2027 Electrical Engineering Degree Underemployment Report: Which Graduates Are Most Likely to Work Below Their Education Level
Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist
Electrical engineering graduates usually have stronger labor-market protection than many college majors, but underemployment still happens when graduates lack internships, applied tools, or industry-specific experience. The 2024 Strada Institute report found that 52% of bachelor's graduates were underemployed one year after graduation, showing why job fit matters early.
This guide is for electrical engineering students, recent graduates, and career changers who want to avoid low-credential roles. You will learn where the risks are, how employers judge readiness, and what steps improve the odds of landing degree-level work.
Key Things to Know About Underemployment in Electrical Engineering Industry
- Electrical engineering is generally a lower-underemployment major than many nontechnical fields, but graduates without internships, design projects, coding exposure, or hardware/software tool fluency are more likely to start in technician, testing, sales-support, or general operations roles.
- The 2024 Strada Institute finding that 52% of bachelor's graduates are underemployed one year after graduation matters because early job fit can shape later earnings, skill development, and access to engineering-track promotions.
- BLS data for the US labor market shows electrical engineers had a May 2024 median annual wage of $111,910, while electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians had a lower median wage, making role fit financially important from the first job search.
- How likely is it for Electrical Engineering graduates to become underemployed?
- Is the college curricula for Electrical Engineering keeping up with employer expectations?
How likely is it for Electrical Engineering graduates to become underemployed?
Electrical engineering graduates are not among the most vulnerable degree holders, but the risk is real. Underemployment means working in a job that does not normally require a bachelor's degree or does not use the graduate's engineering-level knowledge, even if the job is related to electronics, manufacturing, utilities, or testing.
The main pattern is that underemployment in electrical engineering is less about the degree being weak and more about the graduate's evidence of job readiness. Employers often look for proof that a candidate can apply circuit theory, embedded systems, power concepts, controls, RF, signal processing, or verification skills in real environments.
The table below separates common first roles by how strongly they use an electrical engineering degree. This helps students distinguish a true engineering-track entry point from a role that may become a low-credential trap if there is no promotion path:
| Entry role type | Typical degree alignment | Underemployment risk | What to verify before accepting |
| Electrical engineer I, hardware engineer I, power systems engineer, controls engineer | High | Low when duties include design, analysis, testing, documentation, and engineering review | Whether the role has engineer title progression, supervised design work, and access to licensed or senior engineers |
| Test engineer, validation engineer, applications engineer | Moderate to high | Usually manageable if the role requires analysis, scripting, lab instrumentation, and design feedback | Whether the work leads to design, product, systems, or field engineering responsibilities |
| Engineering technician, electronics technician, calibration technician | Moderate | Can be high if the role mainly involves assembly, maintenance, or routine troubleshooting | Whether the employer has a formal path from technician to engineer and whether engineering duties are part of the job |
| Production associate, sales associate, general operations, customer support | Low | High unless tied to a technical rotation or clear internal transfer plan | Whether there is a written timeline to move into engineering or technical specialist work |
Graduates most likely to avoid underemployment usually have at least one meaningful internship or co-op, a senior design project that resembles employer problems, and fluency with tools such as MATLAB, Python, SPICE, LabVIEW, AutoCAD Electrical, Altium, PLC platforms, or HDL workflows, depending on the target role.
Is the college curricula for Electrical Engineering keeping up with employer expectations?
Many electrical engineering programs still teach the right fundamentals: circuits, electronics, electromagnetics, signals, control systems, digital logic, and power. The gap is usually not theory. It is the distance between classroom success and employer-ready execution under cost, safety, documentation, schedule, and tool constraints.
Employers are increasingly skills-based in screening entry-level candidates. That does not mean the degree is unimportant; it means the degree often needs to be paired with proof of applied capability. A student with strong coursework but no project repository, lab documentation, internship evidence, or tool-specific examples may look less ready than a peer with similar grades and stronger applied proof.
The table below shows common curriculum-to-employer gaps. Use it as a diagnostic checklist when choosing electives, projects, internships, and extracurricular work:
| Curriculum strength | Common employer expectation | Risk if missing | Better evidence to build |
| Circuit analysis and electronics theory | Ability to simulate, prototype, debug, and explain trade-offs | Graduate appears academic but not lab-ready | SPICE simulations, PCB design files, test reports, oscilloscope screenshots, design notes |
| Power systems coursework | Familiarity with grid equipment, protection, safety, and standards-aware documentation | Graduate struggles to compete for utility and energy roles | Power flow projects, relay coordination examples, substation exposure, internship work |
| Programming requirement | Python, C/C++, MATLAB, automation scripts, data analysis, or embedded development | Graduate loses roles that blend hardware with software | GitHub repositories, firmware projects, test automation scripts, readable documentation |
| Senior design project | Team-based product thinking, requirements, verification, and failure analysis | Project sounds like a class assignment instead of job preparation | Requirements matrix, verification plan, bill of materials, design review slides, post-test analysis |
A practical way to evaluate a program is to compare its required coursework and labs with 20 recent entry-level job descriptions in the student's target industry. If the postings repeatedly mention tools, standards, platforms, or programming languages not covered in class, students should fill those gaps before senior year rather than waiting until after graduation.
Electrical engineering generally compares favorably with many majors because it maps to regulated, infrastructure-heavy, manufacturing, semiconductor, aerospace, defense, utilities, telecommunications, and automation roles. Still, comparison matters because not all bachelor's degrees carry the same risk of being underused in the labor market.
The 2024 Strada Institute finding that 45% of graduates who are underemployed one year after graduation remain underemployed 10 years later is especially important for major comparison. It suggests that the first job after college is not just a temporary inconvenience; for many graduates, it becomes a career track unless they make an intentional transition.
The table below compares electrical engineering with several broad degree categories by underemployment risk pattern rather than pretending every graduate in a major has the same outcome:
| Major or field type | Typical underemployment pattern | Why electrical engineering differs | Decision takeaway |
| Electrical engineering | Lower risk when the graduate has applied technical evidence | The degree connects directly to engineering, energy, electronics, defense, automation, and hardware/software roles | Best protected by internships, technical projects, and tool fluency |
| General business or liberal arts | Risk varies widely by internships, networks, and occupational targeting | Career paths are often less occupationally specific at graduation | Students need a clearer job target and stronger experience signaling |
| Computer science and software-adjacent fields | Can be lower for strong coders but more competitive in entry-level markets | Electrical engineering can compete in embedded, hardware, controls, and test automation niches | EE students who code well can access hybrid roles with less direct competition |
| Creative applied fields | Often portfolio-driven and freelance-sensitive | EE hiring is more tied to technical systems, infrastructure, and engineering teams | Compare outcomes by occupation, not only by degree name; a photography degree online, for example, serves a very different labor market than engineering |
The best comparison is not "engineering versus non-engineering" in the abstract. The better question is whether the student's degree, projects, internships, location, and job-search strategy all point toward a specific degree-level occupation.
Taking a low-credential role does not automatically damage an electrical engineering career, but it can slow growth if the graduate stops building engineering evidence. The early-career risk is skill drift: instead of strengthening design, simulation, coding, troubleshooting, and systems thinking, the graduate may spend most of the week on tasks that do not qualify them for the next engineering job.
The career impact depends on whether the role adds marketable engineering assets. A test technician role that involves Python automation, failure analysis, lab instrumentation, and design feedback may be far more valuable than a generic operations job with a better title. Conversely, an "engineering associate" role that mostly involves data entry or production coordination may not help much.
Graduates should evaluate low-credential roles using three career-growth filters:
- Skill accumulation: the job should build technical skills that appear in engineering job postings, such as embedded programming, power distribution, PLC troubleshooting, RF testing, CAD, simulation, or verification.
