Also called: Relay Engineer
Designs the split-second safety systems that cut power when something goes wrong, preventing fires and blackouts.
You calculate settings for protective relays so a fault on one line is cleared in a tenth of a second without blacking out the whole region, then investigate when a relay acted strangely.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in electrical engineering; PE license.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 7% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI helps check relay settings, but miscoordination causes blackouts, so licensed engineers still sign off and test in the field.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, Electronics CTE class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2071.
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