PCB designer

A PCB designer creates the layouts for printed circuit boards — the boards that hold and connect the electronic components in nearly every device. They take a circuit schematic and arrange components and route the connections between them, balancing electrical performance, manufacturability, size, heat, and cost, then prepare the files manufacturers use to produce the board.

The role combines electrical understanding with spatial, almost puzzle-like design skill, using specialized CAD tools. PCB designers work at electronics, hardware, and manufacturing companies.

The job suits detail-oriented people who enjoy the constrained, precise challenge of fitting a working circuit onto a compact, reliable, producible board.