<p>I was accepted into college as an Engineer. I am still extremely happy with this choice. However, for the past month or so after my acceptance, I have been thinking farther down the line. Can I expect to be jobless 5 years after I graduate? Can I expect to ever make a 6 figure salary as an engineer without an MBA or anything? It just seems annoying to have to be searching monster.com or something when I'm 27 for jobs. </p>
<p>Is it easy to go back to school and get an MBA?</p>
<p>From what I know now, I love the subject and applications of engineering, but the job aspect of it seems kind of scary.</p>
<p>u love the subject.... umm... i was like that 2 years ago, but don't expect a 6 figure salary without a PhD degree with at least 5 years of working experience. u can make more if u goto management with mba. u won't be jobless, engineers are very analytical, u'll get a job soon after graduation. i'm pretty turned off by the thought of working as an engineer, unless u are computer science and work for google, which is amazing.</p>
<p>So if you can never make it to the top with an engineering degree alone, then why do people even do it? I find it stressful knowing that I will have to get another degree after my undergraduate education just for job security. </p>
<p>So the only way to move up the chain in an engineering firm is to get some sort of degree that declares your knowledge is greater than someone else? They never take into account someone's ability to work with people and motivatate, yada yada, and give them a higher position?</p>
<p>Also, if it is so difficult to move up the chain, what makes going to MIT so luxurious if those engineers will be in the same place as someone from a state school?</p>
<p>At a med. school admissions program, a friend of my daughter was told that if there was ANY other career besides medicine that she thought she's enjoy, she should go for that: that she should only continue to pursue a medical career if it is the only thing she can imagine doing. She is continuing. I'd say the same about engineering. Do it because you enjoy it, not because you want to "make it to the top."
My daughter is a soph. engineering student. The engineering undergrad work load is intense, and if you don't like the like the subject area overall, you will be miserable. Something like forty per cent of students who start out in engineering switch out of engineering in the first couple years of college.</p>
<p>Yea, I understand what you are saying. However, it seems like you're making it out to be that if your'e ambitious, you have no way of getting above a certain ceiling in the field.</p>
<p>HappyFace -- My suggestion to you is to relax and quit worrying! My husband has been an Electrical Engineer for 25+ years. He doesn't have a masters degree. He could have gone back to get one, but decided that it was more important to be a soccer coach and spend time with the kids. He's making a good living. Not six figures, but getting close. But we are by no means "poor". We have nice cars, send our kids to camps in the summer, take family vacations, and live a good life.</p>
<p>Does he have job security? As much as anyone does in this day and age. Yes, he went through a lay off this year. That was mostly due to mis-management at the top. He was off work for nine weeks, which really isn't that long. And he could have been back to work sooner except we were not interested in relocating. (We have one kid left at home and didn't want to pull him out in the midst of his Sophomore year of high school.)</p>
<p>One of the things we discussed while he was laid off was the fact that if he ever wanted to change careers, that was the time to do it. There was no doubt -- he has no desire to do anything except be an engineer. He's happy, he's got a good life and a new job. And if it matters, our son will probably go into Engineering or Computer Science.</p>
<p>Peg</p>
<p>P.S. He did not go to a top-tier college. He graduated from University of Toledo with about a 2.7 gpa.</p>
<p>My dad is friends with a lot of engineers and quite a few of them are filthy rich. My 2nd cousin is doing very well for himself and is also an engineer. Not every engineer is wealthy, but some are. There is money to be found in engineering... but remember there are MANY fields of engineering with many specialties. Just find something that you'll enjoy doing and try not to worry about the money. You won't be poor as an engineer. As for the PhD degree... try to take it one degree at a time.. just focus on getting your undergrad degree first. I'm going into Engineering at RPI next year and I'm looking forward to it. It sounds brutal but I like math and science and I can picture myself doing that work. Good luck with your choice.</p>
<p>Ok being a high school senior myself i cant really give you concrete advice but heres a suggestion. Complete your bachelors work for 2- 3years, if you are not happy with it go back and do your MBA ( you will also have the money then ).</p>
<p>An engineer with an MBA will definately make more than an engineer with a Ph.D. Do not do a Ph.D. to make a lot of money. An engineer with a Ph.D. from a top school working in industry has a starting salary of $80,000-$100,000. However, a Ph.D. student in engineering generally makes ~$20,000 during grad school, and on average the five or so lost years of a decent salary are never made up. Do a Ph.D. in engineering because you love it, not to make a lot of money. Engineers with Ph.D.s do have more oportunity for advancement than engineers with bachelors or masters, but not as much and MBAs.</p>
<p>You don't need an MBA to be a manager, the career I plan to do almost no one has an MBA but most people become managers and executives after around 20-30 years, ie average salary is around 300,000. So the idea that you need an MBA to be an executive is nonsense. The growth potential for Engineers with a Ph.D is similar to the caree I want to do, and may infact be higher.</p>
<p>I live in a family of nearly all engineers- father, sister, cousins, many uncles, a few aunts, both sets of grandfathers, and obviously many friends... and I want to go to school to be a civil engineer. Although they all have degrees in some field of engineering, none of them are practicing engineers. Two are VPs in contracting corporations working with the government, one started an international security company, a few are working in project management type positions, and another is working at an embassy abroad. Most of them have masters degrees, one(a VP) has a doctorate(not in engineering). </p>
<p>With engineering there are so many job options and directions that you can go in after graduation but most of them require additional schooling...</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is the salary. In cities they are ALOT higher then in the suburbs. In my community if you were to work right here you'd make ~60K, but if you drive 30 minutes, you'd be making over 100K...</p>
<p>potential earning, from talking to recent grads, it seems to be about a high 5 figure salary for BS graduates. U won't get in management with BS degree. MBA does help, but u won't make 6-figure just because u have an MBA.</p>
<p>Don't go into Engineering for just the money. That can be an added incentive to discuss when family dinner conversations pop up haha but not a main objective. My chem class from first semester went from almost full capacity 351 to 146 second semester. Guess how many of those people thought they were doing the right thing by going into a career for the money and because they were pretty smart in high school. Pretty smart will not compensate for true unhappiness within a major. Sorry it just won't. Choose engineering only if you like what they are involved in.</p>