<p>I read on a blog that engineers' salaries start off good, but the graduates from other majors often surpass them in salaries in subsequent years.</p>
<p>Is that true?</p>
<p>depends on the career really. the more education you require for the career the more you usually make. If you just talking on a bachelor degree standpoint from the average joe stand point. I can’t think of too many degrees outside of business would catch too many engineer salaries.</p>
<p>In reality, if you real good at what you can do you make a lot. There are plumbers that make six figures. Just all comes down to the person</p>
<p>“the graduates from other majors often surpass them in salaries in subsequent years.”</p>
<p>What other majors? Most engineers will be making around 100K in the mid to late stages of their career. I can’t think of many other bachelor degrees that can compete with that. Maybe economics or physics? Sure there’s gonna be people with other degrees that go in to management or something and make more than that, but on average engineers are gonna have a better salary than any other 4 year degree. </p>
<p>You probably won’t be making much more than 100K at any point working as an engineer, but you can always work your way up to management or something if you want to make more.</p>
<p>I remember reading an Aerospace engineer’s post complaining that his salary topped out after many years of working, at around 90K ~ 100K or so. I don’t remember the exact amount tho.</p>
<p>Most medical fields surpass engineering in subsequent years. A lawyer who gets a job at BigLaw would also surpass an engineer in salary from day 1 ($160,000 starting salary). </p>
<p>A cop or even a sanitation worker could also easily surpass an engineer. Even if their max salary is lower than an engineer, they can work overtime and double their pay. And on top of that, they could retire after 20 years with a pension and get a 2nd job.</p>
<p>yes…they only go up about as fast as inflation</p>
<p>but does it matter? you’re still paid more than the average person</p>
<p>Comparing people with advance degrees to those with Bachelors does not give you an accurate picture.</p>
<p>Not always. Computer science and mechanical engineers saw their pay go up slower than inflation, which translates into a pay CUT:</p>
<p>“Computer engineering grads, however, saw their average offer move up just a scant 0.2 percent to $61,121. Mechanical engineering graduates also saw a 0.2 percent increase, bringing their average salary offer to $58,881.”</p>
<p>[NACE</a> - Starting Salary Offers to College Class of 2010 Decline (4-8-10)](<a href=“http://www.naceweb.org/Press/Releases/Starting_Salary_Offers_to_College_Class_of_2010_Decline_(4-8-10).aspx]NACE”>NACE - Page not found)</p>
<p>Do you realize how many people have been taking REAL pay cuts this decade? I hear it all the time from friends of mine, in a wide variety of professions. Just look at government workers, many of whom are being forced to take unpaid days off every month.</p>
<p>The median salary for lawyers is ~$100k (BLS). Medical doctors range from ~$180k - $330k and up, depending on specialty. Those two professions primarily require either long years of training, long hours at work, or both.</p>
<p>The salaries of cops, sanitation workers, firefighters, etc. is hugely dependent on union contract negotiations, meaning, their salaries depend on their numerical strength.</p>
<p>The salaries of engineers depend on the supply/demand of engineering skills, among others. Moreover, engineers have the critical advantage of begining their careers right after a bachelor’s, with little to no debt.</p>
<p>Typical garbage posts from Homer. Homer, show me one, just one legitimate source that shows that cops and sanitation worker salaries surpass engineers even with years of experience. You say they can easily surpass engineers so how about some proof? Funny how all of your comments seem to lack what those of us in reality refer to as proof. Each post of yours is more idiotic than the last. Also, you can’t comare MDs or JDs to engineers with bachelors degrees unless you consider the cost of medical or law school and the years of training required. Not even a fair comparison.</p>
<p>You are so wrong it is not even funny anymore. If you truly believe that cops and sanitation workers can easily surpass engineers in salary (overtime or not), then I truly feel sorry for you. Most engineering starting salaries are higher than sanitation workers will ever make. Do you honestly believe what you are posting or are you just trying to be an antagonist?</p>
<p>Homer,</p>
<p>The only way a cop can make more then a engineer is if he/she is the Chief of Police(big city), or something like that.</p>
<p>Homer, why don’t you become a cop or sanitation worker then?</p>
<p>If you are just an engineer and you don’t have very specialized knowledge then your salary will be topped out. The only way for you to make a big jump in your salary is if you were to move up in management to either set strategy for the company or bring in new business. It is no different than any line of work. </p>
<p>If you were a plumber, then you will make $X per hour, but if you have 5 plumbers working for you then you could potentially make a lot more money. Of course, you could potentially lose a lot more money too, because if you didn’t have as much work you would still have to pay those employees. </p>
<p>Most engineers do not need to work very long hours, like doctors or people in finance. Engineers command higher salaries because it’s harder to get an engineering degree (supply and demand), but once they are hired there is no reason to keep on increasing their salaries unless there is a potential of them getting hired away. </p>
<p>Engineers earn a comfortable living, but you wouldn’t get rich by it.</p>
<p>I think the statement on law/med school only really applies if you get your degree from a top tier school. A lawyer graduating from I dunno… University of South Dakota or CSU East Bay probably will end up being one of the THOUSANDS in any ole’ phone book (heaven forbid they end up becoming a divorce lawyer <em>shudder</em>) </p>
<p>In order to become a doctor you also have to get out of college with a solid enough record to get into a good medical school. I actually think if you’ve gone THAT far, sure your chances are really good at making quite a bit in life, but you’re also up to your eyeballs in work (and won’t be able to make any $$ outside of that). </p>
<p>I imagine having a degree in Engineering isn’t the strongest degree you can possibly have, but it’s one of the harder ones to get.</p>
<p>If you really want to make it big in life financially, you need to look at your degree as a stepping stone and not an end goal of sorts. I doubt that many people become millionaires working 9-5 at the same company for many years. Heheh. :)</p>
<p>focus on opportunities not on pay. </p>
<p>DS recently gave up HALF his engineer’s pay to go half time. He still able to fund 401, IRA, pay off student loans. He’s just trying to get his job to revolve around his life. He has an engineering hobby and spending a great deal outdoors. He lives inexpensively 
and no GF 
.</p>
<p>I would become a cop if I was in better physical shape. </p>
<p>After 5 years, most cops in my area make over $100,000. Long Island cops make $108,000 at top pay. NJ troopers top out at about $98,000. That is just for rank and file cops, not police chiefs.</p>
<p>“I think the statement on law/med school only really applies if you get your degree from a top tier school.”</p>
<p>For law school, you have to go to a top scool. For med school, no. Nobody cares where you went. I have 6 doctors in my family, 5 make well into the 6 digits, and every single one of them went to a med shcool nobody ever heard of. The only schools ranked lower than the ones they went to are Caribbean med schools.</p>
<p>Homer, most engineers earn more than that in the same regions you mentioned. </p>
<p>Indeed.com is your friend.</p>
<p>What does an engineer in NYC make? ANd how many engineer jobs are there really in NYC considering that NYC is not a R & D centered city.</p>