Resume guide · Updated October 2026
Electrical Engineer Resume Example, Keywords and Writing Guide
Short answer
An electrical engineer resume should open with your discipline (power, controls, electronics or RF), your EIT or PE status and a short summary of the systems you design. Follow with projects and jobs that name voltages, standards and tools such as AutoCAD Electrical, ETAP or Altium, with measurable results, then your BSEE and skills.
| Median pay (May 2025) | $125,040 per year ($60.12 per hour) |
|---|---|
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
| Job outlook, 2025-35 | 8% (Much faster than average) |
| Number of jobs | 297,900 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electrical and Electronics Engineers, checked 27 October 2026.
Electrical Engineer resume example
Below is a full electrical engineer resume for Ravi Desai, a fictional electrical Engineer, Power Distribution and Data Centers in Phoenix, AZ. Keep the section order, then replace each line with your own work and results.
Ravi Desai, PE
Electrical Engineer, Power Distribution and Data Centers
Phoenix, AZ · ravi.desai@example.com · (555) 019-5530 · linkedin.com/in/ravidesaipe
Summary
Licensed electrical engineer (PE, Arizona) with 7 years designing medium- and low-voltage power distribution for data centers and hospitals. Runs load flow, short-circuit and arc flash studies in ETAP, produces permit sets in AutoCAD Electrical and supports construction through commissioning. Works to NEC, NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584.
Experience
Senior Electrical Engineer, Saguaro Power Engineering
Apr 2022 to present
Phoenix, AZ
- Lead electrical design for 4 data center expansions from 6 MW to 24 MW, including 12.47 kV switchgear, UPS systems and 2N generator backup.
- Run load flow, short-circuit, coordination and arc flash studies in ETAP for 30+ facilities a year and update labels to IEEE 1584-2018.
- Review 150+ submittals and RFIs per project and stamp construction documents as engineer of record.
- Mentor 3 EITs toward their PE, reviewing calculations and drawing sets weekly.
Electrical Engineer (EIT), Copperline Consulting Engineers
Jun 2019 to Mar 2022
Tempe, AZ
- Designed lighting, power and fire alarm systems for 22 healthcare and K-12 projects up to 180,000 square feet.
- Sized feeders, transformers and panelboards from NEC Article 220 load calculations and voltage drop limits.
- Cut drawing turnaround from 3 weeks to 2 by building a Revit panel schedule template the team still uses.
Electrical Engineering Intern, Mesa Ridge Utility District
May 2018 to Aug 2018
Mesa, AZ
- Updated single-line diagrams for 14 substations and checked relay settings against the protection scheme.
- Wrote Python scripts to clean 5 years of feeder outage data for the reliability team.
- Assisted field crews with transformer acceptance testing and documented results.
Selected projects
- 24 MW data center expansion: 12.47 kV double-ended switchgear, 4 x 3 MW generators, 2N UPS; energized on schedule.
- Regional hospital tower: normal, critical and life safety branches with 3 automatic transfer switches.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), Sonoran State University · Power systems concentration; senior design: microgrid controller for a campus solar array
2019
Certifications
Professional Engineer (PE), Arizona; passed NCEES PE Electrical and Computer: Power · FE exam passed, 2019
Skills
Power distribution design · Load flow and short-circuit analysis · Arc flash studies · Protective device coordination · NEC and NFPA 70E · Lighting design · ETAP · SKM PowerTools · AutoCAD Electrical · Revit MEP · Python
Electrical Engineer resume summary examples
3 electrical engineer summaries, one each for entry level (EIT), experienced (controls and automation) and senior (electronics hardware). Pick the closest and rewrite it with your own title, years and one real result.
Electrical engineering graduate (BSEE, May 2026) who passed the FE Electrical and Computer exam. Led a senior design team building a 5 kW solar inverter with MPPT control and interned at a utility updating protection single-line diagrams. Skilled in MATLAB/Simulink, AutoCAD Electrical and PLC ladder logic.
Controls engineer with 6 years programming Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and Siemens S7-1500 PLCs for packaging and food processing lines. Writes functional specifications, designs panels in EPLAN and leads FAT and SAT. Commissioned 40+ lines across the US and Mexico.
Senior hardware engineer with 10 years designing mixed-signal boards for medical and industrial products. Owns schematic capture and 8- to 12-layer layouts in Altium, power supply design and EMC pre-compliance; took 6 products through IEC 60601 testing.
Electrical Engineer resume objective examples
Use an objective instead of a summary for new graduate and electrician or technician moving into engineering situations: one or two sentences on what you bring and the electrical engineer job you want.
