Top Electrical Engineer Resume Skills for 2026
These are the electrical engineer resume skills ATS and employers scan for in 2026, including circuit design, PCB layout, MATLAB, and AutoCAD.
Optimize your resume Build your resume
Electrical engineers play a crucial role in designing, developing, and maintaining electrical systems and components to ensure they meet the required specifications and safety standards. Their work spans various industries, including construction, manufacturing, and utilities, where they apply their expertise in electrical engineering and technical systems to solve complex problems. Electrical engineers must possess a diverse skill set to succeed, including proficiency in design, ETAP, and budget management, as they often collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to bring projects to fruition.
Listing the right electrical engineer skills on your resume is vital because it demonstrates your ability to meet industry standards and excel in your role. Employers look for candidates who can effectively manage electrical systems, design efficient solutions, and optimize equipment performance. Highlighting relevant skills for your electrical engineer resume can set you apart from other candidates and showcase your potential to contribute meaningfully to a company’s success.
How we got the data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant resume skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 electrical engineer Hard Skills
top 10 electrical engineer Soft Skills
top 10 Electrical Engineer Skills on Resumes with High Match Rate
- Electrical engineering
- Technical
- Design
- Management
- AutoCAD
- Safety
- Drawings
- Testing
- Construction
- Documentation
Top 10 electrical engineering skills
Sample bullet points:
- Led the design of an innovative electrical distribution system, increasing efficiency by 25%.
- Applied advanced electrical engineering principles to solve complex problems, reducing project delays by 10%.
- Developed a new electrical safety protocol, enhancing workplace safety by 30%.
Sample bullet points:
- Improved technical system performance by 20% through strategic upgrades and maintenance.
- Designed and integrated technical systems that reduced energy usage by 15%.
- Conducted technical system audits, identifying and resolving 95% of system inefficiencies.
Sample bullet points:
- Designed a cutting-edge electrical system for a new production line, increasing output by 30%.
- Created detailed design schematics that reduced installation time by 20%.
- Developed a modular design approach, allowing for 15% faster system upgrades.
Sample bullet points:
- Utilized ETAP to conduct system simulations, improving reliability by 25%.
- Implemented ETAP analysis to identify and mitigate potential system failures, reducing downtime by 20%.
- Optimized power distribution networks using ETAP, resulting in a 10% reduction in energy costs.
Sample bullet points:
- Managed the construction of electrical systems for a large-scale project, completing it 10% ahead of schedule.
- Ensured compliance with safety standards during construction, resulting in a zero-incident record.
- Coordinated with multidisciplinary teams to streamline construction processes, saving $100,000 in costs.
Sample bullet points:
- Improved manufacturing line efficiency by 15% through electrical system upgrades.
- Designed electrical systems for a new manufacturing facility, increasing production capacity by 25%.
- Collaborated with manufacturing teams to implement process improvements, reducing downtime by 20%.
Sample bullet points:
- Enhanced electrical system reliability by 30% through proactive maintenance strategies.
- Designed and implemented a smart electrical system, reducing energy consumption by 20%.
- Upgraded electrical systems to meet new regulatory standards, avoiding potential fines.
Sample bullet points:
- Reduced equipment downtime by 25% through regular maintenance and upgrades.
- Selected new equipment that improved operational efficiency by 15%.
- Implemented equipment monitoring systems, leading to a 20% reduction in unexpected failures
Sample bullet points:
- Developed comprehensive reports that improved decision-making accuracy by 20%.
- Created technical reports that identified potential issues, reducing corrective actions by 15%.
- Generated monthly performance reports, providing insights that led to a 10% increase in system efficiency.
Sample bullet points:
- Managed project budgets, achieving cost savings of 10% through strategic planning.
- Developed budget forecasts that improved financial accuracy by 15%.
- Implemented cost-control measures, reducing overall project expenses by 20%.
Tips for using electrical engineer skills on a resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, electrical engineer resume bullet points might look like this:
- Designed and implemented electrical systems for a new manufacturing plant, resulting in a 15% increase in energy efficiency.
- Utilized ETAP software to simulate electrical system performance, reducing system downtime by 20%.
- Managed the construction of electrical installations for commercial buildings, ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
- Developed and maintained technical reports to track equipment performance and maintenance schedules.
- Optimized project budgets by 10% through strategic sourcing and cost-effective design solutions.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience.
If a recruiter is excited by your customer service skills, for example, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and achievements in your work experience section
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your specific achievements wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
Instead of saying,
“Worked on electrical systems for various projects.”
You could say,
“Led a team to design and implement electrical systems for three major projects, enhancing system reliability by 25% and reducing costs by 15%.”
This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
- Core Electrical Skills: Electrical engineering, Electrical systems, ETAP
- Design and Technical Skills: Design, Technical systems
- Project and Construction Skills: Construction, Manufacturing
- Management and Analytical Skills: Reports, Budget
Quantify your accomplishments
Use numbers to quantify your accomplishments wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Improved electrical system efficiency.”
You could say,
“Increased electrical system efficiency by 30%, resulting in annual savings of $50,000.”
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Sample job description:
We are seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer to join our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and managing electrical systems for commercial projects, utilizing ETAP software, and ensuring compliance with all safety standards. Strong budget management skills and experience in construction and manufacturing are essential.
Tailored resume bullet points:
- Designed and managed electrical systems for commercial projects, achieving a 20% reduction in energy consumption.
- Utilized ETAP software to optimize system performance and compliance, reducing operational costs by 15%.
- Successfully managed project budgets, delivering projects under budget by 10% without compromising quality.
“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
Lead with core competencies recruiters look for: circuit design and analysis, PCB layout (Altium Designer, KiCad, Eagle), schematic capture, and simulation tools like SPICE or LTspice. Include embedded systems and microcontrollers (ARM, PIC), signal processing, and power electronics if relevant. Programming matters too: C, C++, Python, MATLAB, and VHDL or Verilog for FPGA work. Tailor the stack to the subfield you are targeting.
Yes, especially for hardware, power, or regulated industries. Name the standards you have actually worked under, such as IPC for PCB assembly, IEEE protocols, NEC for power systems, IEC, or UL safety certification. For automotive or aerospace, cite ISO 26262 or DO-254. Compliance knowledge signals you can ship designs that pass review, not just prototypes, which is a meaningful differentiator for senior and design-verification roles.
Engineering rarely happens solo, so highlight cross-functional collaboration with mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing teams. Show problem-solving and root-cause analysis (failure investigation, debugging), attention to detail (tolerance and design margin), and clear technical documentation. Project management or working to design milestones matters for senior roles. Demonstrate these through outcomes, like resolving a field failure or cutting board cost through redesign, rather than listing them flatly.
Lean on academic and project work: senior capstone designs, lab coursework, internships, and personal builds (a custom PCB, an embedded sensor project, a power-supply design). Name the tools you used (MATLAB, Altium, an oscilloscope, a logic analyzer) and the concepts applied (filter design, motor control). List your EIT/FE exam status if you have it. Hands-on projects with real components prove competence better than coursework titles alone.
Match the posting precisely, since parsers look for specific tools and acronyms: “PCB design,” “FPGA,” “VHDL,” “embedded systems,” “power electronics,” “SPICE,” or a named CAD tool. Spell out abbreviations once (“printed circuit board (PCB)”) so both the full term and acronym register. Include your degree and any PE or FE credential. Avoid stuffing unrelated tools; recruiters notice when the skills list does not match the experience.