r/ECE • u/TopCompany9406 • Jun 12 '26
CAREER Contemplating giving up on RF as a potential career.
At least for now. I'm a junior in Electrical Engineering and for the longest time I've wanted to work in RF but job openings for entry-level positions is seemingly non-existent, which makes sense given how complex it is. I am in my mid-twenties so I kind of need to start working so getting a MS is kind of off the table right now.
My next option was comms, but that is also kind of dead supposedly. What would you recommend as a career that is both in demand and interesting (Please I can't tolerate MEP type work so anything but that).
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u/Adrienne-Fadel Jun 12 '26
RF entry level is tough because companies wont train juniors. IIoT is actually growing if you can do embedded work. Also worth looking outside Canada, UAE is investing in comm infrastructure and hiring.
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u/Colfuzi0 Jun 12 '26
I don't see many entry level IoT either sadly
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u/treboR- Jun 12 '26
I’d apply anyways. Just graduated, applied to an embedded job working on IOT devices that required 3 years of experience and got it.
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u/Colfuzi0 Jun 12 '26
That's amazing! Yeah I'm on the fence if I should switch into embbeded/IoT from web I enrolled in an MS for CE but I m struggling with physics 1 this summer.
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u/treboR- Jun 12 '26
I absolutely despise web development. I find it super boring to just work on front ends. Embedded systems is way cooler and makes me actually feel like a computer engineer.
I’d just make some projects in embedded, for example I had a remote air sensor that would communicate with firebase and can be monitored by an app, and a remote fireworks launcher from your phone.
I’d just focus on projects for a first job. I also got accepted for a masters in ce with thesis in cybersecurity but idk. I think I’ll stick with the job it pays well and will just try and focus on embedded
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u/Colfuzi0 Jun 12 '26
I actually liked web development a lot and it's more then just front ends but I just worry for the job security in it. But embbeded interests me more I'm just scared in bad at physics and calculus
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u/Theis159 Jun 12 '26
Eh maybe in US but I’ve been training RF juniors for awhile now, I think 3-4 are now seniors already.
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Jun 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ok-Agency-8525 Jul 14 '26
Is it a good idea to pursue masters in embedded systems and select electives related to RF there ? Im a cs grad as of now im asking for next year plan, if yes which country would you suggest if all i care is about a solid career or job ?
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u/Dry_Statistician_688 Jun 12 '26
Ummm, companies and test labs are hurting for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) engineers. They can't find competent people.
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u/trynafigureitout444 Jun 13 '26
Is there anyway I can learn more about EMC? I get the idea (after a quick google search just now) but I have no idea what the job is like, what actual technical skills are needed and if I would like it/be qualified
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u/Dry_Statistician_688 Jun 13 '26
You need a good, deep understanding of EM Fields and the Signals courses. Take antenna design and Microwave design if possible. Read up on EMC fundamentals and get to know MIL-STD-464, and especially 461. If you walk into an interview with understanding of CE, CS, RE, CE concepts and MIL-STD’s, you are going to get hired.
Much of the job is chamber work per the required setup, calibration, and measurement procedures. But you need to know the science going on. It’s a fun, and busy field right now. No matter how much technology improves, the RF and compatibility will always be there.
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u/CosmicYoke Jun 30 '26
Thank you for sharing. Presumably you work in the field currently (pun intended)?
I keep seeing a lot of people describe EMC test roles as "dead end" or " a day to day grind". Personally I really like lab work so maybe I wont find it dead end or boring. (Also interested in RF t&v)1
u/Dry_Statistician_688 Jun 30 '26
I did, actually, and really enjoyed the work. It can get busy, and if you really are on top of things, you risk being in very high demand, so there's a little burnout risk. BUT, I never saw any of that "dead end" BS. That Urban Legend just seems to not die. It's like any other specialty, you make it what it is.
There's a lot of "nerd" work involved, and it can get tedious. But you become part of a small fraternity of people that are always in demand, and if you want to be a good, experienced, engineer, that's perfectly fine. As you progress, you'll get calls to go help some really cool stuff like space vehicles and brand new designs.
If you want manager track, I've see a LOT of EMC people go on to be higher management. If you can handle that stress, great.
