<p>I heard Engineer's have the highest starting salaries, but generally, do not move much. Do all of the engineer types make about teh same? What are the work-opportunties?</p>
<p>Plenty of forums on that here.</p>
<p>engineers dont make THAT much. u want $$? do biz</p>
<p>Start out as an engineer then move up to management to make the 6 figures. Just like anything else you need ambition.</p>
<p>Ugh.... management.</p>
<p>Y'know, if you do something you're good at, you'll make money. I really love structural engineering, and my colleagues who are finishing their masters at UIUC are looking at 60-65K starting salaries. In 5-10 years, they'll likely be making 6 figures. Finishing your PhD in structural mechanics at UIUC, you can work for one of the national laboratories or private think-tanks at starting salaries of over 100K/yr.</p>
<p>So, you don't have to be in management, if that's not where your passion lies... You just have to be good at what you do. Find what you love and what you're good at, and the money will follow.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>"Y'know, if you do something you're good at, you'll make money."</p>
<p>Well, I was a good dishwasher and that only paid $6/hour. Some people are fortunate to have passion for a profession that pays well. I had a history prof who loved teaching but his salary was never satisfactory. The only people I've heard say that money will follow when you follow your passion were very rich. But I do know some people whose passion for their job more than makes up for the low pay, so they feel they have enough money.</p>
<p>I'll try to be all diplomatic...</p>
<p>Find what you like, and then find a way to make it pay you money. If you like chemistry, you'll make more as a chem. engineer than as a chemist (starting $54,000 v. about $32,000). Likewise, you would probably make more in publishing as an English-type-person than in teaching. You could use international relations to be an immigration lawyer, or you could use it to work in banking.</p>
<p>That all said, it's easier to make money if your passion is in the sciences instead of dead languages.</p>
<p>LOL.... good point, justinmeche. It's hard to be truly passionate about washing dishes, though. ;)</p>
<p>I still think that my opinion stands. You may not end up with a six-figure salary, but if you choose a career where you're truly crazy about what you do and where you're also really good at what you do, you'll make money. Maybe you'll end up with big money.</p>
<p>What I <em>do</em> know is that if you make your life decisions with your only goal in mind as "how do I get that six figure salary the fastest?" then you're gypping yourself out of a meaningful, value-filled life. It just really bothers me to see high school seniors with life-plans that are primarily based upon getting the most money that they can out of their lives. So what if you retire at 65 and your salary only got as high as 40K/yr? It's enough to live off of, and if you've gone out and done what you've adored your entire life, then you're going to be a heck of a lot happier than someone who did something that they hate for years and years and retired as a millionaire.</p>
<p>Do what you love. Ariesathena has some great ideas about tweaking your passion so that you get the highest salary out of it. That's what I did. I loved architecture, and really wanted to design buildings. I pursued civil engineering rather than architecture and have likely doubled my starting salary. (And yes, it <em>is</em> true that it's easier to make money if your passion is in the sciences instead of in dead languages, but this is an engineering forum, so I was also working off the idea that you guys are passionate about the sciences and want to become engineers!)</p>
<p>justinmeche, I'd stick to dishwashing, jk, you're funny. :D</p>
<p>Dishwashing was the classic no-real-skills-needed job. I did it for two years in high school. It completely changed the way I look at restaurants, particularly mainstream restaurants. The workers are not paid enough for the amount of stress they may go through. I worked in a very busy family restaurant and I've never seened anybody as stressed out as the cooks. Their wage: a pathetic $8. I didn't feel too bad about my $6 because I knew I would be going on to college to get an engineering degree and would be make a lot more than that. But the job did pay more than what Wal-Mart offered. What a surprise.</p>
<p>wow, i'm so glad i know all that now...cough...;)</p>
<p>Engineering salaries is a very relevant point. It is true that starting salaries are generally good. However, a lot depends on the individual. </p>
<p>My personal view is that there are by far too many engineers on the market relative to the number of positions available. This is not usually a problem for new grads because they do not cost much. But lately, salary stats have shown that salary progression is very slow especially compared to such fields as law, medicine, accounting, dentistry. </p>
<p>The fact remains, a lot depends on the individual and the particular field of work. But talking to people and my experience, my view is that North American univeristies graduate far too many engineers for the market. Thus, I think the wage pressure in the profession is heavily a function of too much supply and not enough good engineering jobs.</p>
<p>Well, I don't know if I can go along with that. I'm not saying that engineering is all peaches and cream. But on the other hand, you have to look at the alternatives. Engineers have it pretty good, relatively speaking.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It is true that starting salaries are generally good. However, a lot depends on the individual. </p>
<p>My personal view is that there are by far too many engineers on the market relative to the number of positions available. This is not usually a problem for new grads because they do not cost much.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>See, right here you just inherently contradicted yourself . On the one hand, you agree that starting engineering salaries are good. On the other hand, you then say that new grads don't cost much. </p>
