General > General Technical Chat
Wayward EE lost and lamenting
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james_s:
The analog engineers I know are all doing software development in their day jobs. Analog is cool, but it's an esoteric skill these days, at least it is perceived that way in the industry. I suspect you'd be hard pressed to find a job as an analog engineer, but having a solid grasp of analog fundamentals is useful in virtually any EE job.
coppice:
The best analogue engineers I know work in semiconductor companies, developing silicon.
Electro Fan:

--- Quote from: ebastler on October 05, 2020, 06:08:44 pm ---
--- Quote from: NSCI0T7 on October 05, 2020, 05:29:30 pm ---Someone once told me all the good analog engineers are 50+, and they're going to be retiring soon.  I don't know how true that is.

--- End quote ---

Yes, that thought crossed my mind when rstofer presented his data on "1000 new EE jobs per year" due to the (limited) expansion of the industry. Retirement is probably missing from that equation, so the employment perspectives are presumably quite a bit better than the number suggests.

"Plain old analog" design (as in audio or such) is probably a shrinking domain. But it's also bound to attract very few new EE graduates. So if you can e.g. complement that with RF skills, and if it "floats your boat", I would say give it a try.

--- End quote ---

12,893 U.S. EE degrees in 2017

https://www.asee.org/documents/papers-and-publications/publications/college-profiles/2017-Engineering-by-Numbers-Engineering-Statistics.pdf

Engineering disciplines that awarded the most degrees in
2017 were mechanical engineering, with 30,030 degrees;
computer science (inside engineering), with 15,305 degrees;
and electrical engineering, with 12,893 degrees.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm

Number of Jobs, 2019   328,100
Job Outlook, 2019-29   3% (As fast as average)

3% of 328,100 = 9,843

If EEs start at 22 and retire at 65 and they retire at an even rate, that would be 328,100 / 43 = 7,630 retiring EEs retired in one year

So, in the U.S. approximately:
328,100 EEs (if all employed as EEs?)
9,843 positions added in one year
7,630 retiring in one year
17,473 needed in one year to fill retiring and new positions
12,893 graduated in one year
4,580 open positions with no EE to fill the positions
 
Edit:  this assumes that there is a need to fill the retired engineers AND add 9,843 new positions; if the 9,843 new positions aren't really new positions but back filling retired EEs, then we would be at about 2k more EEs needed (vs ~13k graduated); probably need to pin down the meaning of "positions added".

2nd Edit:
From the link:
"Job Outlook, 2019-29
The projected percent change in employment from 2019 to 2029. The average growth rate for all occupations is 4 percent."

- This indicates this is the change in employment which seems to imply not just re-filling retired positions but adding new positions, so the original (pre-edit) numbers probably should stand.

Preliminary conclusion:  on a need for about 328k engineers the U.S. is about ~5k short, or less than 2% short.  Which should be at least modestly good for EE wages but maybe not tremendous.  One item not included would be how many EEs come to the U.S. from another country for an EE job, and how many of our total EEs might be taking positions outside the U.S.  Overall, looks pretty close to a balance in supply and demand.  Having said that wages are only partially a reflection of supply and demand; they also reflect the value of the work being done and most work that needs an EE is probably of at least moderate to high value, just a guess.  So, I think EEs are like every other profession; half graduated in the upper half of their class, and despite class rank some perform better than others, and some are fortunate enough to be on high performing teams (companies).  So, personally, I think it's a great degree that can enable someone to bring a lot skills to a lot of opportunities - but it's a starting point, not an end point, and it depends on what the degree holder does with a great starting opportunity.
CatalinaWOW:
First you need to evaluate what your location offers.  Are there profitable businesses in your area, or significant government presence?  If so, you may be able to work locally.  All businesses have problems that need to be solved.  Often they are not aware of them.  I know a couple of people who have made a career out of walking in the front door and offering to look for solvable problems for free.  Then offering to sell solutions to the problems.  They often aren't high tech, but sometimes are.  Requires a fine sense of value to the customer.  They won't buy just to make you wealthy.

If you can't make a go of a gig like that, moving or remote work are the only options.

You have set up a very tough case, a small town with a large number of EE grads per year.  With those criteria I would add that you will have to be very good because you will have lots of competition.
VK3DRB:

--- Quote from: nctnico on October 05, 2020, 07:39:32 pm ---
--- Quote from: NSCI0T7 on October 05, 2020, 05:29:30 pm ---Someone once told me all the good analog engineers are 50+, and they're going to be retiring soon.  I don't know how true that is.

--- End quote ---
It isn't. Most analog engineers I have encountered have been parked in meaningless jobs because there is no more work for them. Given the chance they do come up with brilliant circuits but those are not in high demand.

--- End quote ---

Most electronics engineers in general are parked in meaningful jobs, with meaningless recognition of their value. If you know jack schitt about electronics but am an expert at playing politics, plagiarising, talking BS much of the time including office-speak, and have a humongous ego, you can do really well. Incidentally, one office-speak I hate is "What are the takeaways today?". I once answered, "A dollars worth of chips, two dim sims and one potato cake" (An Aussie version of "a Big Mac, fries and coke"). I hate office-speak, especially that one which will hopefully fade away.
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