BSEE graduate seeking an entry-level power systems role where FE exam results, a utility internship and ETAP coursework support a path to PE licensure.
Licensed journeyman electrician finishing a BSEE in evening classes, seeking a junior electrical designer role where 8 years of field installation and NEC knowledge make drawings easier to build.
Electrical Engineer resume bullet points
Bullets grouped by power systems and distribution, controls and automation, electronics and hardware design and testing, compliance and project delivery. The numbers are illustrations; put in your own.
Power systems and distribution
- Designed 480 V and 12.47 kV distribution for a 220,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, including 3 unit substations and a 2 MW standby generator.
- Completed arc flash studies for 18 industrial sites and reduced incident energy at 40 panels by adjusting breaker settings.
- Prepared utility interconnection packages for 6 rooftop solar projects from 250 kW to 1.2 MW.
Controls and automation
- Programmed ControlLogix PLCs and FactoryTalk HMIs for a 1,200 I/O bottling line, cutting changeover time from 45 to 20 minutes.
- Wrote functional specifications and I/O lists for 9 skid packages and led factory acceptance tests with clients.
- Replaced 34 across-the-line motor starters with VFDs, lowering line energy use by 15% in the first year.
Electronics and hardware design
- Designed a 6-layer mixed-signal board in Altium for a patient monitor, passing EMC pre-scan on the first submission.
- Cut bill of materials cost 12% by consolidating 3 power rails onto a single PMIC.
- Built automated test fixtures in Python and LabVIEW that reduced board test time from 14 minutes to 4.
Testing, compliance and project delivery
- Led commissioning on a 6 MW data center hall and closed the punch list from 90 items to zero in 5 weeks.
- Ran DFMEA reviews with mechanical and firmware leads for 4 product launches.
- Managed electrical scope for $3.5M of design fees a year, tracking hours and budget against milestones.
Skills for an electrical engineer resume
16 skills employers list in electrical engineer postings. Include the ones the posting asks for and that your bullets prove.
| Type | Skills |
|---|---|
| Hard skills | Circuit design and analysis, Power distribution and protection, Load flow, short-circuit and arc flash studies, PLC programming (ladder logic, structured text), Schematic capture and PCB layout, Signal integrity and EMC, Motor controls and VFDs, NEC and NFPA 70E, Test equipment (oscilloscopes, power analyzers), Specifications and submittal review |
| Soft skills | Clear technical writing, Cross-discipline coordination, Problem solving under field constraints, Mentoring junior engineers, Client communication, Safety mindset |
| Tools and software | AutoCAD Electrical, Revit MEP, ETAP, SKM PowerTools, EPLAN, Altium Designer, OrCAD, LTspice, MATLAB/Simulink, Studio 5000, TIA Portal, Python |
Certifications for an electrical engineer resume
| Credential | Issued by | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and EIT or EI designation | NCEES (exam); your state engineering board (designation) | Designed for recent graduates and students close to finishing an engineering degree. List "EIT" or "FE exam passed" with the year. |
| Professional Engineer (PE) license | State engineering licensing board, after passing the NCEES PE Electrical and Computer exam | For engineers with at least four years of post-college experience. Name the exam version (Power; Electrical and Electronics; Computer Engineering) and your license states. |
| Certified Automation Professional (CAP) | International Society of Automation (ISA) | Useful for controls and automation engineers working on PLC, SCADA and process control systems. |
Which electrical engineering resume keywords matter most?
Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for the tools, standards and system types in the posting, so the right keywords depend on your specialty. A power distribution posting and a PCB design posting share almost no technical terms. Copy the exact terms from the posting into your skills and into bullets that show how you used them.
Write both the acronym and the full term once, such as "variable frequency drive (VFD)." These are common keywords by specialty:
- Power: single-line diagrams, load flow, short-circuit, arc flash, relay coordination, switchgear, transformers, NEC, NFPA 70E, IEEE 1584, ETAP, SKM PowerTools
- Controls and automation: PLC, HMI, SCADA, ladder logic, Studio 5000, TIA Portal, VFDs, motor control, P&IDs, FAT and SAT
- Electronics and hardware: schematic capture, PCB layout, Altium Designer, OrCAD, analog and mixed-signal design, power supplies, signal integrity, EMC, SPICE
- Building and MEP design: lighting design, power and fire alarm design, panel schedules, AutoCAD Electrical, Revit MEP, construction administration
- Testing and compliance: oscilloscopes, root cause analysis, DFMEA, design verification, UL and IEC standards
How should you list the FE exam, EIT and PE license?
Put engineering credentials next to your name and in their own section. A licensed engineer writes "Ravi Desai, PE" and lists the license states. A graduate who passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam writes "EIT" or "Engineer Intern" (the title depends on the state) or "FE exam passed, 2026."
