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Defense Electrical Engineer Jobs in Rochester, NY

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Defense Electrical Engineer information

See Rochester, NY salary details

$49.8K

$109.6K

$165.8K

How much do defense electrical engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for defense electrical engineer in Rochester, NY is $109,610.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $81,900.00 and $130,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Defense Electrical Engineers?

Defense Electrical Engineers are specialized professionals who design, develop, test, and oversee the manufacturing of electrical equipment used in military and defense applications. Their work often involves creating advanced electronic systems for communication, surveillance, navigation, and weapons systems that must meet rigorous safety and reliability standards. These engineers collaborate with other defense professionals and must stay up-to-date with evolving technologies and security requirements. Their expertise is critical to ensuring the effectiveness and safety of defense systems in challenging environments.

What are some common challenges faced by Defense Electrical Engineers when working on military projects?

Defense Electrical Engineers often navigate complex challenges such as adhering to strict security protocols, meeting rigorous performance and reliability standards, and integrating cutting-edge technologies within legacy defense systems. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams—including mechanical engineers, software developers, and project managers—is essential for ensuring that designs meet project specifications and regulatory compliance. Additionally, they may face tight deadlines and the need to rapidly adapt to evolving defense requirements, making strong problem-solving and communication skills crucial.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Defense Electrical Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Defense Electrical Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering principles, circuit design, and systems analysis, typically supported by a bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering. Familiarity with technical tools such as MATLAB, CAD software, and industry-specific standards, as well as security clearance and certifications like PE (Professional Engineer), are often required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication skills are essential soft skills in this role. These competencies ensure the development of reliable, secure, and innovative defense solutions that meet stringent safety and regulatory requirements.

What is the difference between Defense Electrical Engineer vs Defense Systems Engineer?

AspectDefense Electrical EngineerDefense Systems Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in Electrical Engineering, security clearance often requiredBachelor's or higher in Systems Engineering, security clearance often required
Work EnvironmentDesigning electrical components, circuits, and systems for defense applicationsIntegrating and managing complex defense systems, including electrical and software components
Industry UsagePrimarily in electrical hardware development for defense projectsInvolved in system-level integration across multiple engineering disciplines

Defense Electrical Engineers focus on designing and developing electrical hardware and systems for defense applications, while Defense Systems Engineers oversee the integration of various subsystems, including electrical, software, and mechanical components. Both roles require security clearances and collaborate closely in defense projects, but their core responsibilities differ in scope and focus.

What cities near Rochester, NY are hiring for Defense Electrical Engineer jobs? Cities near Rochester, NY with the most Defense Electrical Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Defense Electrical Engineer job openings in Rochester, NY as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 93% In-person, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,610 per year, or $52.7 per hour.
Senior Specialist, Electrical Engineer

Senior Specialist, Electrical Engineer

L3Harris Technologies

Honeoye Falls, NY • On-site

$92K - $171K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 13 days ago


Job description

L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success. Fundamental to our culture is an unwavering focus on values, dedication to our communities, and commitment to excellence in everything we do.

L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.

Job Title: Senior Specialist, Electrical Engineering

 

Job Code: 36183

 

Job Location: Rochester, NY

 

Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked, and have every other Friday off

 

 

Job Description:

 

L3Harris Airborne Imaging in Rochester, NY has an immediate need for highly motivated FPGA design engineer.  In this role you will develop, simulate, and integrate in lab highly specialized firmware designs targeting multi-spectral imaging systems.  Responsibilities include generation of firmware derived requirements, architecture of digital solutions to meet said requirements and formal test / lab verification of the functional imaging system.  The qualified candidate is able to work semi-autonomously as a lead designer, potentially driving a small team of firmware engineers through coding, simulation, code analysis, and circuit card design support. 

Essential Functions:

  • Decompose and allocate system and box-level requirements to FPGA specifications.
  • Architect solutions targeting FPGAs against requirements and implement those solutions on FPGA platforms.
  • Map FPGA simulation work products to system-level requirements and capabilities
  • Review product specifications, and generate system and module-level block diagrams, flow diagrams, and design concepts
  • Refine and enforce consistent firmware development processes across FPGA designs.
  • Lead teams of engineers generating the FPGA design solutions.
  • Ensure the FPGA simulations verify performance, then integrate and test the FPGA on the circuit card assembly.
  • Lead the full life cycle development and integration of VHDL into different families of FPGAs.
  • Experience coding in VHDL and modeling algorithms, simulating and integrating multiple FPGA-based modules
  • Lead the bench-level system integration with hardware, software, and other FPGA designs
  • Support proposal efforts and early stages of the program to define detailed system requirements
  • Support the planning and execution of project plans, design reviews and production release of modified or new product documentation
  • Support qualification and production test in the event of test failures
  • Support customer with use and troubleshooting of fielded products
  • Provide mentoring to younger engineers
  • Ability to obtain a US Security Clearance

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 6 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 10 years of prior related experience.

 

Preferred Additional Skills:

  • Thorough understanding of version control best practices and tools (subversion, git, etc) to closely track changes to the FPGA baseline.
  • Experience with control protocols such I2C, SPI, RS-232/422, and ARINC 818.
  • Experience with complex block and top level simulations of FPGA designs requiring high level transaction-based models.
  • Ability to multi-task and prioritize assignments in a fast-paced work environment and to complete design/project goals with minimal oversight and direction.
  • Experience with and understanding of Altera or Xilinx FPGA architectures
  • Experience with high speed serial protocols (PCI Express, SRIO, Ethernet)
  • Experience designing 10G Ethernet based Network Interface Designs
  • Experience in network protocols including IPv6 and UDP
  • Experience with SoC (Kintex UltraScale/UltraScale+, Virtex UltraScale/UltraScale+, Zynq UltraScale)
  • Experience with VHDL
  • Solid understanding of basic image processing and image acquisition in a real time environment

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in New York state is $92,500 - $171,500. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

#LI-CS2

L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. L3Harris maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.

Please be aware many of our positions require the ability to obtain a security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

By submitting your resume for this position, you understand and agree that L3Harris Technologies may share your resume, as well as any other related personal information or documentation you provide, with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies for the purpose of considering you for other available positions.

L3Harris Technologies is an E-Verify Employer. Please click here for the E-Verify Poster in English or Spanish. For information regarding your Right To Work, please click here for English or Spanish.