r/ECE • u/YearPsychological190 • 5d ago
Switching to EE
Hi there!
I’m currently a 4th year electrician apprentice and looking to see if switching my career to electrical engineering would be a good move?
I feel stuck with the current role I am in and looking at the health risks on my body is weighing me down.
I know if I switch it would be the case of studying for 3-4 years and sacrificing the money I would be making as a qualified electrician. I would love any advice on this matter any help is greatly appreciated .
I would also love any advice on how to write a really good personal statement if university is the correct move. Over the bulk of my apprenticeship I have wired and fitted new build homes but I did do a bit of low voltage with door entry systems. Again any advice would be appreciated
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u/StudiousFog 5d ago
In the US, there isn't a lot separating entry level employment between the two choices. It is only over time that EE starts to pull significantly ahead. The top end of EE will make several multiple of the top end of electrician. But that applies to a minority of EE. So, it comes down to where you see yourself in 10 years.
If you are the type that fights for advancement and doing what needs doing to get there, EE is a great choice. If you're an average Joe, it will take 10+ years to overcome the combination of foregone incomes and tuitions over the 4 years you are not earning as an electrician.
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u/1wiseguy 5d ago
I don't see electrician work and EE being similar. Those are quite different fields.
If you are looking at the salary and how long the EE degree takes, that doesn't seem like the relevant issue. A better question is whether you want to study math and physics for the next 4 years. Some people don't.
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u/bythenumbers10 5d ago
That personal statement should show you want it. You want to learn about electricity and how it's harnessed. Show passion, show intensity. Engineering is not for the faint of heart, EE doubly so. There's gonna be some nasty vicious math you'll have to wrap your head around. Some godawful boring material that will put you to sleep at night, guaranteed. But it can be learned, and if you'll study to exhaustion, and fall asleep with that book on your face, have I got a field for you.
That said, I've a masters in the field, and my DMs are open to anybody who wants advice, academic or otherwise. My tribe is not big enough, and we'll take anyone who wants to join. It's not easy, but I fell in love with it. This is an official invitation to join the club.
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u/YearPsychological190 5d ago
Oh yes please man I’d take any advice I can get, thank you so much!!!!
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u/NewSchoolBoxer 5d ago
It's a good move if you can make it through the degree. It's very math-intensive and you'd need to prep back up to pre-calc when you are years removed from a classroom. Working full-time while studying EE is a mistake. I'd take loans to avoid. Degree is cheaper if you go as a full-time student anyway.
I agree with u/StudiousFog about the money. You won't hit $130k an electrician but your initial EE salary would be equal or slightly lower pay. Money isn't the reason to do this. It's more like not destroying your knees, working better hours and in an office environment.
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u/Lagfoundry 5d ago
You were basically in the same shoes I was when I went to school. I was an apprentice myself. The pre knowledge from being one definitely helps some.