- Evidence creation: the job should produce resume-ready outcomes, such as reduced test time, improved yield, documented failure modes, automated reports, or supported design changes.
- Network access: the job should put the graduate near engineers, project managers, vendors, customers, or licensed professionals who can open doors to degree-level roles.
Long term, electrical engineers can move into technical leadership, product management, operations leadership, engineering management, or business roles. Programs such as executive MBA programs online may make sense later for experienced engineers moving into leadership, but they are not a substitute for building entry-level engineering competence first.
The salary gap is one of the clearest reasons to avoid long-term underemployment. According to BLS May 2024 wage data, the median annual wage for electrical engineers was $111,910. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians had a lower median wage, reflecting the financial difference between degree-level engineering responsibility and many technical support roles.
The table below uses BLS occupational categories as a practical comparison. It does not mean every underemployed graduate takes a technician job or that every technician role is poor quality; it shows how occupational level can affect earnings potential:
| Role category | Typical education or role level | May 2024 median annual wage | What the gap means |
| Electrical engineers | Bachelor's-level engineering role | $111,910 | Degree-level work generally offers stronger access to design responsibility, advancement, and specialized engineering tracks |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | Associate-level or technical support role in many workplaces | $77,180 | These jobs can be useful bridges but may cap advancement if the graduate is not moved into engineering work |
| Electrical and electronics drafters | Technical drafting role | $74,140 | Useful for CAD-heavy experience, but graduates should verify whether design engineering progression is realistic |
For graduates with student loans, the salary gap can affect repayment flexibility. A lower-credential job may still cover basic payments, but it can reduce the ability to pay extra principal, relocate for better roles, build savings, or fund certifications.
Income-driven repayment can lower monthly federal loan payments for eligible borrowers, but it may also extend the repayment horizon, so borrowers should compare short-term affordability with long-term cost.
Electrical engineering underemployment usually comes from a combination of market timing, weak applied evidence, limited geographic targeting, and unclear specialization. A graduate can have a rigorous degree and still struggle if employers cannot see how that training translates into immediate work on their systems.
The most common barriers are practical rather than personal. Recognizing them early gives students time to correct course before graduation:
- No internship or co-op experience before senior year, which makes the graduate look untested compared with peers who have already worked in labs, plants, utilities, or engineering teams.
- Overly general coursework with no clear target area, such as power, embedded systems, controls, RF, semiconductors, signal processing, robotics, renewable energy, or hardware verification.
- Weak software signal, especially for roles that expect Python, C/C++, MATLAB, data analysis, automation scripts, firmware, or model-based design.
- Limited proof of hands-on work, such as no portfolio, no project documentation, no GitHub repository, no PCB files, and no test or verification reports.
- Geographic mismatch, where the graduate searches only in a local market with limited hiring in the desired electrical engineering specialty.
- Resume language that emphasizes classes taken but not problems solved, tools used, measurements analyzed, defects found, or systems improved.
Some barriers are also communication-related. Engineers who can explain trade-offs, document decisions, present findings, and work across teams often stand out. Graduates considering technical sales, applications engineering, product support, or systems-facing work may benefit from communication training, though an online masters in communications is usually a career pivot credential rather than a first solution for electrical engineering underemployment.
A strong electrical engineering resume should make the graduate look like a beginning engineer, not just a student who completed engineering classes. The goal is to translate coursework and projects into employer language: systems, tools, measurements, constraints, outcomes, and teamwork.
Use the following sequence to reposition a resume for degree-level roles without overstating experience:
- Choose a target role family first, such as power engineer, embedded systems engineer, test engineer, controls engineer, hardware engineer, RF engineer, or applications engineer.
- Collect 15 to 20 entry-level postings in that role family and highlight repeated tools, verbs, and deliverables.
