I'm thinking of becoming a Electrical Engineer

[dog20]

i think you just want to be an engineer so you can brag.

[dudeguy]

Looks like a nice program. You get a decent amount of mechanical engineering in there (IMO it's great for breaking things down and thinking practically)! Only curious about having Control Systems without a DiffEQ pre-req. Most likely they cover anything you need to know in the other classes...It just jumped out at me, though. Just like I'm sure they cover all the statics and dynamics you need in your Engineering Mechanics 1 & 2.

I think it looks like a nice mix, though!

Yeah I'm pretty sure Engineering Mathematics is all differential equations.

[thatolchestnut]

Engi isnt THAT bad as long as you like what youre doing. Also, engineers w/ MBAs tend to make a lot of money, so I wouldnt cap salaries at 80k.

[giantsfanftw]

I dont know what PSEG is, but most EE do not make 80k starting out. If you have a Masters in EE and are working in California in Silicon Valley, then yes you might start at 80k. Most EE starts closer to 60k.



Dont do it for the money. You will absolutely hate your job if you do EE for the money. Believe me, there are much better ways to make money than EE if money is all you are concerned about.

It's public service for electricity and gas. All the guy really did was take down a broken metric we had and put up another one. Then checked the other ones to see if they were working and he was done. Is that what all EEs do?

What else can i do for money then? Wouldn't it be the exact same thing i'm doing a job for the money so what's the difference?

[giantsfanftw]

bump

[dickhordishay]

Are you aware that, for instance, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Austin, and these 2 small towns called Houston and San Antonio are ALL within 100 miles of Bloomington?

Think before you post.

Who wants to drive 100 miles to work?
Well, I'm wrong I guess, 'cause 100 miles in Texas is pretty straight probably, so it's probably 80 mph to get there.
Then again, there could be a million stop lights if it's all city, and a hundred miles could take forever!

[guest]

It's public service for electricity and gas. All the guy really did was take down a broken metric we had and put up another one. Then checked the other ones to see if they were working and he was done. Is that what all EEs do?

What else can i do for money then? Wouldn't it be the exact same thing i'm doing a job for the money so what's the difference?

EE's do alot of different things. Anything that requires an electrical system to work.

As far as picking a career for money, it goes back to Maslow's hierarchy of needs; once you get past the first three (shelter, biological, social) - the last two are impossible to fulfill with money alone (self image, self actualization). The rule of thumb would be to pursue your natural aptitudes and interests.

Engineering is good for a starting salary. I'm not sure if there is a Bachelor degree out there that commands a higher STARTING salary...I really haven't checked, though - but I'm reasonably secure in that statement. I do know that if you don't like it - you will be miserable, because you could very likely end up taking orders from someone with much less technical knowledge than you.

[2hundred]

It's public service for electricity and gas. All the guy really did was take down a broken metric we had and put up another one. Then checked the other ones to see if they were working and he was done. Is that what all EEs do?

What else can i do for money then? Wouldn't it be the exact same thing i'm doing a job for the money so what's the difference?

Are you sure he wasn't an electrician? Most engineers I have met do little to no field work. I used to work in the HVAC industry and a few guys were pulling 70K a year easy. I'm not sure how much electricians make though.

[Travis71902]

Who wants to drive 100 miles to work?
Well, I'm wrong I guess, 'cause 100 miles in Texas is pretty straight probably, so it's probably 80 mph to get there.
Then again, there could be a million stop lights if it's all city, and a hundred miles could take forever!

Thats center to center. You could live in a nice suburb outside of any of these cities and realistically be 45 minutes away.

/argument

/thread

[Flakker]

I'm a chemical engineer (senior). EE and ChE are probably comparable in terms of course load and salary (ChE maybe +5k over EE?). Freshman year I had plenty of free time. Sophomore year was stressful, but doable - it was really a baptism in terms of what to expect. Junior year was hard as hell - tons of homework and the concepts were difficult to grasp (fugacity, ugh!). Senior year has been easier conceptually, but I wake up at 7am, go to class at 8am and don't stop until 10pm. I have an hour to lift and that's about it. Sometimes I can swing going out on a friday night, but I don't count on it. If you choose an engineering degree the only friends you'll have will be your classmates because you spend 10+ hours a day with them.