NCEES describes the FE as the usual first step toward licensure, designed for recent graduates and students close to finishing an engineering degree, and the PE as an exam for engineers with at least four years of post-college experience. The electrical PE has three versions: Power, Electrical and Electronics, and Computer Engineering. Name yours, because consulting firms and utilities look for it when they need someone to stamp drawings.
What should an entry-level electrical engineer resume include?
Lead with education: BSEE, school, graduation month and GPA if it is 3.0 or higher or the posting asks for it. Follow with a projects section that treats senior design, lab builds and competition teams like jobs, naming your role, the tools and a result ("designed the battery management board for a 48 V solar cart; passed all thermal tests").
Internships and co-ops come next, even short ones. Add relevant coursework only when it fills a gap the posting cares about, such as power systems, control theory or digital signal processing. Electricians and technicians moving into engineering should keep field experience on the page, because knowing how equipment is installed and maintained makes designs more practical.
How do you quantify electrical engineering work?
Engineering work comes with concrete numbers, so use them. Size the system, the deliverable and the result: voltage levels, megawatts or kVA, square footage, I/O count, board layers, test time, schedule and cost.
- System size: "12.47 kV, 24 MW data center expansion" or "1,200 I/O packaging line"
- Deliverables: "stamped 40 drawing sets" or "released 6 boards to production"
- Results: "cut bill of materials cost 12%" or "closed the commissioning punch list from 90 items to zero"
- Team and scope: "mentored 3 EITs" or "coordinated with mechanical, civil and controls leads"
Should an electrical engineer resume be one or two pages?
One page for students and engineers with up to about 5 years of experience. Two pages is normal for licensed engineers with project lists, especially in consulting, where firms often attach a separate project sheet to proposals.
ATS keywords for an electrical engineer resume
Terms that show up in electrical engineer job postings. Mirror the exact wording of the posting you apply to, but only for work you have done.
- Electrical Engineer
- BSEE
- EIT
- PE
- power distribution
- circuit design
- AutoCAD Electrical
- ETAP
- arc flash
- short-circuit analysis
- NEC
- PLC programming
- MATLAB
- PCB design
- Altium
- commissioning
- load calculations
- single-line diagrams
- IEEE standards
- project management
Mistakes to avoid on an electrical engineer resume
- A skills list with no proof. "MATLAB, ETAP, Altium" means more when a bullet shows what you built with each.
- Vague project descriptions. "Worked on power projects" hides scope; give voltage, size, building type or product.
- Hiding your EIT or PE. Licensure is a screening question for consulting and utility jobs; put it next to your name.
- Mixing every specialty into one resume. Tailor the summary and keywords to power, controls or electronics for each application.
- Listing coursework instead of projects. One project you designed, built and tested says more than ten course titles.
Frequently asked questions
What keywords should an electrical engineer put on a resume?
Use the tools, standards and systems in the posting. Power roles look for terms like single-line diagrams, arc flash, ETAP and NEC; controls roles for PLC, SCADA and Studio 5000; hardware roles for schematic capture, PCB layout and Altium. Put each keyword in a bullet that shows how you used it.
What should an electrical engineering resume include?
Contact details with your EIT or PE status, a short summary of your specialty, experience with system sizes and results, a projects section if you are early in your career, technical skills grouped by type, your BSEE and any licenses.
Should I put the FE exam on my resume?
Yes. Write "EIT" or "Engineer Intern" if your state granted the designation, or "FE Electrical and Computer exam passed" with the year. It tells employers you are on the path to a PE license.
How do I write an electrical engineer resume with no experience?
Lead with your degree and a projects section covering senior design, lab builds and team competitions, each with your role, tools and a result. Add internships, co-ops, technician or electrician work and the FE exam if you have passed it.
How much do electrical engineers make?
The BLS reports a median pay of $125,040 per year ($60.12 per hour) for electrical and electronics engineers in May 2025. Pay varies by industry, location and licensure.
Is a PE license required for electrical engineers?
Not for entry-level jobs, according to the BLS. Experienced engineers pursue the PE to oversee other engineers, sign off on projects and serve the public directly, and many consulting and utility postings ask for it.
Should an electrical engineer resume be one page?
Yes for students and engineers with a few years of experience. Licensed engineers with long project lists can use two pages.
Related guides
Sources, checked 27 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electrical and Electronics Engineers (median pay, education, outlook, number of jobs, licensing)
- NCEES: FE exam (who the FE exam is for; first step toward licensure)
- NCEES: PE exam (PE experience requirement and electrical and computer exam versions)