<p>What are the advantages/disadvantages of say an EE major who also gets an MBA to try and move up into management versus other high profile careers such as law, medicine, consulting etc? Which one do you think would provide the best combination of livable hours and salary?</p>
<p>I'm in the process of researching this too... and it seems that medicine is a much safer route to a higher salaray than EE w/ an MBA, although an EE major w/ an MBA has a higher ceiling/ potential for salary than doctors do. I would like more opinions on this.</p>
<p>This is the avg. salary for engineering managers</p>
<p>"Earnings for engineering and natural sciences managers vary by specialty and by level of responsibility. Median annual earnings of engineering managers were $97,630 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $78,820 and $121,090. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of engineering managers in May 2004 are shown below:</p>
<p>Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing $116,400
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing 107,160
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing 103,570
Federal government 97,000
Architectural, engineering, and related services 96,020"</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos009.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos009.htm</a>
"</p>
<p>I'm a hs student, but am interested in eng/compsci. Anyhow, from what I've been told by guidance at my school, an eng degree + MBA is in pretty high demand, and as shown by a prior post, can pay very well. </p>
<p>My father has a bio Ph.D. and an MBA, and has a nice 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week job (although the commute is an hour or more) in financial analysis with a pharm company, and salaries in this area can be 110k or more with only a few years of experience. Although this isn't really eng, it is an example of a sci major + MBA; hopefully it's helpful.</p>
<p>The issue with med is the many years spent in education/residency (unless you're looking into biomed eng?). I'm not very familiar with law and consulting things, though.</p>
<p>-L.</p>
<p>Hi I'm a high school student also and I want to do biomed engineering. I was wondering which is the best option for future employment (chance and salary) </p>
<ol>
<li>Biomed engineering and a MBA</li>
<li>Biomed engineering and doing law (like patent law)</li>
<li>Biomed engineering and like med school (med school chances acceptance is hard i heard)</li>
</ol>
<p>Or is it reccomended to do another form of engineering and doing something like option 1 or 2.</p>
<p>Any insight would be appreciated thanks.</p>
<p>This is really getting a little absurd. You need to stop posting the same question in this forum over and over again. If you have a creative question to come up fine. you are having a very difficult time understanding that more than likely you will not want an MBA if you get employed by an engineering firm as management is not taken by people with few years experience and an MBA it is taken by engineers with many years of experience and many projects under their belts.</p>
<p>THERE IS NO FREAKIN POINT IN STUDYING EE IF YOU DO NOT WANT A JOB IN EE.</p>
<p>You need to do your research before you post. seriously. Doctors and lawyers make A LOT MORE than an engineer does. 2-3x as much.</p>
<p>
[quote]
THERE IS NO FREAKIN POINT IN STUDYING EE IF YOU DO NOT WANT A JOB IN EE.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think this claim can be refuted. One can always study EE and move into marketing, management, etc. Without knowing the underlying concepts in engineering, it is hard to market a product or manage a company. What I'm trying to say is that if you don't necessarily want to be engineer, studying EE can still have significant benefits.</p>
<p>I know its not a totally fair comparison, but would you tell someone that there is no point studying International Relations if they didn't actually want to work in IR? The point is that every degree will teach you something, how you apply it to what you want to do is key.</p>
<p>"THERE IS NO FREAKIN POINT IN STUDYING EE IF YOU DO NOT WANT A JOB IN EE."</p>
<p>Not exactly true. But still, you should study what you want to, not what has "the highest earning ceiling" or "the highest starting salary."</p>
<p>The priorities of several of the posters here worry me.</p>
<p>All of the above options provide a good salary. Some, such as Medicine and Law, require much more schooling, therefore time and also debt. The same two also have, on average, work more per week. They are three very different fields. You should not choose one over the others because there is more earning potential. Most people who are happy in one of those jobs, would be pulling their hair out at one of the others. Second, You don't need to worry about what grad school you are going to until you are a year or two into college. If you want to study Engineering as an undergrad go for it! Most importantly, study something that interests you whether that's Astrophysics, Electrical Engineering, or English Literature. The number of doors closed by choosing one undergrad major over another is far less than the number opened by getting any Bachelors degree.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I know its not a totally fair comparison, but would you tell someone that there is no point studying International Relations if they didn't actually want to work in IR? The point is that every degree will teach you something, how you apply it to what you want to do is key.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If you intend to apply theory and concepts you've been taught sure it can be helpful. However, I have a very hard time believing a student who does not enjoy EE will have a difficult time with the intense workload and end up being extremely unhappy. Is 4 years of EE training worth the time and effort you are throwing away if you plan on going into consulting? THE OP is obviously interested in one thing - money.
