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Id kill a person for $50.
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<p>Then you shouldn't have any problem finding an employer...</p>
<p>Engineering firms have visions of H1-B visas in their heads, hoping to load up on cheap labor. I sincerely hope they are frustrated and hard working engineers can keep a slice of the pie.</p>
<p>Major in what you enjoy - that is the common knowledge that everyone agrees with.</p>
<p>If you want money go into engineering and get an MBA or a JD.</p>
<p>An aside: I recently heard a presentation by a business major who felt like ragging on us engineers a little bit. He said something like this…
“Business majors usually start around 50k and engineering majors usually start around 75k. However, engineer’s salaries only increase by about 50%, while business major’s salaries increase by 100%, so it turns out to be better to major in business”</p>
<p>I think every math-inclined person in the audience gave this is a little chuckle. Add in the time value of money and it widens the gap even further.</p>
<p>Holy resurrected thread, Batman!</p>
<p>“Business majors usually start around 50k and engineering majors usually start around 75k. However, engineer’s salaries only increase by about 50%, while business major’s salaries increase by 100%, so it turns out to be better to major in business”</p>
<p>That guy should learn some 7th grade math. </p>
<p>But yeah, I was always told engineering + MBA is the thing to do.</p>
<p>I think the reason why engineers don’t get paid more is that engineers really want to be engineers and build stuff which outweighs monetary factors most of the time. </p>
<p>Intel doesn’t have to pay its chip designers as much as it should because the engineers love to build ships and so don’t need the money as much.</p>
<p>Actually, I don’t know of any field that pays more than engineering that only requires a bachelors degree. Doctors, lawyers, dentists are higher paying fields but require much more education. Nursing is a close competitor and they also do well.</p>
<p>But business - the business majors that I know get paid far less than engineers.</p>
<p>“I think id rather do something i hated for a better paycheck than something i loved for half that.” - i586</p>
<p>What you’d make in engineering isn’t “half that”. Actually, according to the statistics on the page you gave the link to it is more than “that”. I think you’re arguing with yourself here.</p>
<p>Seriously guys, this thread is from 2007. It is 2 1/2 years old!!!</p>
<p>The link is also dead lol</p>
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<p>But couldn’t you argue that while both people come from the same place(MIT), the ones who go to consulting are really just being used as a face for the firm, where the firm ultimately has the knowledge base that makes the firm valuable? Of course a lot of money probably comes from just being a good salesman but I hope you get my point.</p>
<p>I couldn’t do business, I’d fail…I’d get ulcer’s just from reading a paragraph…I am passionate about what I study which is why I choose engineering over business. </p>
<p>why I choose engineering over music was because of the money and stability; because I was passionate about both. </p>
<p>I find it hard to believe anyone does engineering for the money without loving the subject matter,because like you said it’s such a huge commitment</p>
<p>This is quite possibly the most idiotic thread I have ever seen on here! What kind of an attitude is “well business is easier than engineering and business majors start out at 40k so gee lets just major in business and coast through life.” If this is how someone feels about choosing a career, I truly pity them. </p>
<p>The fact is that engineers will consistently earn more at every point in their career than most business majors. I’m tired of listening to businees majors claim that engineering has a low salary cap and so on even though statistics show that engineers earn more at the start, middle, and end of their careers than most business majors. (and before some one pulls this argument, I’m not talking about investment bankers).</p>
<p>“The fact is that engineers will consistently earn more at every point in their career than most business majors. I’m tired of listening to businees majors claim that engineering has a low salary cap and so on even though statistics show that engineers earn more at the start, middle, and end of their careers than most business majors. (and before some one pulls this argument, I’m not talking about investment bankers).”</p>
<p>I can tell you that at my school, the difference between the average BBA starting salary and the BSE starting salary is only a grand or two a year. I would think that if you’re looking at a highly ranked school with good recruiting, and don’t plan on ever doing a grad degree, Business could definitely be better than Engineering.</p>
<p>QwertyKey, </p>
<p>Can you post the avg starting salaries of business vs engineering at your school? I am very surprised to see them so close.</p>
<p>The advantage of a Engineering degree is the flexibility is offers esp. a degree like MechE. You can go work as an engineer(in a wide array variety of businesses), you can go work for a bank, you can go medical, law school or other options. A business major is pretty much doing business, and i guess they can go to law school. They generally dont have the prereq for med school, they cant do engineering job and when the economy is bad they have trouble getting job offers. Also, in addition to flexibility, Engineering offers more stability, generally Engineers work better hours, with more job security. Furthermore, a lot of engineers go on to get MBA’s, this allows them to have the technical background of a engineer with the management background of a business major. Finally, Engineer gives you the opportunity to work and make this world a better place, as a business major your helping the rich get richer not very satisfying to most.</p>
<p>Engineering: [Michigan</a> Engineering | 2008-2009 Salary Information](<a href=“http://career.engin.umich.edu/salary/20082009.html]Michigan”>http://career.engin.umich.edu/salary/20082009.html)</p>
<p>Business: [Employment</a> Profile - University of Michigan Business School](<a href=“http://www.bus.umich.edu/EmploymentProfile/EmploymentOverview.htm?StudentType=BBAGrads]Employment”>http://www.bus.umich.edu/EmploymentProfile/EmploymentOverview.htm?StudentType=BBAGrads)</p>
<p>I looked at the numbers, and the mean for business administration was about $52,000 (note that the total number displayed is incorrect, business majors apparantly can’t calculate weighted averages properly) and the average for the big engineering was around $62,000. So 10 grand extra a year for engineers is not shabby at all!</p>
<p>I think the numbers are a little suspect for BBA graduates.</p>
<p>I like the NACE salary surveys shown on this page. <a href=“http://www.career.vt.edu/Jobsearc/Salaries/NACESalaryChartsCompare.htm[/url]”>http://www.career.vt.edu/Jobsearc/Salaries/NACESalaryChartsCompare.htm</a> </p>
<p>They are more realistic.</p>
<p>I like engineering, because it leads to so many different career paths - eg, if you take the right classes you can double into mechanical/ee or chem/ee or whatever, opening tons of doors along the way. </p>
<p>Also consider that it takes more talent to graduate as an engineer. The EE major at Stanford? I bet they could knock the socks off the business major. Of course, we have many dodgy people that could care less about anything but their GPA that make their way into schools like that, but still…</p>
<p>with the “everyone getting an MBA because it’s easier and pays more!” mentality, I can see everyone fighting for MBA jobs in 10 years where there’s a shortage of good EEs in the US, lol.</p>
<p>“I looked at the numbers, and the mean for business administration was about $52,000 (note that the total number displayed is incorrect, business majors apparantly can’t calculate weighted averages properly)”</p>
<p>Where’d you take your numbers from for BBAs? I’ve seen more detailed statistics (which I couldn’t find again to post them) which seemed to show a median of about 58-60, and engineering looked to be in the range of about 61 (though if you calculated it and got 62 I’ll trust your math).</p>
<p>Okay found it… <a href=“http://www.bus.umich.edu/pdf/EmploymentProfile2009.pdf[/url]”>http://www.bus.umich.edu/pdf/EmploymentProfile2009.pdf</a> page 36…</p>
<p>The weighted mean of the medians by job function is just under 57K. Then there’s a few grand in guaranteed compensation.</p>