation or post-graduation in Electrical and Electronics
Every sector has a set of courses that you need to be eligible for building a career in that particular field. In the case of electrical engineering, one must have a bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronics, which is a 4 year-long program in most of the Indian colleges. The degree you will get will be either B.Tech or B.E. Although post-graduation is optional, it increases your chance to land a better job with a higher package. So, you can choose to complete an M.Tech or M.Sc degree.
2.4 License Required
None
To know how to become an electrical engineer in India, you must be aware of the licenses required to be able to practise. Currently, there are no licenses required to start practising as an electrical engineer either in the private or in the public sector in India.
2.5 Internship/ Work Experience Required
Not mandatory, but helpful
Internships are great opportunities to understand the nature of the work and acquire some practical knowledge in the field. They also help you understand the industry and give you a clear picture of what you are getting into. Hence, it is always advisable to intern in a related job role during your 3rd or 4th year of college.
2.6 Cost of Tuition and Training
4 lakh per annum
While many students start preparing for their entrance exams right after matriculation and the tuition fees for private coaching classes are quite high. During college, a student might need to spend something between 3-5 lakhs per annum for tuition fees. Good private engineering colleges have fees of about 3 lacs per year for a 4-year course, which makes a total of about 12 lacs, excluding the hostel fees.
However, it is quite affordable in the case of government colleges. For B.Tech and B.E, approximate fees at NITs is around INR 5 lacs for a 4-year course, which excluding hostel fees. Total spend comes around INR 7-8 lacs, including the hostel fees.
2.7 Competition & Scope in India for an Electrical Engineer
Highly competitive
Most of the competition you will face will be at the college admissions level. The entrance exams are highly competitive as lakhs and lakhs of candidates compete for a few thousand seats in the top colleges.
The top colleges like IITs and government institutes rank the best in engineering in India, and that’s where the top companies search for talent. So, it’s better to take coaching classes during 11th and 12th and prepare for a really good rank. However, the candidates can also pursue these courses from private colleges, which have slightly lesser competition, depending on the popularity and age of the institution.
While practising, one has to be thorough with the subjects learnt during college. You need to be competitive to get jobs with higher salary packages at multinational companies.
2.8 General Age to Start Professional Career for Electrical Engineer
21 years
You can start a professional career as soon as you finish your graduation, that is usually 21 years of age. However, completing your post-graduation or even graduation from the top universities gives you an edge over other candidates, and increases your chances of earning a higher salary.
2.9 Governing Bodies
IEC, IEEE, IET
A few governing bodies that look over this sector are International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
3. Professional Opportunities/ Career Growth for an Electrical Engineer
3.1 Specializations/ Sub-Professions
There are several sub-professions when it comes to electrical engineering. A few sub-professions are listed below:
1. Power System Engineer
2. Analog and Digital Circuit Design Engineer
3. Control System Engineer
4. Electrical Maintenance Engineer
5. Protection and Control Engineer
6. Product and Development Engineer
7. Production Engineer
8. Testing and Commissioning Engineer
3.2 Companies & Institutions that Employ Electrical Engineer
Now that you know how to become an electrical engineer, you should have industry knowledge as well. To be able to decide better, let’s look at the firms hiring electrical engineers, average salary and top institutes you should apply for.
As far as employment is concerned, most electrical engineers start out by working in small or medium-sized engineering services or consultant firms. However, joining a large corporation is also an option, such as a big technology or commerce company that picks several power plant projects, solar projects, and industry projects.
3.3 Growth Prospects
Growth prospects for the electrical engineering sector depend on many factors like entrepreneurial skills, presentation, communication skills, and networking abilities. Your proactive nature in taking up responsibility and ability to work hard also matter a lot.
Additionally, you should be able to collaborate with clients & different professionals like contractors, follow bye-laws, and should pay high attention to detail. These factors are very important in determining success. Successful electrical engineers should also have leadership abilities and the ability to work under stress.
3.4 Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Start a private firm
Electrical design often starts their own private practice, or consulting firm that gives consultancy to building service companies, designers, institutions and research firms.
3.5 What is the Salary of an Electrical Engineer in India?
10-30 thousand for freshers
When starting out as fresh graduates, the salary is quite low. However, it increases as you gain experience. Nevertheless, the field requires hard work and comparatively the salary might not seem very rewarding. Fresh graduates earn around 10K-12K per month for small scale companies, 13K-15K for medium-sized companies, and 15K-30K for corporate companies.
4. Further Resources
4.1 Top Universities in India
A few top universities to become an electrical engineer are:
1. Indian Institute of Technology – IIT
2. Chandigarh University – [CU] CHANDIGARH
3. National Institute of Technology – NIT
4. SRM University
5. Anna University
6. VIT University
7. Kanpur Institute of Technology
8. Birla Institute of Technology
4.2 Top Universities in World
Top colleges across the world that offer electrical engineering courses are:
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2. Stanford University
3. University of Cambridge
4. Harvard University
5. University of Oxford
6. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
7. Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
4.3 Famous Personalities
Some of the most famous personalities who have contributed a lot in the electrical sector and the science behind it include:
1. Michael Faraday
2. Thomas Alva Edison
3. Nikola Tesla
4. Alessandro Volta
5. Benjamin Franklin
6. James Clerk Maxwell
7. John Bardeen
So, that is a wrap on how to become an electrical engineer in India. Although the career might not come across as super rewarding in general, if you have a deep-rooted interest and absolutely love what you do, then you are capable of reaching new heights in this sector.
What do you think about a career in electrical engineering? Do you find it intriguing? Share your views with us by commenting below! You can shoot any queries by tweeting @CareerNuts.
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Curated & Edited by Rishika Agarwal (CareerNuts Staff)
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Electrical Engineer Career Path | Is It the Right Career for You?
Do you love physics and are keen to solve problems with new experiments related to electricity and electronic systems? Then you may enjoy life as an electrical engineer. Experienced electrical engineer Janakiraman L. discusses everything about the electrical engineer career path to help you decide if it’s the right fit for you.
Janakiraman L. is an Electrical Design Engineer with three years of experience. He is currently working as an Assistant Manager-Electrical at Tata Consulting Engineer Limited, Bangalore. During his career, he has worked in industries projects and power plant projects, etc. I have also experience in electrical software like AutoCAD, ETAP and Dialux.
He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics from Adhiparasakthi Engineering College, Anna University, Chennai, in 2017. In his free time, he enjoys reading books, build circuit design and travelling.