The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
A World Running on Engineers
There are doers, and then there are engineers — the people who figure out how the doers get things done when they can’t do it themselves. As much as the business world wants to hold executives as “idea men” or “visionaries,” most advancements that have given us our current standard of living have come through the hard work of engineers behind the scenes. Whether it’s new medical technology, more efficient industrial processes, or the development of better materials to build the things we use every day, engineers have been at the forefront of it all. As long as business runs on new ideas, it will need engineers to deliver them.
All of this means good engineers continue to be in high demand, and are expected to be for the foreseeable future. No matter what field of study you choose, pursuing a career in engineering means you’ll likely start out earning a good salary, with strong job outlooks for the future. The opportunities get better the longer you stay with your career, as well. You’ll also have the job satisfaction that comes with knowing you’ve been a significant contributor to major advancements in technology that keep us safe, cure illness and improve the things we use in our daily lives.
The following chart details what you can expect from each of the major engineering fields, should you choose a career in any of them. In practically all cases, the job outlook for the next several years is expected to be good or at least stable, and median salaries for engineers continue to be among the best in the workforce. If you’re considering a career in engineering, take a look at this chart and see what you can expect. No matter what field you end up in as an engineer, though, you can be sure you’ll be needed.
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ENGINEERING EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
TYPE OF ENGINEER
DEGREE AND REQUIREMENTS
MEDIAN SALARY
JOB OUTLOOK
WHAT DO YOU DO?
IMPACT
Aerosapce Engineer
B S – Aerospace engineering (or other fields related to aerospace) Security clearance usually is required for government employers or defense contractors
$107,830 per year
Very slight decline (minus 2 percent) over the next year
Design, prototype and test just about anything airborne: planes, spacecraft, missiles, satellites, and more
Innovation in sapce travel and air travel – think the newest, biggest transatlantic jets, or the vessels that might take humans to Mars Also: cutting-edge technology, being at the (often secret) forefront of new developments, testing and iterating designst to the point of perfection
Biomedical Engineer
B S &ndsah; Bioengineering, or science electives and different engineering degree
$86,220 per year
Major grown (plus 23 percent) over the next 10 years
Spur technology in the medical industry through development of new equipment, medical devices, software, and networks
Contributing to a healthier society and pushing the limits of how medicine can help heal the human body Thinking outside the box to deliver new cures and remedies in innovative ways
Industrial Engineer
B S – Industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, or general engineering
$83,470 per year
Relatively flat (plus 1 percent) over the next 10 years
Develop and optimize efficient production processes by analyzing all aspects of an operation: people, machinery, data, materials, and more
Develop and optimize efficient production processes by analyzing all aspects of an operation: people, machinery, data, materials, and more
Material Engineer
B S – Materials science and engineering Internships are also particularly helpful for materials engineers
$91,310 per year
Relatively flat (plus 1 percent) over the next 10 years
Develop and improve materials for a wide variety of uses, ranging from aerospace to computers to nanotechnology and more
An ever-changing job that involves working a number of different industries, based on project, material, and need Plastic and metal material engineering may lead to breakthroughs in transportation, for instance, while other material engineers may work with materials used for smartphones and other devices
Mechanical Engineer
B.S. – Mechanical engineering. License required to sell services to the public.
$83,590 per year
About average (plus 5 percent) over the next 10 years
Develop machines, tools, and devices, including all aspects from design through to frabrication and testing. Mechanical engineers are typically involved with the transporation and manufacturing industries.
Spearheading breakthroughs in transportation and other industries that are ripe for leveraging innovation. Creating new designs and seeing them through to reality. Mechanical engineers may be involved with concepts and components for applications as diverse as the Hyperloop proposal or the next wave of self-driving cars.
Note: The average first-year salary for all engineering degree holders was $62,998 ijn 2015, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Other facts and outloks are according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
REVPART
About the Author
Matt Davis is an experienced product design engineer and design guru in plastic injection molding at RevPart — a custom rapid prototyping and 3D printing services company.
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