<p>The simple fact that engineering starting salaries by itself dictates that there are not far too many engineers on the market, relative to people who graduate in other majors. I'll put it to you this way. If there are too many engineers on the market relative to the number of positions available, then what do you have to say about the number of people with degrees in English? Or degrees in Art History? </p>
<p>
[quote]
But lately, salary stats have shown that salary progression is very slow especially compared to such fields as law, medicine, accounting, dentistry.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>When you're comparing engineering vs. law, medicine, or dentistry,that's not a fair comparison, for one simple reason. Engineers can start work right after getting their bachelor's degree. Lawyers, doctors and dentists have to go to graduate school. </p>
<p>And besides, there's nothing stopping a guy with an engineering degree from himself trying to get into law school, medical school, or dental school. It's harder to do, chiefly because of the grade deflation of engineering courses coupled with the fact that the adcoms either don't know or don't care that engineering courses are grade deflated. But it can be done. </p>
<p>Let's look specifically at medicine. First off, not everybody who wants to be a doctor gets to be one. The AAMC has shown that only about 50% of applicants who apply to medical school in a given year get into one. That means that about half of all applicants get rejected by every single medical school they apply to. Yes, that's right, every single one. And that's only talking about those people who apply. Plenty of other people who want to become doctors don't even bother to apply beacuse they know they don't have the grades or MCAT scores to get in. The point is, you can't become a doctor if you can't get into medical school, and plenty of people don't. By getting an engineering degree, you are giving yourself 'career insurance' -if nothing else works out, you can just go and work as an engineer. </p>
<p>As far as accounting is concerned, the supposed salary progression of accountants is belied by the facts. Average wages for accountants are substantially lower than average wages for engineers.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes132011.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes132011.htm</a>
<a href="http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_17ar.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_17ar.htm</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
The fact remains, a lot depends on the individual and the particular field of work. But talking to people and my experience, my view is that North American univeristies graduate far too many engineers for the market. Thus, I think the wage pressure in the profession is heavily a function of too much supply and not enough good engineering jobs.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Again, if it was really true that universities graduate too many engineers for the market, then why are engineering starting salaries so high? The laws of supply and demand would dictate that any true surpluses would be corrected for by an adjustment in equilibrium price. Engineering majors get a higher average starting salary than any other undergraduate major. So relatively speaking, engineers are better off than every other undergraduate major.</p>
<p>So if you really think that engineering is not a good thing to study for undergrad, then the next logical questions are - what's the alternative? What's better? Is there anything better? What else are you gonig to do? Engineers may not be living large, but it seems that they're a whole lot better off than the liberal arts majors. There are a lot of liberal arts students who would like to have an engineering starting salary.</p>
<p>Toronto_guy,</p>
<p>I'm really losing my nerve with you. I've seen your other posts on cc and you really criticize a lot of the engineering professions.</p>
<p>Did it ever occur to you that engineering is by far the MOST VERSATILE DEGREE? </p>
<p>You can do anything with a degree in engineering - law, medicine, grad. school, reseach in other graduate areas other than your own.</p>
<p>That is if, you don't feel like working. Keep in mind that an engineer can make around 50K starting which is much higher than your typical undergrad degree makes. </p>
<p>Your average chemistry or physics major (or english, econ, and other business majors) cannot get a job - they are forced to persue a grad degree of some sort if they want to realistically want to find a job. And don't try and pull HYPS business undergrads as a counterexample because HYPS is clearly way not representative of the average.</p>
<p>My eyes hurt like hell from typing and it's 6:15 AM here.</p>
<p>I'm going back to bed.</p>
<p>My husband is a Materials Scientist/Engineer. He was hired with a BS in '85 with a starting salary of ~28K. His company paid for his master's degree in MSE, and he broke the six figure salary mark 12 years into his career. His salary continues to rise on a yearly basis. He enjoys his work and there are opportunities to move to other positions within his company if this job becomes stale. As a person with a degree in English, I am really proud of him and glad that he had the foresight to study engineering. I have worked in university administration for 8 years and I don't even make $50K yet.</p>
<p>Engineers make more money than anyone else. An Engineering degree is probably the most lucrative degree one can get.</p>
<p>Mr. Hokie, I disagree. :)</p>
<p>lol i second that disagreement.</p>
<p>Engineering bachelor's degrees still get the highest average starting salary of bachelor's degree out there. </p>
<p>Obviously there are graduate degrees that can get you substantially more money.</p>
<p>i agree with that sakky, but what you said is certainly different than what VTBoy said.</p>