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How to become an electrical engineer in Australia

Electrical Engineers design, develop and supervise the manufacture, installation, operation and maintenance of equipment, machines and systems for the generation, distribution, utilisation and control of electric power.

$2,553median full-time pay a week, before tax
+21.8%projected job growth to 2035
33,100people in this job

The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the electrical engineers group are projected to grow 21.8% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.

What the job involves

  • Planning and designing power stations and power generation equipment
  • Determining the type and arrangement of circuits, transformers, circuit-breakers, transmission lines and other equipment
  • Developing products such as electric motors, components, equipment and appliances
  • Interpreting specifications, drawings, standards and regulations relating to electric power equipment and use
  • Organising and managing resources used in the supply of electrical components, machines, appliances and equipment
  • Establishing delivery and installation schedules for machines, switchgear, cables and fittings

How to get there

What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the electrical engineers group, and some roles differ.

What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 83% a degree or higher, 8% a diploma, 5% a Certificate III or IV.

Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.

Courses that can lead here

Victoria13 matches

VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.

Engineering-Electrical (Honours) · RMIT, City80.30 Engineering (Electrical) (Honours) · Federation, Blended Learning - Gippsland79.50 Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Renewable Energy Engineering major) · Deakin, Melbourne Burwood73.55
Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) (Degree) · VU, Footscray ParkNo cutoff
Federation Access Studies and Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) (Honours) · Federation, BerwickNo cutoff
Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) (Foundation/Degree Pathway) · VU, CityNo cutoff

Diplomas and other ways in

Engineering Technology (Electrical and Electronics Major) (Associate Degree)/Engineering (Electrical Engineering) (Honours) · RMIT, City45.45 Engineering Technology (Electrical & Electronics Major)(Associate Degree) / Engineering (Electronic & Computer Systems)(Honours) · RMIT, City52.30

Showing 8 of 13 matches. Search every course.

NSW and ACT14 matches

UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.

Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Electrical Engineering) · Sydney90.15 Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electrical · UTS84.60 Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electrical and Electronic · UTS84.15 specialisation in Electrical and Electronic · Macquarie80.90 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronics) · Wollongong80.20 Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Honours) · Newcastle78.75 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical Engineering) · Western Sydney77.50
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical Engineering) · UNSWNo cutoff

Diplomas and other ways in

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Electrical Diploma in Industry Practice · UTS86.60 Bachelor of Engineering(Honours) Electrical and Electronic Diploma in Industry Practice · UTS88.50

Showing 10 of 14 matches. Search every course.

Queensland1 match

QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.

Diplomas and other ways in

Advanced Diploma of Engineering Technology - Electrical · TAFE Queensland, Eagle FarmNo cutoff
Western Australia8 matches

TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.

Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Power) Honours · ECU, Joondalup80.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Renewable Energy) Honours · ECU, Joondalup80.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Engineering Honours in Electrical and Renewable Energy Engineering · Murdoch, Perth80.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Engineering Technology - Electrical and Renewable Energy Engineering · Murdoch, Perth60.10 Bachelor of Technology (Electrical) · ECU, Joondalup60.10 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Bachelor of Science (Science) in Computer Science (double degree) · Curtin, Perth70.75 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Bachelor of Science (Science) in Data Science (double degree) · Curtin, Perth70.75 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Bachelor of Science (Science) in Physics (double degree) · Curtin, Perth70.75

Matched on course names, 36 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.

Graduate outcomes, national

Engineering - electrical and electronic85.1% in full-time work$83,500 median full-time salary

Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.

Does it fit your interests?

Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.

Realistic
Investigative
Artistic
Social
Enterprising
Conventional

From O*NET ratings for "Electrical Engineers", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.

Careers with similar interests

Chemical engineer$2,849 Civil engineer$2,217 Structural engineer$2,217 Mechanical engineer$2,614 Mining engineer$3,518

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Job data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.

Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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