- Rewrite the skills section around employer-recognized tools and methods, not broad phrases such as "problem-solving" or "engineering knowledge."
- Turn class projects into engineering bullets that include the system built, constraint addressed, tool used, measurement taken, and result achieved.
- Add a technical projects section above unrelated work experience if internships are limited.
- Quantify outcomes only when accurate, such as test duration reduced, frequency range measured, voltage regulated, error rate lowered, or components validated.
- Include links to a portfolio or repository only if the files are clean, documented, and safe to share publicly.
- Customize the top third of the resume for each role so applicant tracking systems and human reviewers see direct alignment quickly.
Common mistakes include using one generic resume for all engineering jobs, hiding senior design work near the bottom, listing tools without showing how they were used, and applying to hundreds of roles without referrals or targeted follow-up. A smaller number of well-matched applications usually performs better than a large number of weak ones.
Certifications can help electrical engineering graduates signal job readiness, especially when they target a specific role family. They are most useful when they reinforce a clear technical direction; they are less useful when collected randomly to compensate for an unfocused job search.
The table below summarizes certifications and credentials that may support degree-level employment. Requirements, employer preferences, and state rules vary, so students should verify relevance against job postings and licensing boards before spending money:
| Credential | Best fit | How it can reduce underemployment risk | Important limitation |
| Fundamentals of Engineering exam | Power, utilities, consulting, public infrastructure, and roles that may lead to Professional Engineer licensure | Signals commitment to an engineering licensure path | Licensure rules vary by state, and not all electrical engineering jobs require the PE path |
| Engineer in Training or Engineer Intern designation | Graduates who pass the FE exam and meet state requirements | Can strengthen credibility for employers that value licensure progression | Title and eligibility rules depend on the state board |
| NI LabVIEW or test automation credentials | Test, validation, instrumentation, and manufacturing engineering | Shows ability to automate measurement and lab workflows | Most valuable when paired with actual test projects |
| IPC electronics assembly or PCB-related credentials | Hardware, manufacturing, quality, and electronics production environments | Helps graduates understand electronics workmanship and manufacturing constraints | Can point toward technician work unless paired with design or engineering analysis |
| PLC or industrial automation certifications | Controls, manufacturing, robotics, and process automation | Supports roles that blend electrical systems, software, sensors, and plant equipment | Platform relevance depends on employer equipment |
| Cloud, cybersecurity, or networking fundamentals | IoT, embedded systems, smart grid, telecom, and connected devices | Helps graduates compete in roles where electrical systems interface with data and networks | Should not replace core EE project evidence |
A master's degree can be valuable for specialized fields such as signal processing, RF, power electronics, semiconductor devices, machine learning for hardware systems, or research-heavy roles. However, for many recent graduates, a targeted certification plus a strong project portfolio can produce faster job-search value than immediately pursuing graduate school.
Research-focused students can also compare advanced options such as PhD programs, but doctoral study is usually aimed at research, academia, or highly specialized technical leadership rather than solving short-term underemployment.
Students reduce underemployment risk most effectively when they begin career preparation before the final semester. Electrical engineering hiring rewards early proof: internships, co-ops, applied projects, tool fluency, and referrals often matter as much as the degree name.
The following steps form a practical plan from sophomore year through graduation:
- Pick two target role families by the end of sophomore year, such as power and controls, embedded and hardware, or RF and communications.
- Use job descriptions to choose electives, labs, student teams, and software tools that match those role families.
- Prioritize co-ops and internships, especially roles where engineers review your work and you can document technical outcomes.
- Build one portfolio-quality project each year, with clear requirements, schematics or code, test results, design trade-offs, and lessons learned.
- Join engineering teams or competitions that create evidence of teamwork, troubleshooting, documentation, and deadlines.
- Start networking with alumni, faculty, career center staff, recruiters, and local engineering societies at least two semesters before graduation.
