<p>I'm a freshmen EE at NCSU (thinking about power systems as of now). Lately, I've been hearing a few people in one of my classes talking about engineering consulting and it sounded somewhat interesting. What exactly is an engineering consultant and what do they do? Also, how could one become a consultant (degrees, experience, certifications, etc.). What kind of salary do they usually make and hours do they work? From what I gathered, it usually takes years after earning a degree to become one (my guess is like 7 years after a BSEE or 5 after a MSEE) but you have a lot of flexibility and can basically do whatever type of work that you want. </p>
<p>Any input is greatly appreciated, thank you!</p>
<p>Obviously it takes experience to be a productive consultant from the first day. Usually you will be an expert in your niche, so probably 10 years after graduation. Expect an hourly pay rate starting probably at $50/hr. This might be paid as 1099 or W2 income, so overtime may be just like straight time, also do not expect any benefits such as vacation time or 401(k) or health insurance however those might sometimes be available, and you may have to pay your own expenses such as travel as well. You will have to pay the employer portion of the social security payroll tax if you are paid 1099 as an independent contractor or to your corporation.</p>
<p>Look into government contracting. You can charge a high hourly rate. You would have to be willing to travel, live away from your family for long periods of time, 9 months to 2 years, pay your own travel and board, although you can write a per diem into your contract. My husband has many friends who do this, and they earn six figures a year. However, they live in hotels for long periods of time, and have to really beat the path to get on the next project. If you have children, your wife will probably not be able to work, since she'll have the sole responsibility of the children, unless you're one of those fortunate enough to have helpful grandparents. But you'll be making enough money that your wife won't have to work. You will have to work for a firm, contractor, and ideally, the government, to get your foot in the door and have your name known when you first start out. Oh, yes, you do have to get your own insurance and all those other nice benefits that come when working for a company, rather than yourself. But you'll also get to write a lot of stuff off your taxes, which is nice when you have a big income.</p>
<p>In addition to the income consider such (possibly deductible) expenses as marketing yourself, travel, maintaining possibly two or more residences, bench time, tax help, providing your own benefits, and maintaining your training/educational level. There is also a psychological and social cost to being far away from your family or friends for long periods of time, adjusting to different locations and cultures, etc. and it can be hard just getting your home bills paid when you aren't around to get your own mail.<br>
Career-wise, when you ought to be celebrated for the equivalent of winning multiple super bowls for your clients, instead you'll have to prove yourself to corporate personnel at all levels each time you get a new customer. If you reenter the regular employment market, even though you'll probably be doing exactly the same type of work or even work with less responsibility and longer time frames, you'll encounter all sorts of ignorant questions or biases or novices trying to embarrass you in interviews by quizing you on trivia, etc. You will also often be expendable and can be let go with literally no notice even days after to make a major long term commitment or are promised years of work. Corporations expect loyalty but many times don't return it as managers are moved around or stock prices fluctuate.
The up-side is you can achieve more, produce more, and experience more environments than peers stuck in the same position for a decade. However, the corporate world may not appear to appreciate or understand those achievements. On the other hand, those peers may end up collecting a pension or other retirement funding for their time among the ordinary rank and file.</p>