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Aerospace & Defense
Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, RTX
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
These engineers design and troubleshoot electronic hardware, often in radio-frequency systems such as RFID. The work stands out because it mixes circuit-level thinking with on-site testing and software integration, so a design that looks good in simulation still has to survive real-world interference, layout constraints, and installation problems. The main tradeoff is between precise engineering and messy field conditions that force compromises.
Also known as RF EngineerRF Design EngineerRF Systems EngineerElectronics Design EngineerElectronics Engineer
Median Salary
$127,590
Mean $132,500
U.S. Workforce
~94K
5.7K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+6.2%
95.9K to 101.8K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer sits in the Technology category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~94K workers, with a median annual pay of $127,590 and roughly 5.7K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 95.9 K in 2024 to 101.8K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in electronics or electrical engineering, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Electronics Technician and can progress toward Principal Engineer / Engineering Manager. High-value skills usually include RFID System Integration & Troubleshooting, RF Simulation & Modeling (MATLAB, Simulink, CST, HFSS), and Requirements Analysis & Systems Engineering, paired with soft skills such as Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking.
Core Responsibilities
- Meet with customers or internal teams to figure out what the system needs to do, where it will be used, and what limits the site creates.
- Build simulations or rough models to predict how tags, readers, antennas, and software will behave before anything is installed.
- Check new hardware or software options and decide whether a newer RFID approach is worth adopting.
- Connect tags, readers, antennas, and backend software so the whole system works together.
Keep exploring: more Technology careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Meet with customers or internal teams to figure out what the system needs to do, where it will be used, and what limits the site creates.
02 Build simulations or rough models to predict how tags, readers, antennas, and software will behave before anything is installed.
03 Check new hardware or software options and decide whether a newer RFID approach is worth adopting.
04 Connect tags, readers, antennas, and backend software so the whole system works together.
05 Visit the location to spot interference, space problems, or other obstacles that could affect performance.
06 Run acceptance tests after installation and write step-by-step procedures so operators can use the system correctly.
Industries That Hire
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Semiconductors & Electronics Manufacturing
Intel, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices
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Telecommunications & Wireless
Verizon, Qualcomm, Ericsson
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Medical Devices & Healthcare Technology
Medtronic, Boston Scientific, GE HealthCare
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Industrial Automation & RFID Systems
Zebra Technologies, Honeywell, Siemens
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is strong: the mean salary is $132,500 and the median is $127,590, which puts the role well above many engineering jobs.
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You do not need prior work experience or on-the-job training to enter the field, so a bachelor's degree can be enough to get started.
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The work is varied: one week may involve simulation and design, while the next involves site analysis, testing, and fixing real-world problems.
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Demand is steady rather than speculative, with 6.2% projected growth and about 5.7K annual openings.
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The skills transfer across multiple industries, so experience in RFID, RF testing, or hardware integration can open doors in defense, telecom, manufacturing, and medical devices.
Challenges
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A bachelor's degree is the normal entry route, and 79.06% of workers in the O*NET sample have one, so moving in without that credential is difficult.
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Growth is modest at 6.2%, so this is a stable field rather than a fast-expanding one.
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The work can be limited by real-world site problems like interference, spacing, and installation constraints, so elegant designs often need compromises.
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Specialized demand can rise and fall with defense, telecom, manufacturing, or capital spending, which makes some parts of the market cyclical.
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A lot of the job is testing, troubleshooting, and documentation, so it is less about inventing new devices from scratch and more about making systems work reliably under pressure.
Career Progression
Electronics Technician
0-2 years
$55K-$77K
This entry point focuses on building, wiring, testing, and debugging equipment before moving into full design work.
Junior Electronics Engineer
2-4 years
$78K-$107K
You begin handling smaller design tasks, documenting results, and supporting testing or installation under close supervision.
Electronics Engineer THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$108K-$144K
At this stage, you design and integrate systems, solve tougher performance issues, and own acceptance testing for major components.
Senior Electronics Engineer
8-13 years
$145K-$179K
Senior engineers lead complex projects, review other engineers' work, and make decisions that shape the final system architecture.
Principal Engineer / Engineering Manager
13+ years
$180K-$225K
The work shifts toward technical leadership, project direction, and choosing the right design approach across teams or product lines.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in electronics or electrical engineering
The standard entry path, held by 79.06% of workers in the O*NET sample.
Associate's degree plus strong lab or technician experience
A smaller route into the field, used by 11.98% of workers in the O*NET sample.
Master's degree in RF, communications, or electronics
Useful for specialized design or research roles, and shown for 5.28% of workers in the O*NET sample.
Post-baccalaureate certificate or vendor-focused training
A narrow alternative for workers who already have a degree, seen for 0.9% of workers in the O*NET sample.
Key Skills
Technical
RFID System Integration & Troubleshooting 74%
RF Simulation & Modeling (MATLAB, Simulink, CST, HFSS) 71%
Requirements Analysis & Systems Engineering 68%
Acceptance Testing & Validation 66%
Oscilloscopes, Spectrum Analyzers & Network Analyzers 65%
PCB Design & EDA Tools (Altium, Cadence OrCAD) 63%
Python, LabVIEW & Data Analysis 61%
Technical Documentation & SOP Development 58%
Soft Skills
Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision Making Job Outlook and Trends
+6.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
5.7K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 95.9K to 101.8 K over the next decade, representing 6.2% growth. Around 5.7 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.