thread731-447589
This thread is more therapy for me and some information for anyone else that runs across this. Four score and seven years ago I asked for advice on leaving structural engineering for a highly paid facility management position working for the federal government. The thread is referenced and I want to let you know where I am and how things are going.
A couple of years after applying for the job, passing the interview, and getting cleared, I received an offer out of the blue and had to decide whether or not to change my life in about three to four days. I said yes to the job but had/have econd thoughts, and still have emotionally painful, almost anxiety attack levels of doubt concerning my decision.
When I wrote the original thread, I was fairly sold on taking the new job, but once real decision time came it became the hardest decision of my life to this point.
Leaving bridge engineering during the most productive years of my life is extremely painful. But let’s throw some numbers out there so y’all can digest.
Bridge paid 70K/year, but came out to about 3.7K/month take home pay after taxes, health insurance, and a heavy pension plan “tax”. Housing and utilities, including cell phone, come out to about 2.0K/month for a family of four. That leaves 1.5K/month for food and gasoline; and we consume 1K/month in food alone with no eating out. Take out some money for car insurance; a small remittance for a needy family member, and we are left with no disposable income or savings.
We have one paid off car that is more than 10 years old; my wife has no career; and it makes no financial sense for her to work. We do not eat out; vacations outside of camping or day trips are impossible; and any car breakdown or unexpected expense taps savings that are slowly dwindling. We have no cable TV, just internet, and old smart phones that work fine…but old. Everything we have is really old, old furniture, old PC…point being, we have absolutely no wiggle room.
Long term, bridge can go up to 90K/year…maybe in 5-10 years. Consulting might pay more up front now, but the workload is crushing, work life balance is poor, you’re not in charge or driving the big decisions…and let’s get real, the pay raise of 10%-20% is not worth it. I would never give up my DOT job with a proper pension and work life balance to eke out another 10-20 grand and go on billable hours... heck no. Just saying for comparison purposes.
///
The fed job pays 90K/year now; not 5-10 years from now. On top of that, all housing/utilities are paid for, including internet. Depending on where I live, I can make anywhere from 10%-60% on top of the 90K/year. With the additional allowances, I will make more than my boss’s boss now, not 20 years from now.
Health insurance is half the cost of the DOT. The pension scheme is far less taxing than the DOT, and has a generous matching 401K. I can retire at 50 from this job and go back to bridge engineering then if I want to.
Remember, I have no second income and four mouths to feed. It’s not me + another engineer/doctor/lawyer/nurse/teacher/whatever in my home; it’s just me money wise.
///
The rub… give up what I love to do and not break down mentally. Work is life, whether we want to accept it or not. The majority of waking hours are spent at work. My old job was like a vacation in many respects and I was both proud and motivated to do it.
I am motivated with my new job, and proud of it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the same.
///
I love bridge engineering and highly recommend it. I love the subject matter, love working for the owner, just love it. There is nothing “wrong” with it.
The problem is high inflation, especially housing inflation. If you have no support network in an urban area and are a family on one income, you will struggle. Most people are not in this situation; they have a spouse that works or live in an inherited home. Housing costs are the real killer though. I owned a house before and while it is significantly cheaper than renting per square foot; it’s like owning a giant car. When you have a breakdown, you need to spend thousands to fix the problem.
For me, if I stay in structural engineering, which is essentially a trade requiring a degree, then by the time my salary goes up the cost of food, housing, and eventually fuel will catch right up. It’s a trade which requires X years for Y salary; unlike management jobs that can supercharge your salary.
My advice is to go at structural engineering with a second income in the household, or maybe work somewhere your family already owns a home. If you can eliminate housing costs or add 30K to 40K to a typical mid-level structural salary you will be fine. If you’re single, or have no kids, then none of this applies to you now…but may in the future.
///
For me, part of the problem is that I tasted real money prior to structural engineering and never had to consult. I was in the military as an officer and sadly, made far more money there than I did with an MS in structures. The delta was massive and depressing, considering how much more societally important my bridge job was than my military one…at least imho.
