What is electrical engineering?
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with applying electricity, electromagnetism, and electronics to practical applications such as computers, robots, and consumer electronics.
How do you hire an electrical engineer?
You can source electrical engineering talent on Upwork by following these three steps:
- Write a project description. You’ll want to determine your scope of work and the skills and requirements you are looking for in an electrical engineer.
- Post it on Upwork. Once you’ve written a project description, post it to Upwork. Simply follow the prompts to help you input the information you collected to scope out your project.
- Shortlist and interview electrical engineers. Once the proposals start coming in, create a shortlist of the professionals you want to interview.
Of these three steps, your project description is where you will determine your scope of work and the specific type of electrical engineer you need to complete your project.
How much does it cost to hire an electrical engineer?
Rates can vary due to many factors, including expertise and experience, location, and market conditions.
- An experienced electrical engineer may command higher fees but also work faster, have more-specialized areas of expertise, and deliver higher-quality work.
- A contractor who is still in the process of building a client base may price their electrical engineering services more competitively.
Rates typically charged by electrical engineers on Upwork are:
- Beginner: $12.80 per hour
- Intermediate: $35.20 per hour
- Expert: $160 per hour
Which one is right for you will depend on the specifics of your project.
How do you write an electrical engineering job post?
Your job post is your chance to describe your project scope, budget, and talent needs. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a contractor to know if they’re the right fit for the project.
Job post title
Create a simple title that describes exactly what you’re looking for. The idea is to target the keywords that your ideal candidate is likely to type into a job search bar to find your project. Here are some sample electrical engineering job post titles:
- Electrical engineer needed for PCB routing or layout with OrCAD
- Seeking an electrical engineering consultant for design and code reviews
- Electrical engineer needed for an IoT project
Project description
An effective electrical engineering job post should include:
- Scope of work: From circuit designs to engineering management, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
- Background: If you prefer experience with certain industries, technologies, or engineering design tools, mention this here.
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Electrical engineering job responsibilities
Here are some examples of electrical engineering job responsibilities:
- Apply electrical engineering design concepts to product development
- Translate customer, technical, and legal requirements into engineering designs
- Produce electrical engineering designs and drawings (e.g., PCB routing/layout)
- Maintain quality assurance via product testing
Electrical engineering job requirements and qualifications
Be sure to include any requirements and qualifications you’re looking for in an electrical engineer. Here are some examples:
- Electrical engineering and electronic design
- Embedded systems
- C and C++ programming languages
- Applicable technologies (e.g., IoT, machine learning, consumer electronics)
- Working knowledge of microcontrollers, microprocessors, sensors, and other electronics