MyMajor Report

Electrical Engineering

Designing and building systems that run on electricity — from microchips and circuits to power grids and wireless communication.

Math-heavyHigh job securityAI-resistantMostly desk work

The money

Salary range

Entry-level

CA$69,992

Median

CA$105,394

Experienced

CA$164,798

Source: Job Bank Canada / StatsCan LFS, NOC 21310, ref. 2023–24 (updated 2025-11-19) · Annualized from Job Bank hourly wage × 2080 (full-time equivalent). · verified 2026-05-31

The market

Jobs & outlook

Job security

AI-proof

AI-proof? Hardware design, power systems, and hands-on testing are hard for AI to replace; the field is more about physical systems than easily-automated text work.

The honest take

Is this major for you?

❌ If you hate abstract math, this is rough — you'll live in complex numbers, Fourier transforms, and differential equations.
✅ If you want strong job security that AI won't easily wipe out, EE is one of the safest bets.
⚠️ If you're lazy with problem sets, the workload will bury you — this is one of the heaviest engineering majors.
✅ If you like understanding how things work at a deep level (not just using them), you'll love it.
❌ If you want to work outdoors and avoid a desk, look at Civil instead — most EE work is lab + desk.
✅ If you can code AND do hardware, you'll be unusually employable — that combo is rare.

Day to day

What you'd actually do

Roles you can work

Hardware EngineerPower Systems EngineerEmbedded Systems EngineerRF / Communications EngineerControl Systems EngineerSemiconductor / VLSI EngineerTest EngineerRobotics EngineerField Applications Engineer

Hands-on vs. heads-down

Hands-onAt a desk

Work setting

mixed

Remote-friendly

Medium

What you'll learn

Skills it teaches

Core skills

Circuit analysisSignal processingProgramming (C, Python, MATLAB)ElectromagneticsControl theoryPCB designLab instrumentation

Transferable to other careers

Quantitative problem solvingSystems thinkingProgrammingData analysis

Your options

Flexibility & pivots

Pairs well with

Computer EngineeringComputer ScienceEngineering PhysicsMath

Pivot into

Software EngineeringData ScienceQuantitative FinanceTechnical ConsultingPatent Law

Grad-school paths

MEng/MS in Power, RF, VLSI, or Controls
PhD for research / chip design
MBA for management track

The grind

Difficulty & lifestyle

Difficulty9/10

Work-life balance6/10

Heavy on abstract math (complex numbers, differential equations, Fourier/Laplace) and concepts you can't see — current, fields, and signals.

~50 hrs/week typical workload

Hardest courses you'll take

Signals & Systems →Electromagnetics →Circuit Analysis II →Control Systems →Semiconductor Devices →

Tap a course to generate a practice exam for it.

Where it fits

Best countries & hubs

🇺🇸
United States
Highest salaries, huge semiconductor + defense + tech market.
🇩🇪
Germany
Industrial + automotive electronics powerhouse, strong embedded demand.
🇨🇦
Canada
Solid but smaller market; telecom, power utilities, Toronto–Waterloo corridor.
🇰🇷
South Korea
Global semiconductor hub (Samsung, SK Hynix).

Top hubs

Silicon ValleyAustinBostonMunichToronto–WaterlooSeoul

Visa-friendly: High

Weaker markets: Regions with little manufacturing or tech infrastructure

The fine print

Details people forget to ask

Grad school needed?: helpful
Licensing: PE license helpful for power/utilities roles; not required for most tech/hardware jobs.
Co-op availability: High
Recession resilience: High
Startup potential: Medium
Demographics: Historically male-dominated (~85/15); programs are actively working to balance this.

Burnout/dropout: High first-two-year attrition — many switch to CS after the heavy math courses.

Common regret: Many EEs wish they'd done more programming early — software skills unlock the best-paying roles.

Sleeper upside: The math + signals foundation makes you a strong candidate for quant finance and ML roles most people don't realize EEs can get.

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