Systems Engineer
A systems engineer is in charge of designing, evaluating, and installing systems in manufacturing equipment. They are responsible for assessing systems, determining problems, providing solutions to issues that arise, designing systems, upgrading systems, maintaining systems and brainstorming possible improvements that can be made to a system in the future.
Systems engineers use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design the systems. They also analyze production processes and oversee the installation, repair, reassembly of equipment. Their ultimate objective is to ensure production processes are efficient and that products are produced at the lowest cost in the shortest time.
Job Overview
Salary
Workplace
How to Start
Job Overview
What does a Systems Engineer do?
A systems engineer works to integrate entire manufacturing processes. The role of a manufacturing system engineer includes integrating a wide range of systems from production to supplies and sales, participating in a project from beginning to end, budgeting and performing resource allocation. They must also integrate the manufacturing process to allow for maximum production volume at lower costs and within a shorter time period.
These engineers are in charge of designing, implementing and maintaining the information technology systems for an organization. Their duties include designing the basic computing infrastructure to accomplish key tasks, establishing networking rules for cybersecurity and troubleshooting network errors or other technical issues.
Team Player
These engineers speak to and collaborate with a variety of people, such as clients, vendors, management and information technology (IT) staff during the creation and maintenance of a system.
Project Management
Systems engineers establish milestones for necessary contributions from departments and develop processes to facilitate their collaboration.
Quality Assurance
Systems engineers create control features to ensure systems effectively meet the organization’s quality standards. They engage in quality control procedures to ensure that systems are efficient and operational.
Detail Oriented
Systems engineers provide detailed specifications for proposed solutions including materials, manpower and time necessary.
Salary
How much does a Systems Engineer make?
The average annual pay for an Electronic Systems Engineer in the United States is $127,215 a year. Annual salaries can be as high as $167,000 and as low as $53,500, the majority of Electronic Systems Engineer salaries currently range between $98,000 (25th percentile) to $157,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $157,000 annually across the United States.
These are 2025 national salary averages and may fluctuate based on location.
Workplace
What does the workplace for a Systems Engineer look like?
Systems engineers work closely with other stakeholders such as designers, plant managers, researchers, engineering consultants, and other non-technical staff. They mostly work in factories. A successful systems engineer should have strong technical skills, teamwork skills, communication skills, analytical skills, critical thinking skills, and attention to detail. A systems engineer works 40 hours a week Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. They can work in an office setting, a factory, or in a laboratory. Depending on their area of work, they may work beyond the 40 hours in case they have urgent project deadlines.How to Start
How to become a Systems Engineer?
The typical education and training for a systems engineer career includes post-secondary education such as a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in engineering. However, there are specialty roles within systems engineering that have specific educational requirements. For example, mechanical systems engineering or computer systems engineering are specific degrees leading to a specialization in related fields. On-the-job training is generally not required unless the individual is attempting to transition into a higher or managerial position.
In many cases, entry-level systems engineers start off working under the supervision of trained systems engineers and thus learn the functions and requirements of the job hands-on. Independence during projects occurs as learning is mastered on the job over time. After obtaining enough related experience in this field as well as earning a master’s degree in a related field, a systems engineer may become a technical specialist.