Really, if you want to go to college and party, get a business degree. If you want to graduate college with great future and hordes of job opportunities, major in engineering.

I saw some incorrect numbers about salary being tossed around in this thread. For ChE's (again, EE is comparable): 60-80 starting, 100+ after 5 or 10 years, no real cap depending on work ethic/job selection.

[Travis71902]

It's public service for electricity and gas. All the guy really did was take down a broken metric we had and put up another one. Then checked the other ones to see if they were working and he was done. Is that what all EEs do?

What else can i do for money then? Wouldn't it be the exact same thing i'm doing a job for the money so what's the difference?

Engineers work in a cubicle. They design blueprints, they don't do house calls.

[Travis71902]

I saw some incorrect numbers about salary being tossed around in this thread. For ChE's (again, EE is comparable): 60-80 starting, 100+ after 5 or 10 years, no real cap depending on work ethic/job selection.

I know for a fact that your numbers are flatout bull****.

I mean, are you saying the department of Labor is lying

You'd be hard pressed to make anything more than 60K starting out. 100K after 5 years would be a miracle, even after 10 years it would be VERY high. And yes, there is a cap for 99.8% of engineering jobs in the world.

[Travis71902]

Again, I will reiterate. I'm not saying an engineer can't make 150K a year. I'm not even saying thay can't make 200K.

Instead of giving out false pipe dreams of top echelon salaries I'm giving the norm or average you could call it. The mechanical/electrical guys where I work make around 70K. An ex's grandfather was making 85K a year upon retirement. Most guys are gonna get offered around 55K a year out of college whether they have a bachelors or masters.

The guys that make 100K+ have a PHd and their professional engineering license as well as 10+ years of experience.

[Flakker]

I know for a fact that your numbers are flatout bull****.

I mean, are you saying the department of Labor is lying

You'd be hard pressed to make anything more than 60K starting out. 100K after 5 years would be a miracle, even after 10 years it would be VERY high. And yes, there is a cap for 99.8% of engineering jobs in the world.

U mad?

I don't feel like proving you wrong. Google Chemical Engineering job postings if you're curious.

[Travis71902]

U mad?

I don't feel like proving you wrong. Google Chemical Engineering job postings if you're curious.

My aunt IS a chemical engineer. Reread my post dip****.

[Flakker]

Again, I will reiterate. I'm not saying an engineer can't make 150K a year. I'm not even saying thay can't make 200K.

Instead of giving out false pipe dreams of top echelon salaries I'm giving the norm or average you could call it. The mechanical/electrical guys where I work make around 70K. An ex's grandfather was making 85K a year upon retirement. Most guys are gonna get offered around 55K a year out of college whether they have a bachelors or masters.

The guys that make 100K+ have a PHd and their professional engineering license as well as 10+ years of experience.

Average starting for our department was $65. 5-10+ years experience in plant design or processing will give 100+ easy.

[LiVe BiG]

i think you just want to be an engineer so you can brag.

That is why I did it!

Engineers work in a cubicle. They design blueprints, they don't do house calls.

I'll rep you after I finish my reply...

My companies like to throw around the word "engineer" around like it is a frisbee. From my understanding, Home Depot refers to the guys that pickup the carts in the parking lot as "Lot Engineers." LMAO!!!

An engineer is someone who has successfully passed the Professional Engineering Exam. It varies from state to state, but in FL, you need to graduate with a BS from an accredited 4 yr. college, pass the EIT/FE Exam (mostly applies to CE), get 4 yrs. experience under a licensed engineer, then finally pass the PE Exam to be considered an "Engineer."


