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I had this question several years ago. Taking into account only education, not counting experience, as for education requirements, what is considered enough to have an engineering job? Associates? Bachelor? Master? PhD?
I am an engineer with multiple master's degrees. It really depends on location, demand, and company culture. At some software companies, an associate's degree in computer programming is enough to be a "software engineer" who creates web apps, mobile apps, etc. It is also possible to become a programmer without any degree in that field. I have seen young adults build websites, mobile apps, etc. with their HS knowledge and get hired as "software engineers" (albeit if their apps are very impressive - which is hard to achieve but can be done).
In hardware technology like materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, and electrical engineering, the associate's degree holders are usually delegated to a role of "technician". This contradicts the pattern noted above for computer programmers. So the "hardware" engineering roles tend to require at least a bachelor's of science in engineering.
In terms of practical skills and a strong knowledge base, I would recommend at least a solid bachelor's of science degree for any field of engineering (software or hardware). A computer programmer who has the rigorous knowledge of discrete math, algorithms, programming language as science, operating systems, network communication, cloud computing, JavaScript/AngularJS, databases, etc. is much better prepared and generally more productive than someone who just "learned it on the fly" and got a job from learning independently. The jobs in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science engineering, computer engineering, etc. also should involve at least a bachelor's degree to get full grasp of the topics needed.
A master's degree is good and adds rigor and depth to the base from the undergraduate years. A PhD is not necessary in most cases.
But keep in mind that location and demand are also crucial factors. A petroleum engineer in Silicon Valley may be somewhat out-of-place but would be in very, very high demand in Texas. A biomedical engineer in rural Montana may be out-of-scope and unable to find a job. But a civil or electrical engineer who specializes in renewable energy and fixing infrastructure would likely have success in finding a job in remote Montana. The economy is also a factor. In the recessions of 1991, 2001, and 2009 many engineers of all branches had a tough time getting a job out-of-college. When that happens, experienced engineers often move to a part of the country where prospects are higher.
The key to survive a recession as an engineer is to get a "multi-disciplinary" background. A computer engineer who adds skills in cybersecurity would likely survive the next recession. A biomedical engineer who gets certified in FDA risk management is far better off than a biomedical engineer who does not have that skill. A mechanical engineer who minored in computer engineering is likely a stronger candidate than a non-programming mechanical engineer. So it's best to broaden skills.
If a young student wants to study hardware engineering, I recommend nano-composites. For software engineering, I recommend data science or cyber security or mobile apps. The future is now and there are opportunities.
Bachelors and P.E. licensure for most disciplines, though software and hardware engineers don't typically need to pass the P.E.. Some disciplines, like geotechnical engineering require a masters degree. PhD is not required unless you want to teach at the university level.
Roommate sophomore year of college was an electrical engineering major. He graduated in 2004 with his degree and just this past year was able to finally land an engineering job. Now part of that could possibly be due to him not being open to relocating to where jobs actually are. When you limit yourself to one region of one state its gonna be tough.
The answer is highly variable depending upon the specific engineering discipline.
Very true. One needs to decide what engineering field they want to be in, and then talk with people who are currently working in that field.
In my field, a lot of companies require a Master's degree for new college hires. If one has at least a few years of experience then Bachelor's will be the minimum.
Very true. One needs to decide what engineering field they want to be in, and then talk with people who are currently working in that field.
In my field, a lot of companies require a Master's degree for new college hires. If one has at least a few years of experience then Bachelor's will be the minimum.
Join others in saying, Bachelors in any engineering discipline is enough to get in, PE soonest eligible, MBA or Masters in Engineering to move up the ladder.
I work at a large company (60,000+ employees). We employ tens of thousands of engineers across many disciplines, but the majority are electrical engineers or software engineers. A BS is absolutely mandatory to get in the door. After that, performance is all that counts. Advanced degrees mean almost nothing. Starting pay is around $70K. I have people working for me who are making $120K+ at 30 years old. Some of the older engineers (50+) make $250K - with only a BS. These are technical individual contributors - not managers. We lose people all of the time due to compensation. I had a 29 year old leave for $140K plus much better benefits. A 35 year old left for $191K. Again, no advanced degrees, just good performers.
Bachelors is all most Engineers have. That is the starting position. From there, after working for few years, one might decide to look at advance education or licensing but these are all later stage in career. The starting point is a B.S, that is probably why a Bachelors is in the bottom of the drop down menu.
That all my father ever had. He started with an Associate's in Industrial Lab Science in 1960 and was recruited by G.E./KAPL before he even graduated. After getting married and having his first son born in 1967 he realized he needed to up his earning potential and attended night school at Union College, graduating Summa c** Laude in 1975. He'd be up until 1-2 AM sometimes, doing homework.
I knew he had a degree in Mechanical Engineering, but all I ever remember about what he did at work was that he had to call some place in Idaho every morning.
By the time he retired in 2005 his section of KAPL wasn't GE anymore, it was Lockheed Martin. IIRC he waa the only person in his department by that time, and he was bringing home $70,000 a year, although he made a point never to flaunt it.
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