Would anyone recommend a student go to law school if they plan on going into the fashion industry as well? It is a big misconception that an engineering degree will lead to be big money. It is indeed a very well rounded education, however it's not going to make anyone rich. If this kid put half the energy he did posting 1000 threads about his future salary into working he could of probably made a few thousand dollars this summer and gotten some real-life work experience.</p>
<p>We should be trying to teach the HS kids to study what they are interested in during college - not what is going to pay the most. These are the type of students that are weed-outs and end up switching to Business Administration after just one semester. The OP has no idea the pressure and frustration that engineering students are under.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, I have a very hard time believing a student who does not enjoy EE will have a difficult time with the intense workload and end up being extremely unhappy. Is 4 years of EE training worth the time and effort you are throwing away if you plan on going into consulting? THE OP is obviously interested in one thing - money.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I once again have to disagree. Let me give you a few examples. First, my dad. My dad got an EE degree almost 30 years ago, before the big technology boom. At the time, he had no idea what major to do, or even what he wanted to do. He started with chem E but couldn't make it through the classes. He eventually picked EE and went with it. He had good timing too - as he graduated just as things were getting hot. My dad doesn't really like engineering - but it has led him to a very comfortable lifestyle in senior level marketing positions. Another example would be my uncle. He doesn't really like engineering, but he worked as a analog circuitry engineer and has recently become a manager after busting his tail for 10 years. Does he regret doing engineering instead of following his passions? No, he does not at all. Doing EE has led him to a very comfortable lifestyle.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Would anyone recommend a student go to law school if they plan on going into the fashion industry as well?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think this is an unfair comparison as well. Law school is post grad. If the OP was considering a phd in EE, then you could perhaps make the comparison. Would you tell someone who is taking for example an Econ major but plans on attending Law school that it is a waste and they should take political science instead?</p>
<p>
[quote]
We should be trying to teach the HS kids to study what they are interested in during college - not what is going to pay the most.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Too bad the world is not a fairy tale. I think too often on this board people tell others to do what their heart tells them and not to follow the money. I think to a certain extent this applies. But at the end of the day, there are bills to pay, mouths to feed, families to raise. The career you pick should be a compromise between interest, lifestyle, and money. You shouldn't do w/e your interested in doing if it does not offer a lifestyle that you are comfortable with. Life isn't always fair, so you just have to take what comes at you.</p>
<p>
[quote]
THERE IS NO FREAKIN POINT IN STUDYING EE IF YOU DO NOT WANT A JOB IN EE.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As stated by thefoolmartyr above, I think the above statement is too strong. See below. </p>
<p>
[quote]
If you intend to apply theory and concepts you've been taught sure it can be helpful. However, I have a very hard time believing a student who does not enjoy EE will have a difficult time with the intense workload and end up being extremely unhappy.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Just because you enjoy something doesn't mean that you necessarily want to work on it as a career. Plenty of people pursue their majors basically as 'intellectual hobbies' - as topics that they just enjoy learning more about, but not necessarily want to pursue professionally. For example, I enjoy learning about political science and economics, but I don't necessarily want to pursue those fields professionally. </p>
<p>Furthermore, engineering has great value as a backup career. This is particularly true for those who want to study something technical, but are also worried about future employability. For example, an EE degree is far more marketable than a physics degree, even though they cover many of the same topics, and are probably of equivalent difficulty (and in fact, physics may arguably be the more difficult major). CS is a far more marketable degree than is mathematics, even though they too cover many of the same topics. Chemical Engineering is a more marketable degree than is chemistry. Hence, I generally tend to counsel those who are technically inclined, but also risk averse with respect to their career, to choose engineering over a pure science or mathematics.</p>
<p>judging by the boatloads of threads the OP starts in regards to this is simple. He is interested in business not working as in any technical field. I do agree that an engineering degree would be versatile but only with relevant experience in the field the OP plans on going into. Do you honestly think consulting firms are going to throw out the applicants of those who have obtained relevant internships and work experience to hire someone with an electrical engineering degree?</p>
<p>Will the extra 30 hours a week required in engineering school really help the student when it comes time to start a career in consulting? All that time spent studying electrical engineering in hopes to get into consulting is laughable. All that time and effort can go into relevant internships and part-time jobs in the perspective field to give you a good leverage over other students. </p>
<p>I would say that your family may be the exemption to the rule. Engineering courses are extremely tough and require interest and passion for mathematics and science. </p>
<p>Let's be realistic. As engineering students you can vouch for the number of students who are weeded out of engineering courses because the interest just isn't there and the workload is immense. Call me dumb but I have a hard time coming to terms with "smorgasbord of degrees = high salary." If a lucrative career in something business oriented is your concern why not spend the extra time stamping your grounds in that field and securing yourself a position at a good firm by commencement?</p>
<p>little things like planting your feet instead of shifting your weight could make all the difference.</p>
<p>amit949, you should start your own post instead of reviving an old thread. Use some common sense people!</p>
<p>
[quote]
bjudging by the boatloads of threads the OP starts in regards to this is simple. He is interested in business not working as in any technical field. I do agree that an engineering degree would be versatile but only with relevant experience in the field the OP plans on going into. Do you honestly think consulting firms are going to throw out the applicants of those who have obtained relevant internships and work experience to hire someone with an electrical engineering degree?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, actually, they do just that. Whether we agree with it or not, consulting firms do indeed hire plenty of people with no experience over others who have plenty of experience.</p>
<p>Is that the case? I can understand why consulting is very time-demanding and the ones candidates with experience may seem kinda worn out. While young student may more willingly pump out hours and bust their rears in hopes of further career advancements.</p>
<p>I love how most of the threads started here are all "How can I make the most money" posts.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is that the case? I can understand why consulting is very time-demanding and the ones candidates with experience may seem kinda worn out. While young student may more willingly pump out hours and bust their rears in hopes of further career advancements.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, it's actually that consulting - and by that, I think you mean high-end strategy consulting - strongly prefers to hire for raw talent rather than experience. That's why the top strategy consulting firms will hire humanities majors with no work experience (as long as they are from the Ivy League or equivalent schools). I know several humanities students at Harvard who never held a real job before in their lives who nevertheless landed at McKinsey. On the other hand, I know plenty of other people with myriad work experience who nonetheless couldn't even get an interview with a top consultancy. Experience, to be sure, doesn't hurt, but it doesn't really help you that much.</p>