I can only speak for Civil side of engineering, but anyone with their PE can make from $70K-$130K in the private sector. If you decided to open your own business, you can make $130K+.

[Flakker]

Here's a nice one:

http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeek...775BQMZR4RM7DZ

[2hundred]

Why do students that major in engineering hype up the degree so much? I guess I don't mind them saying how hard etc.. it is, but why do they have to dog other majors all the time? I remember this DIS (similar to MIS) telling me how all the comp science guys looked down on her while in school. Both majors have to take some of the same classes I guess. She got a job straight out of college making 50k a year. She ended up doing post bach science courses while getting her major and now is at the University of Miami attending med school. The weird thing is that nobody in the actual field has that much respect for engineers. Well, I guess I shouldn't say that, but the engineers straight out of school seem to have this ego trip. I used to work with mech engineers in the HVAC industry and they were cool. They asked for help with technical type things from me. Every mech engineer I talked to tried to influence me not to go into engineering. They all said that the starting salary is good, but it tops out relatively low. The only way to make good money is to get an MBA down the road and do more business related job duties. They also said that I would make more money as a service technician. That is the major reason why I didn't pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. I don't know. I guess I'm trying to say that college students that major in engineering seem to be really cocky. The seasoned engineers I talk to seem to be more reality based and are down to earth. They never looked down on any of us. Well, I don't think they did.

[dog20]

my friend is a nuclear engineer. he sits in a cubicle all day and he hates his job.

[giantsfanftw]

I'm a chemical engineer (senior). EE and ChE are probably comparable in terms of course load and salary (ChE maybe +5k over EE?). Freshman year I had plenty of free time. Sophomore year was stressful, but doable - it was really a baptism in terms of what to expect. Junior year was hard as hell - tons of homework and the concepts were difficult to grasp (fugacity, ugh!). Senior year has been easier conceptually, but I wake up at 7am, go to class at 8am and don't stop until 10pm. I have an hour to lift and that's about it. Sometimes I can swing going out on a friday night, but I don't count on it. If you choose an engineering degree the only friends you'll have will be your classmates because you spend 10+ hours a day with them.

Really, if you want to go to college and party, get a business degree. If you want to graduate college with great future and hordes of job opportunities, major in engineering.

I saw some incorrect numbers about salary being tossed around in this thread. For ChE's (again, EE is comparable): 60-80 starting, 100+ after 5 or 10 years, no real cap depending on work ethic/job selection.

Like i said everyone is doing business. I want a job that pays insane money.

[Flakker]

Why do students that major in engineering hype up the degree so much? I guess I don't mind them saying how hard etc.. it is, but why do they have to dog other majors all the time? I remember this DIS (similar to MIS) telling me how all the comp science guys looked down on her while in school. Both majors have to take some of the same classes I guess. She got a job straight out of college making 50k a year. She ended up doing post bach science courses while getting her major and now is at the University of Miami attending med school. The weird thing is that nobody in the actual field has that much respect for engineers. Well, I guess I shouldn't say that, but the engineers straight out of school seem to have this ego trip. I used to work with mech engineers in the HVAC industry and they were cool. They asked for help with technical type things from me. Every mech engineer I talked to tried to influence me not to go into engineering. They all said that the starting salary is good, but it tops out relatively low. The only way to make good money is to get an MBA down the road and do more business related job duties. They also said that I would make more money as a service technician. That is the major reason why I didn't pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. I don't know. I guess I'm trying to say that college students that major in engineering seem to be really cocky. The seasoned engineers I talk to seem to be more reality based and are down to earth. They never looked down on any of us. Well, I don't think they did.

It's because we have to have something to believe in. A fair amount of the hype is true, but we have to validate the fact that others are having fun while we're slaving away. The fact is, as an engineer you will do 2x as much work (if not more) as a BA.

[Flakker]

I want a job that pays insane money.

Everyone does. That part is up to you. 4 years and a slip of paper don't guarantee a big paycheck- no matter what you choose.

