How to become a Electrical Design Engineer
Design control panels, schematics and wiring harnesses. Learn AutoCAD Electrical and harness design for electrical jobs.
01The role
What does a Electrical Design Engineer do?
An electrical design engineer prepares the drawings and documents that show how electrical systems are built and wired. This includes control-panel schematics, single-line diagrams, panel layouts, terminal and cable schedules, and in the automotive world, wiring harness designs that connect every sensor and switch in a vehicle. The designs must be safe, follow standards and be easy for technicians to build, test and maintain.
AutoCAD Electrical speeds up schematic work with symbol libraries, automatic wire numbering and reports, while harness design needs knowledge of connectors, terminals, wire sizing and routing. Panel builders, automation companies, EPC contractors and automotive suppliers in Chennai, Hosur, Bengaluru and Ranipet's industrial belt all need electrical designers. Electrical and electronics graduates, diploma holders and ITI electricians can build strong careers here.
A typical day
- Draw control and power schematics in AutoCAD Electrical
- Prepare single-line diagrams and panel general-arrangement drawings
- Generate wire numbers, terminal plans and bill of materials
- Design wiring harness layouts with connectors and wire specifications
- Calculate cable sizes and protection ratings
- Support panel builders and testing teams with drawing queries
Skills you need
- Electrical fundamentals and circuit protection
- AutoCAD Electrical schematics and reports
- Single-line diagrams and panel layouts
- Wiring harness design basics
- Cable sizing and selection
- Electrical standards (IEC, IS) awareness
- Reading PLC I/O and control drawings
- Documentation and revision control
Who can become one
02Learning path
The courses to take, in order
Start with the first course; add the next when you are ready. Each links to its full syllabus.
Basic Electrical (Executive Diploma) Course
A short, practical start in electrical fundamentals – circuits, wiring, earthing, safety and reading electrical drawings. 1 level · 20 h
AutoCAD Course
Learn AutoCAD to draw accurate 2D plans and machine drawings, manage layers and blocks, plot to scale and build basic 3D models. 2 levels · 40–80 h
Electrical CAD (AutoCAD Electrical) Course
Learn AutoCAD Electrical to draw control schematics, number wires, lay out PLC and panel drawings and generate BOMs and wiring reports. 2 levels · 64–80 h
Electrical & Wiring Harness Design Course
Learn how vehicle wiring harnesses are planned, routed in 3D, flattened and documented for manufacturing. 1 level · 40 h
PLC & SCADA Course
Learn to program PLCs in ladder logic and FBD, wire control panels and build SCADA screens that monitor and control real industrial processes. 5 levels · 44–64 h
Basic Electrical (Executive Diploma) Course
A short, practical start in electrical fundamentals – circuits, wiring, earthing, safety and reading electrical drawings.
AutoCAD Course
Learn AutoCAD to draw accurate 2D plans and machine drawings, manage layers and blocks, plot to scale and build basic 3D models.
Electrical CAD (AutoCAD Electrical) Course
Learn AutoCAD Electrical to draw control schematics, number wires, lay out PLC and panel drawings and generate BOMs and wiring reports.
03Pay
Salary for a Electrical Design Engineer
Indicative ranges for 2025–26 only. Actual pay varies by company, city, skills and experience; Tier-2 cities like Vellore usually start at the lower end, metros such as Chennai and Bengaluru at the higher end. Figures in lakh per annum (LPA).
Industries
Companies that employ this role
Examples of well-known companies and sectors in India that use these skills. They are not CareerKraft partners or recruiters.
04Growth
Your career ladder
Electrical Draughtsman / Trainee
Drafts schematics and layouts from engineers' inputs.
Electrical Design Engineer
Designs panels or harnesses and prepares full drawing packages.
Senior Design Engineer
Leads complex projects and checks juniors' designs.
Design Lead
Owns electrical design standards and team delivery.
Engineering Manager
Manages electrical engineering across projects and clients.
Start your path to Electrical Design Engineer
The counsellor maps the course order, batch timings and fee for you on WhatsApp.
05FAQ
Electrical Design Engineer – FAQ
Still have a question? The counsellor at the centre you prefer replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat is AutoCAD Electrical?
It is a version of AutoCAD built for electrical drawings, with symbol libraries, automatic wire numbering, cross-referencing and reports.
What is wiring harness design?
It is the design of bundled wires, connectors and terminals that carry power and signals, mainly in vehicles and machines.
Can an ITI electrician become an electrical designer?
Yes. Hands-on wiring knowledge is valuable. Adding electrical CAD skills helps electricians move into design offices.
Do I need PLC knowledge for electrical design?
It helps for control-panel work, because many schematics include PLC inputs, outputs and control logic.
Where are harness design jobs located?
Mostly near automotive clusters such as Chennai, Hosur, Bengaluru and Pune, and in engineering-services companies.
Where can I train to become a Electrical Design Engineer near Vellore?
CareerKraft teaches Basic Electrical (Executive Diploma), AutoCAD, Electrical CAD (AutoCAD Electrical) and related courses at its Katpadi, Vellore and Ranipet centres, in classroom, online or hybrid mode. Message your chosen centre on WhatsApp and the counsellor will share the current fee, offers and EMI options.
Start today
Get the Basic Electrical (Executive Diploma) syllabus, fees & batch dates
Fill this in and WhatsApp opens with your details, addressed to the centre you choose. The counsellor replies with the full syllabus, current fee, offers and the next batch.
- Free counselling and demo class
- Real projects and placement support
- Classroom, online or hybrid batches
- Replies Mon–Sat 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM · Sun 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM