Protection Engineer Jobs
Protection engineer jobs are open from new-grad to principal across utilities, oil and gas, defense, and industrial manufacturing, with specializations in power systems protection, relay coordination, and cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
Find Protection Engineer JobsLooking for remote work? View remote protection engineer jobs →Student or new grad? View protection engineer internships →Overview
Showing 5 of 716+ Protection Engineer jobs
to this job
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $129960 - $246240 annually.
Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.
On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA
to this job
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $129960 - $246240 annually.
Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.
On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA
Protection Engineer Jobs by Experience Level
See All 716+ Protection Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Protection Engineer JobsProtection Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Sargent & Lundy48
- Avangrid21
- Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories20
- Cushing Terrell18
- Jacobs16
Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services64
- Construction & Real Estate25
- Staffing & Recruiting7
- Energy6
- Technology & Software4
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in protection engineer jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related discipline
- Experience designing or coordinating protective relay schemes for transmission or distribution systems
- Proficiency with relay settings software such as ETAP, ASPEN, or SKM PowerTools
- Hands-on experience programming and testing SEL, GE, or ABB protective relays
- Familiarity with NERC Reliability Standards, particularly PRC and FAC categories
- Professional Engineer license or active progress toward PE certification
Tips for Your Protection Engineer Job Search
Tailor your resume for relay work
List the specific relay families you've programmed, such as SEL-300 or GE UR series, and name the protection schemes you've designed. Generic 'power systems experience' won't separate you from electrical engineers without protection depth.
Lead with NERC PRC compliance experience
Utilities and transmission operators filter hard for candidates who've worked inside NERC PRC standards. If you've run relay settings studies or supported PRC-002 or PRC-027 compliance, call that out explicitly in your summary and bullet points.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists protection engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Highlight your coordination study software
Name the tools you've used for fault analysis and coordination, such as ETAP, SKM PowerTools, or ASPEN OneLiner. Hiring managers for protection roles scan resumes for these tools before reading anything else.
Prepare a walk-through of a protection design
Most technical interviews will ask you to explain a protection scheme you designed from start to finish. Practice walking through your relay selection rationale, zone of protection logic, and how you handled coordination with adjacent systems.
Ask about commissioning travel expectations
Many protection engineer roles require field commissioning work at substations, sometimes on short notice. Ask directly during interviews what percentage of time is on-site versus office-based so the offer aligns with what you're willing to accept.
Protection Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most protection engineers?
Sargent & Lundy, Avangrid, and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories are hiring the most protection engineers right now, with openings concentrated in Texas, California, and New York, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Utilities, engineering consulting firms, and defense contractors consistently account for the largest share of open roles.
How many protection engineer jobs are remote?
About 65% of protection engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of relay commissioning and substation work. Settings analysis, coordination studies, and documentation review are the sub-specializations most likely to offer remote or hybrid arrangements, while field commissioning roles remain almost entirely on-site.
How do you become a protection engineer?
Start with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, then build early experience in power systems through roles in utility operations, substation engineering, or electrical consulting. Seek out projects that involve relay settings, fault analysis, or protection coordination studies. Earning your Professional Engineer license and gaining hands-on commissioning experience with physical relay hardware accelerates the path significantly.
Can you get hired as a protection engineer without direct protection experience?
Yes, some employers hire candidates with strong power systems or substation backgrounds and train them into protection work. Focus your application on fault analysis coursework, any relay lab work from your degree, and exposure to one-line diagrams or short-circuit studies. Entry-level roles at engineering consulting firms and utilities are the most accessible starting points, since they often pair new hires with senior protection engineers.
What does the protection engineer interview process look like?
Most processes include an initial screening call, a technical phone or video interview focused on protection fundamentals like relay operating principles and coordination logic, and then a final-round interview that may include a whiteboard or take-home design problem. Employers frequently ask you to walk through a past protection design, explain your relay selection rationale, and describe how you resolved a coordination conflict or field commissioning issue.
Where can I find and apply to protection engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to protection engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience level and specialization, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 716+ Protection Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Protection Engineer Jobs