Engineering
Engineering Career Overview
Engineers develop technical solutions for various consumer needs. Not only should engineers have mastery of relevant scientific and mathematical concepts, but they must also take into account overall cost, reliability and safety of their designs. Engineers oversee every step of the process, from planning and design, to production and maintenance.
Engineering requires creativity and inquisitiveness in addition to analytical skills. It's also important for engineers to be detail oriented, since one careless error can result in a huge loss of money and time. Due to the immense complexity in most engineering projects, its rare that the same engineer is responsible for every aspect of a project. Good engineers work well in teams and are good at communicating their own ideas as well as understanding the ideas of others.
The four most popular types of engineering - civil, mechanical, industrial and electrical - make up half of all engineers.There are numerous engineering fields, and many of these are broken down into their own subdivisions as well.
Engineer Training & Education
Engineering is a technically demanding field requiring strong backgrounds in science and math. Almost all entry-level engineering jobs require a B.S. in engineering, though sometimes a degree in a physics, chemistry or math will suffice.
Undergraduate engineering degrees are typically awarded in specific areas, such as civil, mechanical or electrical engineering, though engineers can work in other, related fields. In addition to math, science and engineering, many programs require students to take social science and humanities classes as well. Bachelor's degree programs typically take 4-5 years to complete. Some schools offer 2- or 4-year degrees in engineering technology, which concentrates on practical rather than theoretical design. Online engineering degrees follow similar course structure to traditional bachelors and associates programs.
Graduate school is required for engineering faculty positions and many higher-level research and development jobs. Students can pursue upper level online engineering degrees as well. Some engineers earn graduate degrees in business administration and go on to be government or industry executives.
In the United States, all engineers who offer their services directly to the public must receive a license, which typically required a B.S. in engineering and four years of relevant experience.
Engineer Career & Salary Outlook
On the whole, engineering is expected to see moderate employment growth over the next ten years. Some fields, such as biomedical engineering and environmental engineering are expected to grow rapidly, while aerospace and nuclear engineering are expected to remain stagnant.
The amount an engineer can expect to earn varies depending on what type of engineering one specializes in and what one's level of education is. On the average, engineers fresh out of school with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn a little under $50,000 a year. New civil engineers earn an average of $43,679 a year, while new chemical engineers make $53,813 a year. Median salaries for all types of engineers range from $64,000 to over $88,000. Engineers with a doctoral degree working in demanding fields such as computer hardware or aerospace engineering can sometimes earn over $100,000 a year.
Career Fields/Specializations
Civil Engineer Career
Civil engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines. Human infrastructure - roads, water supplies, bridges, sewage systems, etc. - are all designed by civil engineers.
Its very important for civil engineers to consider factors besides how to make something work. Construction costs, governmental regulations, and environmental hazards such as flooding or earthquakes all effect a civil engineer's design.
Civil engineering has many sub-disciplines, including environmental engineering, surveying, hydraulic engineering and materials engineering. Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer.
Useful Knowledge: Physics, math, project management, design
Industrial Engineer Career
Ideal for the engineer who minored in business management, industrial engineers determine the most effective way to make a product or provide a service. Unlike many types of engineers who work only with types of technology, the industrial engineer must take into account factors such as logistics, people, and location, though understanding product requirements is also of great importance.
Industrial engineers help to estimate costs, develop systems to coordinate production, and design systems that ensure product quality. Once production is underway, they help managers develop wage and salary administration systems as well as job evaluation programs to ensure that production is continuing at high levels of efficiency. This type of work prepares many industrial engineers for later careers in business management.
Useful Knowledge: Systems simulation, manufacturing engineering, ergonomics, optimization, business management
Mechanical Engineer Career
Broadly speaking, mechanical engineers specialize in the design, manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical systems. Due to the vast number of mechanical systems - from generators and engines to machinery, robots and escalators - mechanical engineering is the broadest and most diverse of the engineering disciplines.
This diversity has led to the creation of many sub-disciplines, including mechanics, robotics, structural analysis and thermodynamics. Mechanical engineering is the second most popular engineering field in the United States, second only to civil engineering.
Useful Knowledge: Mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, energy, fluid dynamics, drafting/CAD
Biomedical Engineer Career
One of the newest and fastest growing fields in engineering, biomedical engineering combines knowledge of biomedical engineers work alongside scientists to develop inorganic, technology-based solutions such as artificial organs, prostheses, medical information systems, EEGs and MRIs. Others develop organic based solutions using tissue or biomaterial engineering.