[giantsfanftw]

Engineers work in a cubicle. They design blueprints, they don't do house calls.

What job is that then that pays over 80k?

[LiVe BiG]

Why do students that major in engineering hype up the degree so much? I guess I don't mind them saying how hard etc.. it is, but why do they have to dog other majors all the time?I remember this DIS (similar to MIS) telling me how all the comp science guys looked down on her while in school. Both majors have to take some of the same classes I guess. She got a job straight out of college making 50k a year. She ended up doing post bach science courses while getting her major and now is at the University of Miami attending med school. The weird thing is that nobody in the actual field has that much respect for engineers. Well, I guess I shouldn't say that, but the engineers straight out of school seem to have this ego trip. I used to work with mech engineers in the HVAC industry and they were cool. They asked for help with technical type things from me. Every mech engineer I talked to tried to influence me not to go into engineering. They all said that the starting salary is good, but it tops out relatively low. The only way to make good money is to get an MBA down the road and do more business related job duties. They also said that I would make more money as a service technician. That is the major reason why I didn't pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. I don't know. I guess I'm trying to say that college students that major in engineering seem to be really cocky. The seasoned engineers I talk to seem to be more reality based and are down to earth. They never looked down on any of us. Well, I don't think they did.

It is not just engineering majors... it is ALL majors. Everyone is biased toward their own career path.

[guest]

Again, I will reiterate. I'm not saying an engineer can't make 150K a year. I'm not even saying thay can't make 200K.

Instead of giving out false pipe dreams of top echelon salaries I'm giving the norm or average you could call it. The mechanical/electrical guys where I work make around 70K. An ex's grandfather was making 85K a year upon retirement. Most guys are gonna get offered around 55K a year out of college whether they have a bachelors or masters.

The guys that make 100K+ have a PHd and their professional engineering license as well as 10+ years of experience.

For what it's worth, your numbers sound right on to me. I know some parts of the country have a stronger local economy - so I wasn't going to dispute the 80K/yr to start thing...but your numbers look like the norm to me. I don't know that a PE and a PhD is requisite for 100K - but 10 years probably is in most cases.

[thatolchestnut]

What job is that then that pays over 80k?

straight out of college? nothing short of starting your own company.

[Travis71902]

Here's a nice one:

http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeek...775BQMZR4RM7DZ

This is a plant manager lead position and is realistically gonna be an 80 hour workweek.


RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Coordinates the preparation & execution of capital, production improvement & maintenance projects.
2. Help Write and Manage Budgets for Plant Maintenance & Capital Improvement Projects.
3. Uses Lean Manufacturing techniques.
4. Supervises in-house engineers, multi-craft maintenance personnel & contractors.
5. Lead plant initiatives in Preventative Maintenance, Reliability and Capital Improvements.
6. Coordinate with all department heads to optimize personnel & plant resources.
7. Dotted-Line responsibility for plant SH&E compliance, safety training & documentation.
8. Staff position with the Maintenance Manager, Plant Mgr., Production Mgr., Accounting,
HR, Purchasing, Corp. Engineering, Vendors, Contractors, Federal, State & Local Officials.


Again, I'm not saying Chemical engineers don't make big bucks I'm just being real. Not everyone is gonna relocate 2000 miles and work 70-80 hours a week. Not everyone Joe with a 4 year Engineering degree is gonna be cut out for the 100K+ jobs.


If you engineering students wanna think you're gonna be making 6 digits 5 year after college be my guest but don't be surprised when you're not.

[LiVe BiG]

I don't know that a PE and a PhD is requisite for 100K - but 10 years probably is in most cases.

Atleast in CE, all you need to make 100K+ is a PE & roughly 10 years of experience in the private sector.

[NeloAngelo]

Lmfao at op considering EE with a fixed amount of partying.

If you want to even hang on by a thread you will be lucky to go out once a week, and never during midterms and finals (unless you are particularly gifted).