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Substation Design Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Substation Engineer

Oakland, CA · On-site

$176K - $187K/yr

You will act as a technical authority, providing high-level guidance for substation design, grid stability, and capital project execution. This is a senior-level position for an engineer who has ...

Senior Substation Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$104K - $133K/yr

Senior Substation Engineer Department: Power Delivery Substation Department Location: San Diego ... Execute detailed design of medium to extra high voltage utility substations including one-line ...

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Showing results 1-20

Substation Design Engineer information

See California salary details

$61.7K

$112.1K

$147.5K

How much do substation design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 20, 2026, the average yearly pay for substation design engineer in California is $112,139.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $97,200.00 and $123,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Substation Design Engineer job?

A Substation Design Engineer is responsible for designing electrical substations that facilitate the transmission and distribution of electricity. They create detailed plans, specifications, and layouts for substation components, including switchgear, transformers, and protection systems. Their role involves ensuring compliance with industry standards, safety regulations, and reliability requirements. They work closely with utility companies, project managers, and other engineering disciplines to develop efficient and cost-effective designs. This position requires expertise in electrical engineering, CAD software, and power system analysis.

How much money do substation engineers make?

Substation design engineers typically earn a median annual salary ranging from $70,000 to $110,000, depending on experience, location, and certifications. Senior engineers or those with specialized skills in power systems and CAD tools can earn higher salaries, often exceeding $120,000 annually.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior engineers in specialized fields such as petroleum, aerospace, or software engineering can earn $300,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and leadership roles. Certain executive or managerial engineering positions also reach this salary level, often requiring advanced certifications and significant industry expertise.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior engineers in specialized fields such as petroleum, aerospace, or software engineering can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with experience, advanced skills, and leadership roles. Substation Design Engineers typically have lower top-end salaries, but those in executive or consulting positions may reach high compensation levels depending on the industry and location.

What are the main challenges a Substation Design Engineer faces during a typical project?

Substation Design Engineers often encounter challenges such as coordinating with multidisciplinary teams, managing complex design requirements, and ensuring compliance with strict safety and regulatory standards. Balancing project schedules while addressing site-specific constraints and integrating new technologies can also pose difficulties. Effective communication with project managers, construction crews, and utility clients is essential to address issues quickly and keep the project on track. Successful engineers are proactive in problem-solving and adaptable to evolving project needs, which helps minimize delays and optimize design solutions.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Substation Design Engineer position, and why are they important?

A Substation Design Engineer requires a strong background in electrical engineering, knowledge of power systems, and a relevant engineering degree, often with a Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred. Proficiency in CAD software (such as AutoCAD or MicroStation), protective relay coordination tools, and familiarity with utility standards are important technical competencies. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and project management skills help facilitate effective collaboration and ensure clarity during cross-disciplinary projects. These abilities are critical for delivering safe, efficient, and reliable substation designs that meet regulatory and operational standards.

How much does a substation design engineer make?

A substation design engineer's salary typically ranges from $70,000 to $120,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and certifications. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced engineers with specialized skills can earn higher wages, especially in regions with high demand for electrical infrastructure expertise.
What job categories do people searching Substation Design Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Substation Design Engineer jobs in California are:
Infographic showing various Substation Design Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 9% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $112,139 per year, or $53.9 per hour.
Design Engineer, Substation

Design Engineer, Substation

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

West Sacramento, CA • Hybrid

$44.70 - $74.42/hr

Other

Posted 21 days ago


Pacific Gas and Electric Company rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 43 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

4th of 52 rated energy and utility


Job description

Requisition ID # 172373 

Job Category: Engineering / Science 

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Strategy & Growth

Work Type: Hybrid

Job Location: West Sacramento

Department Overview

The hardworking coworkers of Electric Engineering ensure all manners of electric engineering-including electric standards and process safety, electric design engineering, instrumentation testing and controls, undergrounding, electric regulatory compliance and electric investment planning-are in place to safely enable a strategic and stable workplan for our Electric Operations partners. Our organization is accountable for program planning, financial budgeting, and project execution and delivery of all electric engineering projects. Electric Engineering is comprised of approximately 2,000 coworkers.

Position Summary

This position is represented by Engineers and Scientist of California (ESC) subject to collective bargaining.

As a Design Engineer, you will be the vital link between the Company and widespread interconnection of generation; increase in capacity demand (residential, commercial, and industrial); and system reliability improvements in California. Your role will be to ensure that the Company provides excellent service for these projects.

This position is hybrid, working from your remote office and your assigned work location based on business need. The assigned work location will be within the PG&E Service Territory.

PG&E is providing the hourly rate range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job.  The actual hourly rate paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, collective bargaining agreement, and internal equity.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the hourly rate range for this position is $44.70 to $74.42, subject to collectively bargained wage increases.

Job Responsibilities

  • Actively promote safe practices and conduct in accordance with the Corporate Safety policy.
  • Accomplish the department goal of zero injuries & avoidable auto incidents.
  • Foster teamwork and innovation and embrace new approaches to accomplish our work more efficiently and effectively.
  • Coordinate project information (studies, sketches, computations, other complex data) for the engineering and construction of electric substation facilities including equipment relocations and replacements, capacity additions, reliability and automation improvements. This involves interfacing with other disciplines (such as civil and protection engineers) and reviewing existing facilities and developing conceptual designs.
  • Prepare Electrical Substation design drawings using AutoCAD for indoor and outdoor equipment (e.g., RTUs, relays, meters, batteries, annunciators, structures, circuit breakers, transformers, disconnect switches, etc.), Single Line Diagrams, Meter and Relay Diagrams, AC and DC Schematics, Control Room Layouts, Switchboard Arrangements, AC and DC Station Services, General Arrangement Outdoor, Conduits & Grounding, etc.
  • Prepare bill of materials, circuit & conduit schedules, reports, and presentations using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and other applications.
  • Conduct design review meetings with project teams.
  • Ensure delivery of high-quality design products on budget, on time, and on purpose.
  • Travel 10% of the time.

Qualifications

Minimum:

  • Holds a BS in Electrical Engineering; or its equivalent in education and experience, to include education and design drafting experience totaling six years, or education and experience totaling four years including two years at PG&E as a Design Drafter or Senior Design Drafter
  • Must possess and maintain a valid Class C California Driver's License (or higher) by day 1 of hire

Desired:

  • PE/EIT certification
  • Experience in electric substation design using AutoCAD
  • Fluent with Microsoft Office, Outlook, word, Excel, PowerPoint and access programs

What Pacific Gas and Electric Company employees say

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