- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Average salary $79,000 to $135,000
Career profile
Electrical engineers research, design, develop, test and supervise the installation of electrical systems, machinery and components. They apply their expertise and use various computer systems to prepare material cost and timing estimates and reports, as well as design specifications for systems and ensure the installation and operations meet standards and requirements for complex oil and natural gas facilities as well as for emerging energy installations.
Pipelines, Oil and gas services, Oil sands, Exploration and production, Offshore, Carbon capture, utilization and storage, Emissions reduction, Engineering, design and procurement, Start-up and commissioning, Construction, Geothermal, Solar, Wind
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information
- Preparing technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems or maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources
- Designing complex electrical systems for oil and gas facilities
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems
- Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events
- Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data
- Troubleshooting and resolving electrical issues, designing hardware and software and monitoring power distribution
Education
- A post-secondary degree in electrical, electronic or instrumentation and controls engineering is typically required.
Certifications
- Standard and emergency first aid
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Fall protection
- Construction Safety Training System (CSTS)
- H2S Alive®
Licensing
- To obtain a license as a professional engineer (P.Eng) you must obtain a degree from an accredited engineering program, pass a professional practice exam and have three or four years of engineering experience, of which one year must be gained in Canada. You must also have Canadian citizenship or proof of permanent residency in Canada.
- Once licensed, engineers receive a seal to stamp their designs and drawings.
- Unlicensed engineers must work under the supervision of a P. Eng.
- Travel may be required, but many electrical engineers also work in head offices
- Shiftwork at oil sands and natural gas processing plants
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Work away from home/in camps for oil sands and natural gas processing plants
- Engineering and technology
- Computers and electronics
- Design
- Mathematics
- English language
- Physics
- Production and processing
- Education and training
- Reading comprehension
- Active listening