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Career Question: Industrial Electronics VS Electrical ??

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theaustindixon:
My local Technical College has two programs that I'm interested in: "Industrial Electronics" and "Electrical Technology". I am trying to decide which path to take and could use some advice.

Both programs start with the same electronics and motor control courses. Later on, the Industrial Electronics program starts teaching PLC Programming and Robotics. It's intended to prepare students for working as a Maintenance Technician or PLC Programmer in a factory, keeping the robots working. On the other hand, the Electrical Technology program prepares students to become Electricians. (For what it's worth, I can also take some electives, including a class in RF and one in Security/Fire Alarms).

I am very interested in Robotics, but I've been told that the Maintenance Tech jobs usually work long hours and graveyard shifts. Similarly, that PLC Programmers often work 60-80 hour weeks and spend months on the road. I would like to see my family sometimes, so this doesn't sound too appealing. Maybe I could use the degree in an unintended way, and get an electronics tech job in medical or something similar? Not sure. I am more interested in electronics than wiring, but I think it might be easier to find reasonable hours as an electrician (or possibly working in alarms) and I'd still be working with my hands and herding electrons.

Can anyone working in these fields chime in and give me an idea what your industry is like, and if you have any work-life balance? Thanks.

EDIT: I'm going to move this discussion to the Mechanical & Automation Engineering forum.

Gregg:
Carefully consider all of the ways AI may interact with your chosen career path.
Industrial power and controls will always need human feet on the ground and human hands, minds and expertise to repair the increasingly complicated industrial equipment.  Upsides include learning about the wide and diverse array of everything that makes industry operate; job opportunities almost anywhere you might want to go; you’d be less likely to be employed in a sea of cubicles.  Downsides are late night work at times; high power and moving parts that can be dangerous; probably a lot of travel to various sites.

Stray Electron:
  Are these just two year degrees? To be frank, you're not going to get very far with just a 2 year degree. You can maybe make enough money to live on but that's about it.  I'm speaking from experience here!  You need to get a four year BS degree if you want to make a descent living.  Even with 10 years experience and four years of MIL electronics, I ran into that salary ceiling and I finally went back to college and got a real engineering degree.

   I don't know what part of the country you're in or what kind of industries are in your area, but if you want to stay local then you probably should take a look and find out what their needs are. 

  And yes, it sounds like their electrical program is designed to teach you how to install home AC systems.  In my experience, those people don't know beans about electronics, they're just taught to follow the NEC.  Most of the work in that field will be drudge work and installing wiring in new homes. Maybe if you're very good you can later get a job with a better company that does industrial electrical work but either way, those jobs usually involve a lot of daily travel in your own time to and from the job site.

   The two BEST things that I ever did, career wise, was to go into the USAF and get some formal electronics training and work experience and then later go back to college and get a four year engineering degree. 

voltsandjolts:

--- Quote from: theaustindixon on February 21, 2024, 10:14:41 pm ---Both programs start with the same electronics and motor control courses. Later on...

--- End quote ---

IME you don't really have to make the choice until later, when you've had some exposure to both in the early common classes. Worth asking.

theaustindixon:

--- Quote from: Stray Electron on February 22, 2024, 03:39:16 pm --- it sounds like their electrical program is designed to teach you how to install home AC systems.

--- End quote ---

No AC classes. The program covers residential, commercial, and industrial wiring mostly. Installing panels and the like. Also, related things like conduit bending, NEC codes, ect. 

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