I know a bit about the job as my brother was an EE, he retired and has lived in Colorado since 1973, moved there after HS.
He took the long plan to get his BSEE degree. He went to some exclusive private college for a couple of years, a country club in his own words, I think he was pre-law, he'd have been a good lawyer !, He enjoys arguing it seems and he'd fight for his client to the end.
Then he dropped out, took a break for a few years did some construction work, Installed garage doors, etc...became a ski bum for a few years basically working ski patrol type of stuff, he is a great skier.at about 25 he saw that, I can't do this forever, so he went to CSU and got his degree at maybe 29.
He worked about 30 years for companies like Honeywell, NCR, etc, never working outside of Colorado, turned down tons of offers for way more money in California, hates that state, and Texans as many Coloradans do.
He's 63 now lives way up in the mountains in a town of like 1,000 people has plenty of money and still works as a home inspector last I knew, I Haven't talked to him in many years, point is it's notsome easy thing to do, get the degree.
You work in an office environment and design microchips, most of which probably never get used, it's like R&D stuff.
An electrician is basically a construction worker like a plumber or carpenter, huge difference in knowledge required and what you do.
A union electrician at the top pay levels willing to work holidays can make some damn fine money, it really is totally different, most engineers would know the theoretical concepts, but be useless if you gave them blueprints and said wire up this crib
