What Does an Electronics Engineer Do?
An oscilloscope trace that jumps when it should hold steady can send an electronics engineer back to the schematic for the rest of the afternoon. Electronics engineers design the circuits and circuit boards inside medical devices, phones and radar systems, and most work in labs and offices for manufacturers, defense contractors and telecom companies. They build and test prototypes before a design goes for certification.
Electronics Engineer Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an electronics engineer include:
- Design analog and digital circuits and draw schematics in tools such as Altium or KiCad.
- Lay out printed circuit boards, or review layouts drawn by designers.
- Select components for cost, supply and performance, and write parts lists.
- Build and test prototypes with oscilloscopes, signal generators and spectrum analyzers.
- Troubleshoot failures to the component level and document the fixes.
- Run tests for electromagnetic compatibility and safety standards before products are certified.
- Write specifications, test plans and design review notes for other engineers.
- Simulate circuit behavior in SPICE before building any hardware.
- Support manufacturing by solving production defects and approving design changes.
- Work with software engineers to bring up firmware on new hardware.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an electronics engineer, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Circuit design and analysis
- Altium Designer, KiCad or OrCAD
- Lab instruments: oscilloscopes, analyzers and power supplies
- SPICE simulation
- Embedded systems and firmware basics
- Knowledge of EMC and product safety standards
- Clear technical writing
- Methodical troubleshooting
Education and Training
To become an electronics engineer, in most cases you will need a bachelor's degree in electrical or electronics engineering to qualify for entry-level design work. Most states require engineers who offer services directly to the public to be licensed as professional engineers (PE). A master's degree helps for research and design lead roles.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $101,680 - $167,670 per year, with a median of $130,220.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer.
According to BLS projections, employment of electronics engineers (outside computer hardware) will grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. Openings should run near 4,900 a year. Hiring often is tied to defense, medical device and telecom spending, but engineers always will be needed as more products add sensors and wireless links.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Electronics engineers, except computer.