What does a RF Engineer do?
RF engineers provide focused electrical engineering services that specifically relate to the radio frequency environment. They work on or with devices that use radio wave signals, which generally involve telecommunications and the IT sector. Much of this work currently relates to cell phones and other mobile devices. These engineers perform development, design, modeling, testing, implementation, and troubleshooting services. They identify customer needs or market demands, and then help develop systems and solutions that address those needs.
RF engineers typically have at least a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related discipline. They should have hands-on experience with development, testing, and modeling and tools and programs used for those tasks. These roles require highly developed analytical skills, problem solving abilities, and experience using testing equipment.
- Maintain tools and test equipment properly and ensuring they are calibrated.
- Effectively engage commercial and HPM counterparts, identify potential sales leads and sales opportunities such as contract renewals, and assist with promoting and implementing revenue programs.
- Perform work in an approved environment during specified work hours.
- Escalate and remove obstacles when schedule, prioritization, and staffing conflicts exist among more than one program.
- Ensure completion of all field modifications instructions (FMI's) within prescribed time frame (if applicable).
- Finalize the electrical design, support prototype and final hardware build and test.
- Identify opportunities to drive product improvements and Design For Install (DFI) initiatives based on lessons learned, benchmarking and best practices.
- Aware of and comply with the applicable laws and regulations as they apply to this job type/position.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job may include color, close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.
- Prepare technical presentations, publish research papers, and prepare research proposals.
- Collaborate with internal teams and PCB vendors to continually improve design rules, constraints and design for test and manufacture guidelines.
- Generate major sections of proposals to support development of new business.
- Keep up to date on administrative responsibilities.
- Provide support to products throughout their life cycle from manufacturing to customer use by providing guidance and support to resolve complex issues.
- Complete on-time and accurate preventive maintenance and field modification instruction as needed.
- Bachelor's or Graduate's Degree in electrical engineering, computer science, engineering or mathematics, or equivalent experience.
- Experience with C, MATLAB, EMI/EMC, and cloud software and systems.
- Experience with PCB Design, RADAR Systems, Scala, and RF Optimization.
- Demonstrated experience in calibration, antennas, amplifiers, communications systems, and schematic capture.
- Experience with systems development, scripting, and debugging.
- Is a natural leader and assists others.
How much does a RF Engineer make near United States?
Base Pay
Additional Pay
$110,677
/ yrRF Engineer Career Path
Learn how to become a RF Engineer, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
RF Engineer Insights
“Best training plateform treats like you are his own student knowing you from 10th std.”
Keysight Technologies“Flexitime and good work”
AT&T“Great benefit and team to work with.”
Raytheon Technologies“There is a lot of management overhead requiring unnecessary meetings and reporting beyond what is really needed.”
MosChip“Good good good good good”
EFJohnson Technologies“Good good good good good”
INVECAS“Good seniors really helpful”
Infineon Technologies“Good work and life balance”
Frequently asked questions about the roles and responsibilities of a RF Engineer
When working as a RF Engineer, the most common skills you will need to perform your job and for career success are Security Clearance, Python MATLAB, Calibration, Antennas, and PCB Layout.
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The most common qualifications to become a RF Engineer include a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree and an average of 0 - 1 years of experience not including years spent in education and/or training.