- Apply by industry cluster, not randomly; utilities, defense, aerospace, semiconductors, medical devices, manufacturing, telecom, and automation often hire different EE profiles.
- Evaluate job offers by title, duties, promotion path, mentorship, training, and engineering exposure, not salary alone.
- If you accept a low-credential bridge role, keep applying to engineering roles and set a measurable transition deadline.
The smartest strategy is specialization without becoming too narrow. A student who can say "I am targeting entry-level controls roles and can show PLC work, sensors, motor control, Python analysis, and a plant-floor internship" is easier to hire than a student who only says "I studied electrical engineering."
Some electrical engineering graduates use low-credential roles as short bridges into engineering teams, especially in manufacturing, utilities, aerospace, semiconductors, and test labs.
A technician or validation support role can be useful if the graduate gains exposure to equipment, standards, troubleshooting, documentation, and senior engineers. It becomes risky when the work is repetitive, disconnected from design decisions, or treated as a permanent non-engineering track.
The strongest warning sign is a role with no defined internal mobility. If the employer cannot explain how people move from technician, support, or operations work into engineer I roles, the graduate should treat the offer as income rather than career development.
Before accepting a low-credential role, graduates should ask targeted questions that reveal whether the job is a bridge or a trap:
- Will my job title and duties include engineering analysis, design support, test planning, or technical documentation that can be shown on a future resume?
- Have previous employees moved from this role into electrical engineer, systems engineer, controls engineer, field engineer, or applications engineer positions?
- Who will review my technical work, and will I work under engineers who can mentor me?
- Is there a written promotion timeline, internal application process, or rotation program?
- Will the company support training on tools, standards, safety procedures, or certifications relevant to engineering roles?
If the answer to most of these questions is unclear, the graduate should continue applying for degree-level roles while employed and set a deadline for transition. A low-credential job without a six- to 12-month exit strategy can make it harder to show recent engineering growth.
Other Things You Should Know About Electrical Engineering
Yes, especially for students targeting engineering roles in utilities, consulting, public infrastructure, defense, or jobs that may lead to licensure. ABET accreditation is not required for every private-sector EE job, but it can reduce doubts about curriculum quality.
It can make the first screening harder, especially for competitive employers, but it is not the only factor. Internships, strong projects, referrals, tool fluency, and clear technical achievements can offset a weaker GPA for many entry-level roles.
Some remote or hybrid roles exist in simulation, design documentation, software-heavy embedded work, applications engineering, and technical support. However, many entry-level EE roles require lab, plant, field, or hardware access, so new graduates should not rely only on remote openings.
Relocation can be worth considering when the local market has few degree-level EE openings in the graduate's specialty. Before moving, compare offer quality, cost of living, industry concentration, mentorship, and whether the role builds engineering experience.
- Understanding the Electrical Engineer Unemployment Rate: A Complete Tutorial on Causes and Solutions - Techneeds https://www.techneeds.com/2025/01/12/understanding-the-electrical-engineer-unemployment-rate-a-complete-tutorial-on-causes-and-solutions/
- Room for Progress in College Graduates’ Transition to the Labor Market - Public Policy Institute of California https://www.ppic.org/blog/room-for-progress-in-college-graduates-transition-to-the-labor-market/
- The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates - Part 2: Labor Market Tradeoffs https://encoura.org/resources/wake-up-call/the-labor-market-for-recent-college-graduates-part-2-labor-market-tradeoffs/
- The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market
- Short Circuited: Electrical Engineering Degrees in the United States https://itif.org/publications/2023/04/24/short-circuited-electrical-engineering-degrees-in-the-united-states/
- VDE Research: By 2029, the electrical engineering sector will face a shortfall of 30,000 graduates to offset retirements https://www.vde.com/en/press/press-releases/vde-research-graduates-electrical-engineering
- Talent Disrupted: College Graduates, Underemployment, and the Way Forward - The Burning Glass Institute https://www.burningglassinstitute.org/research/underemployment