I chose the latter - to be a really good engineer, and enjoyed some amazing adventures. Once you really learn all of the signal stuff, it's pretty freaking cool.
When you retire, you;ll be one of the most awesome ham radio operators around!
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u/CosmicYoke Jul 03 '26
Awesome! Seems like you had a great career, thank you for your response. I hear its also very possible to be an independent consultant in the field, especially compared to other disciplines.
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u/MountainThinker Jul 08 '26
I've taken a lot of "things" to the test lab. Many test lab folks just know the procedures and test equipment well, but few of them I've met really have a physics grounding of RF or any idea how to solve an RF problem. These days you are lucky to even see a screwdriver in a test lab. A bright and problem solving oriented EE would be valuable to the customers and the lab. A few years in a lab would give you a chance to see many leading edge designs, learn what works and what does not - really see the sausage being made. It could give you a living while you work on a master and be ready when the right customer is sitting next you chatting - and there is a lot of time to chat while the scans run. Solve the right problem and you might get hired away. As other have said, for a lot of folks it can become a deadend grind of a paycheck, but it could also be a stepping stone if you keep investing in your skill and education. Plus you have access to some great test equipment for some midnight engineering or course work. As a side note, my first trip to a test lab was to a semi-retired Stanford radio astronomer with his own certified open field site who gave me the best EMC education of theory and practical practice anyone could get.
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u/Glum_Custard666 Jun 12 '26
Comms is dead!? Wdym ?
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u/TopCompany9406 Jun 12 '26
for entry-level haha. I know the job market is vibrant for those with experience
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u/Sparkee58 Jun 12 '26
Have you considered Signal Integrity (SI) engineering? Theres a decent amount of overlap with RF Engineering, its a field that requires a lot of E&M knowledge. Theres a lot of hiring going on right now and my company hires a lot of new graduates.
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u/TopCompany9406 Jun 12 '26
no, but that definitely sounds interesting and something I would enjoy working on. Any particular skills or software you recommend learning?
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u/Sparkee58 Jun 12 '26
HFSS is the industry standard and I imagine your school would have a license. If you could had some experience with HFSS that would help tremendously as a new graduate. Hands on experience with a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) as well if your school has one. MATLAB/Python is also commonly used for plotting data.
I also was really interested in RF when I was in undergrad and TBH I'm kinda happy I landed where I did. From talking to some other people who spent most of their career in RF I get the sense that theres not that many jobs where theres a lot of new and exciting work and that seems to mostly be in the IC realm. Theres a huge boom in SI right now due to AI and its lead to a lot of interesting and challenging work. Plus everything is becoming increasingly more digital so the need for SI isnt going away
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u/therealmunchies Jun 12 '26
Move to georgia, virginia, maryland, colorado or texas and work in defense. You’ll need to master’s to be competitive.
Electronics are always interesting. If you can get into hardware design, you can probably get into RF from there.
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u/Rich-Detective3325 Jun 13 '26
Your gonna have to just straight up learn to design RF PCBs with worse tools on your own. I’m not kidding, that’s the expectation. It isn’t fair, but that’s the honest truth of the market right now. If you want to do cool shit you have to learn it on your own since companies have outsourced training to you.
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u/lasteem1 Jun 13 '26
RF is the LEAST saturated field. It may be hard for someone with no experience getting their foot in the door but it’s that way in every subfield right now. Find a company that develops products that use rf and take any job(test engineer…pcb designer) you can. Get a graduate certificate or MS while working.
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u/MSECE Jun 13 '26
Tons of jobs check Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, Lockeed , General Dynamics all gave heavy RF
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u/RationalWank Jun 13 '26
I was an international student, and most RF jobs needed US citizenship. I sadly gave up on RF and then moved countries too.
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Jun 13 '26
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u/TopCompany9406 Jun 13 '26
I am interested, so it is basically a guaranteed job after the three years of training?
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u/Imaginary_Scallion_7 Jun 14 '26
Grad School is only option. You will not know enough from 400 level E/M
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u/Shinycardboardnerd Jun 12 '26
If you’re in the US, defense has a lot of RF work