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What other profession would you do?</p>
<p>The Engineering salary expectation threads at CC really amaze me sometimes…and make me nauseated. “What!? I am only going to make 100K?” Gee…by the urgency of these comments you would think that by becoming an Engineer you would be living on the streets. I wonder if these people actually realize that 100K is damn well a lot more than what the majority of the people make in America. Any idea what the average salary is in the US? Let me give you a hint: it’s a lot less than 100K. If all you care about is making money then please become a Doctor or a Drug Dealer…I am sure they reach over the 100K mark easily.</p>
<p>Nah better go the drug dealer route, when they find out they have to pay for malpractice insurance they will think they will be selling their body for money</p>
<p>CITAN READ ALL THE P{OSTS</p>
<p>Queoted from previous post by me:</p>
<p>"^ im not interested in just the money, but the fact of the matter is that we all need money</p>
<p>I want to work with computers cuz i would enjoy it, im just saying that i dont want to worry about $ trouble, especially if i start a family in the future"</p>
<p>But you’re worried that you won’t make over 60k until you’ve been working for 5 years. Five years isn’t even that long of a time to work in one industry. I think a lot of kids in the world don’t realize how much 50k a year is. </p>
<p>Hypothetically if you supported just yourself on an engineers salary you could retire very early or live rather extravagantly. If you support a family on an engineer’s salary you will live a pretty average or above average life. If your family has two incomes then your family will live very well.</p>
<p>^JoeJoe as states before, im just worried about being able to comfortable supprt my self as an engineer, not when im gonna make $60k</p>
<p>If you can’t live comfortably with $40k - $50k by yourself, something’s wrong.</p>
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<p>As an engineer you will start out around 50k and if you can’t live comfortably on that there is something very wrong with you. I’m not trying to sound insulting either.</p>
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<p>I’ve known a few who do. In some cases, they got themselves in over their heads financially, living beyond their means. Since (in the US at least) these are difficult economic times, and no job is guaranteed, my suggestion to people is to stay out of debt, make sure you have enough money to live at least a year without income, and promote yourself within your professional network.</p>
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<p>The amount of hours you work per week is highly dependent on the job. I know lots of (software) engineers who work 80+ hour weeks, for example.</p>
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Anybody can live beyond their means, even people pulling in 6 figures. If you’re not stupid with your money, you’ll be fine.
That should be the case at all times, regardless of the current economic situation.</p>
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<p>The top tenured engineering professors in the top universities make more than 100K. Most other professors don’t. In some cases, these professors have to take on consulting gigs, and/or publish expensive books to bring in extra income.</p>
<p>LET ME MAKE A STATEMENT!</p>
<p>I am not going to be stupid wen the time comes that I have to handle my income in like 5 or 6 years (which is when i should be done with school).</p>
<p>I EXTREMELY plan on making the best economic and $ saving choices, especially wen the time comes to find a place to live and wen i have to get a car.</p>
<p>-When I get my home Im going to make sure it has what I need: enough space for my basic needs.</p>
<p>-in terms of my car,that will depend, if i get a used car or a new economic car with great mileage ill probably stay with that one (depending on where i go i may not even need a car). But if i do ned a car i woudl easily buy rthe most economic car that has VERY good milage (I would spend $15-20k tops in todays dollars.) Heck it could be a used car that says “Im a ■■■” on the side, if it gets like 50 miles to the gallon ill buy it.</p>
<p>Inthe end, I am going to make the best economic choices i can find whilse stillbe able to enjoy life</p>
<p>Then you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>average people care about averages. don’t be average.</p>
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<p>The professors I know that have written textbooks say it’s the absolute worst way to make money possible. Most field-specific publications have such low circulations you make very little on the royalties, and the amount of time writing and editing those things is astronomical. But, yeah, I do know a few professors that spend time doing consulting to bring in extra money.</p>
<p>Those are just averages for people who “stay” engineers. Both of my parents are engineers, and both transitioned into management. And guess what, both make MUCH more than those salaries.</p>
<p>As an engineer with an advanced degree, you could easily move into management with a few years experience…upper management is where the big bucks are.</p>
<p>Oh, and if you are worried about starting a family in the future…you will probably marry a woman who works (perhaps even an engineer) who will contribute to your household income.</p>
<p>$55,000 + $55,000 = $110,000 = decent living</p>
<p>I disagree somewhat.
CoL dictates how comfortably you can live.
I mean San Jose is popular for EE,CE,CompSci, but the average home price is over $1million</p>
<p>If you can find a good job in San Jose for EE/CE/CS then you can probably also find a good job elsewhere in the country where cost of living isn’t nearly as extreme.</p>
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<p>I’m not gay but if I was I’d find your IP and hunt you down for such a statement. Grow up.</p>
<p>Second, I sincerely hope your “dream” never comes true. You posted evidence that after 5 years you will <em>only</em> be making 60k, and you want to know if this is a good number to support a family. EVERY poster replied that 60k is more than enough, and you will live fine. Yet you continue to insist that WE are not answering your question.</p>
<p>What do you want us to say? Switch to a different major? A different profession? If you hear 60K and think that is not a lot, then you are ONLY in it for the money. Trying to twist it by saying you’re concerned with being able to support a family is just stupid.</p>
<p>Lastly, I recommend you get some grammar lessons, and a portable spell checker. I’m not the king of English, but you’re a peasant to my royalty.</p>