Empowering Women in Electrical Engineering Careers

Traditionally, electrical engineering has been a field dominated by men, but this exciting field offers many opportunities for women looking to lead in high-impact industries.

Women, particularly those with relevant professional experience, are positioned to add vital insights and innovations to this rapidly evolving industry. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of electrical engineering careers for women.

The Role of Women in Engineering Today

Overall, women represent 16% of engineers. This is a significant increase. In the 1990s, only 9% of engineers were women. In 2024, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA (IEEE-USA), women accounted for 35% of environmental engineers, 18% of chemical engineers, 10% of electrical engineers, and 9% of mechanical engineers.¹

While more women are entering the engineering industry, the field lags behind other science and technology careers in terms of representation. For example, in the United States, women make up 44% of life and physical science occupations, 24% of computer occupations, 44% of mathematical occupations.²

Professional organizations like IEEE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Women Engineers all recognize the value of a diverse engineering workforce. They publish reports on the presence of girls and women in engineering fields, such as "Women in Engineering: Analyzing 20 Years of Social Science Literature," their 2022 review of social science studies regarding women in engineering.

Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Electrical Engineering

Explaining the lack of women in engineering fields has been a challenge, particularly in recent decades when women haven't had to face historical barriers to higher education, such as limits on the number of women admitted to colleges.³ One study from 2021 showed that the young women who were surveyed simply didn't know what engineering entailed or what the electrical engineering impact and benefits were.⁴

Researchers have found that while young men may primarily excel in science and math, young women tend to earn higher grades in fields besides math, so they have more career choices than their male peers and often choose to pursue careers in other fields.⁵ Couple that with the lingering perception that engineering is an inherently masculine field, and many girls and young women overlook careers in electrical engineering.

Unfortunately, the lack of prominent examples of women in engineering exacerbates the problem: Young women don't see themselves represented in the field and assume that means it isn't a welcoming space for them. Increased outreach, accessible mentorship, and visible success stories can inspire qualified women to become engineers.

Opportunities in electrical engineering are expected to grow steadily for the next decade, with thousands of high-paying job openings predicted. This presents exciting opportunities for women to find rewarding and versatile engineering careers.⁶

STEM industries have recognized that the best way to meet demand in these growing fields is to draw more students of all backgrounds to academic programs. Diversity and inclusion initiatives are designed to increase the aggregate number of scientists and engineers, building a larger workforce to drive innovation.

Why Electrical Engineering Is a Strategic Career Path for Women

With a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion, many organizations are actively recruiting and supporting women in engineering roles. The field offers competitive salaries, long-term career stability, and leadership potential. It opens doors to careers in energy, technology, healthcare, aerospace, and more. Women bring a valuable perspective to the creation, development, and operation of systems ranging from consumer electronics to advanced military technologies. For women looking to drive innovation and solve complex, real-world problems, electrical engineering provides both the platform and the purpose to make a lasting difference.

Electrical engineers can pursue specializations such as the following:

• Power engineering
• Control systems engineering
• Telecommunication engineering
• Signal processing
• Computer engineering
• Electrical design engineering
• Embedded and firmware engineering
• Hardware design engineering

Electrical engineers entering the workforce today can find jobs in high-growth sectors such as electric vehicle development, AI and data systems, and smart tech for both industry and consumer products. Electronics-based systems are integrated into clean energy delivery, green building design, broadly accessible information technologies, and global communications systems.

The median salary for electrical engineers was $118,000 in 2024,⁷ and pay can rise over the course of a career. Like many tech industry careers, electrical engineers can take advantage of flexible workplace policies, remote work, and comprehensive benefits packages.

How Online Education Supports Women in Engineering

Online programs play a vital role in supporting women who aspire to advance in engineering by offering graduate-level education with the flexibility needed to balance professional and personal commitments. Bradley University's Online Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) program delivers the academic rigor and technical depth of a traditional engineering degree, combined with the convenience of online learning—making it a great option for women navigating careers, caregiving, or nontraditional educational paths.

For women looking to break into or rise within engineering fields, this program offers a pathway to success and long-term impact. With flexible scheduling, students can structure coursework around their existing responsibilities, eliminating many of the barriers that often discourage women from pursuing STEM degrees.

Through expert-led instruction and a curriculum designed to deliver both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience, students gain a solid foundation in core engineering principles while preparing to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. Core courses include the following:

• Digital systems
• Computers and programming
• Circuit analysis and design
• Microcontroller architecture, programming, and applications
• Advanced electronics
• Probability, statistics, and random processes

Advance Your Career Today

Electrical engineering offers opportunities to work in forward-thinking industries that bring technological advancements to communities all over the world. Leaders across the field of engineering see the benefits of hiring diverse teams of professionals and taking advantage of the unique insights that women bring to developing solutions and systems.

To begin your electrical engineering career, consider Bradley University's Online Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE). Bradley's online BSEE is a flexible, affordable program that combines a deep understanding of the field, personalized instruction, and hands-on experience.

To take the first steps toward your career as an electrical engineer, contact an Admission Advisor today.