Traditionally, biomedical engineers had a separate concentration such as electronics or material engineering, which they augmented with specialized biomedical training. Now, many colleges and universities offer specialized biomedical engineering programs.
Useful Knowledge: Chemistry, genetics, bio-mechanics, tissue engineering, physiology
Computer Engineer Career
Computer engineers are divided into two categories: hardware and software. Hardware engineers are a special type of electronics engineer who focus exclusively on the design, testing and supervision of the instillation and manufacture of computer hardware such as computer chips, circuit boards, keyboards, and printers.
Computer software engineers develop and test software programs and systems. While they possess strong programming kills, computer software engineers concentrate on developing algorithms and solving programming problems rather than writing code, which is the responsibility of software developers. Its up to computer systems software engineers to coordinate the construction and maintenance of a company's computer systems, design software for automated manufacturing equipment, and develop video game software.
Useful Knowledge: Computer Science, programming languages, electronics
Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, electrical engineers usually focus on the generation and supply of electricity, while electronics engineers work on the application of electricity to control systems or signal processing.
Electronics engineers help design wiring in buildings, automobiles and navigational systems. Due to the rapid pace of technological advancements in electronics, electronics engineers must keep up with the latest developments more than other engineers. On the other hand, electrical engineers design things like electrical generators and transmission lines. Electrical engineering will continue to be critical
Useful Knowledge: Electromagnetics, signals and systems, communications, network analysis
Nuclear Engineer Career
Nuclear engineers research and design systems that use nuclear energy and/or radiation to complete a goal. Many nuclear engineers work to operate nuclear power plants and determine how best to handle and safely dispose of nuclear wastes. Others specialize in the nuclear power and propulsion systems used on many American aircraft carriers and submarines.
Over the next twenty years, an increasing number of nuclear engineers will be used to help develop nuclear fusion technologies. Nuclear engineers also work in industries that find uses for radioactive materials, such as the medical industry, where radioactive materials are used to diagnose and treat medical problems.
Useful Knowledge: Mechanics, nuclear physics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, electrodynamics
Principle Engineer Career
Principle engineers oversee and manage large-scale projects. Instead of solving technical problems, principle engineers work closely with engineers and other technical staff to complete the project at hand by providing advice and assigning tasks to be completed.
While principle engineers sometimes do some design, they tend to avoid the more detailed work, and instead concentrate on the overall picture. Typical tasks a principle engineer is responsible for include developing and executing project plans, writing budgets, and making schedules.
Useful Knowledge: Project management, business management, ergonomics
Aerospace Engineer Career
Simply put, aerospace engineers design, develop and test things that fly. As an aerospace engineer, you can choose to specialize in either plane design (aeronautical engineering) or spacecraft design (astronautical engineering). Aeronautical engineers may choose to specialize in one type of craft, such as jetliners, missiles, helicopters, or fighter jets.
Due to the complexity of putting a plane or spacecraft in the air, aerospace engineers work in teams, and each engineer often has their own specialty in another engineering discipline such as electronics, materials or mechanical engineering. Most aerospace engineers also become experts in areas like structural design, propulsion, navigation, or production methods.
Useful Knowledge: Aerodynamics, thermodynamics, propulsion, guidance and control systems, mathematics, electronics
Process Engineer Career
Process engineers work in plants to ensure that everything runs smoothly by overseeing every aspect of the manufacturing. Many process engineers have degrees in chemical engineering and work in plants that produce chemicals, ceramics and other materials.
Issues a process engineer might deal with include the process in which the manufacturing takes place and safety concerns. Some work on the factory floor, overseeing specific aspects of the manufacturing process, while others work at more abstract levels by using mathematical and computer modeling. Similar in many ways to industrial engineers, process engineers are often concerned as much with the business side of an operation than the technical side.
Useful Knowledge: Chemical engineering, thermodynamics, design, computer modeling, project management, business management
Systems Engineer Career
Systems engineers work to develop and organize complex artificial systems. These multi-disciplinary engineers can work in any field that constructs complicated systems, including aerospace engineering, mechanical and civil engineering. Systems engineers oversee the entire design project.
They identify the system goals, consider alternative design concepts and select the best, oversee project construction and, lastly, assess how well the system meets the project goals. Due to the large amount of responsibility and high degree of complexity associated with systems engineering, most engineers work for several years in their chosen field before becoming systems engineers.
Useful Knowledge: Optimization, system analysis, reliability analysis
