Recently, while chatting with a colleague, I mentioned that I had underquoted a project. He replied that his company has a project that has been ongoing for three years without completion, and they haven’t been paid yet. He said that in this day and age, just getting paid is already a good thing, and we shouldn’t have too many demands. I believe many in the industry share similar feelings!
1. Why do people feel that the PCB design industry is becoming more competitive? (This is largely due to some part-time students underbidding and disrupting the market). For example, yesterday a student who needed a design sent me hundreds of messages. When I asked about the price, he said he could offer 30 yuan. I told him to go find a cooler place to stay!
1. The entry barrier seems low, leading to a large workforce
Many people think that “designing PCBs” is just about using EDA software to draw lines, which doesn’t require a high level of education or complex theories, resulting in a flood of beginners and career changers entering the field.
However, in reality, there are not many engineers who can effectively handle complex PCB designs (such as high-speed, RF, BGA, high-density multilayer boards, etc.). Most are still at the level of “being able to draw it”. PCB design is a matter of experience and technology; “being able to draw it” and “drawing it so it works” are two different concepts. Additionally, seeking cheap designs and hiring students for PCB layout can lead to significant harm to the entire industry if certain unscrupulous suppliers drive prices down.
2. Market demand is growing, but competition is fiercer
The variety of electronic products is vast, and the demand for PCB design has always existed, especially in consumer electronics, communications, and automotive electronics.
At the same time, outsourcing companies, freelancers, recent graduates, and those from crash courses at training institutions are flooding the market as “junior PCB designers”, lowering overall prices and entry barriers.
3. Price suppression and exploitation have become the norm
Many companies, especially small and medium-sized ones or outsourcing clients, continuously compress design cycles, lower unit prices, and increase the number of revisions to save costs, yet they are unwilling to pay for “high-quality designs”.
This has led many layout engineers into a vicious cycle of “long hours, low prices, high responsibilities, and low job satisfaction”.
4. Rapid technological iteration, but slow salary increases
High-speed design, signal integrity, EMC—engineers need to keep learning.
However, many companies’ salary levels have not kept pace with the increasing technical difficulty and responsibilities. The situation of “wanting the horse to run while not feeding it grass” is not uncommon.
2. But is the mindset of “as long as there is money, it’s fine” a long-term strategy?
While “getting paid” is a basic requirement, if we only settle for “having food to eat” and completely abandon the pursuit of career development, technical growth, work environment, and personal value, it may lead to some potential issues:
1. Long-term, career competitiveness may diminish
If you continuously take low-priced orders, work on low-end boards, and engage in repetitive tasks without exposure to new technologies or accumulating high-value project experience, your skills may become “locked” at a low level.
As the industry further intensifies, or as you age, you may face the dilemma of insufficient technical depth, high replaceability, and stagnant salaries.
2. Low job satisfaction and susceptibility to burnout
If a job is only about making money, but involves long hours, being manipulated by clients, lacking a sense of achievement, and not learning anything, over time, people can become very fatigued and even question their life choices.
A career is not just about survival; it is also about realizing self-worth, gaining recognition, and achieving growth.
3. Prone to “devaluation”
When you get used to “taking any job”, “working for low prices”, and “not being picky about clients or requirements”, you may inadvertently place yourself in a position of being “easily replaceable”, making it difficult to gain true respect and long-term rewards.
Conclusion:
While “getting paid” is a basic foundation, “only taking money without growth” is a trap. Between reality and ideals, we can start with a solid foundation, but don’t forget to look up and see the road ahead.
Selected Articles from the Past:
1. In the PCB layout outsourcing industry, what harm can be caused to the entire industry if certain unscrupulous suppliers drive prices down?
2. Why do most engineers avoid PCB layout for switch power supply boards? What are the challenges?
3. Those who flatter in factories often do not work; usually, it is the honest and capable people who do the work.
4. Workplace bad habits: “Easily finding faults with honest people while looking for highlights in flatterers”.
5. A colleague asked me: “How do you have so many orders? Why don’t I?” Here, I shared a few tips on how to secure orders.