I know MILPERS my age who own properties…plural. I met people (enlisted and officer) retiring in their 40s from the military who played their cards right and had two or three paid off rental properties. By the time I am 40, on my old structures track, I would not even be halfway through a thirty year mortgage…
Out in the civilian world, I still kept in touch with former military who went straight to the feds doing various GS management jobs, or continued working in the military. It hurts when you know you are working harder, are book smarter, and yet your peers in the same age group are easily supporting families on one salary, with a far better financial future.
So I took the fed job and here I am. Depressed at leaving my craft, but without any options that are realistically better. In the words of Mr. Hershey, I guess “that is what the money is there for”.
This thread is more therapy for me and some information for anyone else that runs across this. Four score and seven years ago I asked for advice on leaving structural engineering for a highly paid facility management position working for the federal government. The thread is referenced and I want to let you know where I am and how things are going.
A couple of years after applying for the job, passing the interview, and getting cleared, I received an offer out of the blue and had to decide whether or not to change my life in about three to four days. I said yes to the job but had/have econd thoughts, and still have emotionally painful, almost anxiety attack levels of doubt concerning my decision.
When I wrote the original thread, I was fairly sold on taking the new job, but once real decision time came it became the hardest decision of my life to this point.
Leaving bridge engineering during the most productive years of my life is extremely painful. But let’s throw some numbers out there so y’all can digest.
Bridge paid 70K/year, but came out to about 3.7K/month take home pay after taxes, health insurance, and a heavy pension plan “tax”. Housing and utilities, including cell phone, come out to about 2.0K/month for a family of four. That leaves 1.5K/month for food and gasoline; and we consume 1K/month in food alone with no eating out. Take out some money for car insurance; a small remittance for a needy family member, and we are left with no disposable income or savings.
We have one paid off car that is more than 10 years old; my wife has no career; and it makes no financial sense for her to work. We do not eat out; vacations outside of camping or day trips are impossible; and any car breakdown or unexpected expense taps savings that are slowly dwindling. We have no cable TV, just internet, and old smart phones that work fine…but old. Everything we have is really old, old furniture, old PC…point being, we have absolutely no wiggle room.
Long term, bridge can go up to 90K/year…maybe in 5-10 years. Consulting might pay more up front now, but the workload is crushing, work life balance is poor, you’re not in charge or driving the big decisions…and let’s get real, the pay raise of 10%-20% is not worth it. I would never give up my DOT job with a proper pension and work life balance to eke out another 10-20 grand and go on billable hours... heck no. Just saying for comparison purposes.
///
The fed job pays 90K/year now; not 5-10 years from now. On top of that, all housing/utilities are paid for, including internet. Depending on where I live, I can make anywhere from 10%-60% on top of the 90K/year. With the additional allowances, I will make more than my boss’s boss now, not 20 years from now.
Health insurance is half the cost of the DOT. The pension scheme is far less taxing than the DOT, and has a generous matching 401K. I can retire at 50 from this job and go back to bridge engineering then if I want to.
Remember, I have no second income and four mouths to feed. It’s not me + another engineer/doctor/lawyer/nurse/teacher/whatever in my home; it’s just me money wise.
///
The rub… give up what I love to do and not break down mentally. Work is life, whether we want to accept it or not. The majority of waking hours are spent at work. My old job was like a vacation in many respects and I was both proud and motivated to do it.
I am motivated with my new job, and proud of it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the same.
///
I love bridge engineering and highly recommend it. I love the subject matter, love working for the owner, just love it. There is nothing “wrong” with it.
The problem is high inflation, especially housing inflation. If you have no support network in an urban area and are a family on one income, you will struggle. Most people are not in this situation; they have a spouse that works or live in an inherited home. Housing costs are the real killer though. I owned a house before and while it is significantly cheaper than renting per square foot; it’s like owning a giant car. When you have a breakdown, you need to spend thousands to fix the problem.
For me, if I stay in structural engineering, which is essentially a trade requiring a degree, then by the time my salary goes up the cost of food, housing, and eventually fuel will catch right up. It’s a trade which requires X years for Y salary; unlike management jobs that can supercharge your salary.
My advice is to go at structural engineering with a second income in the household, or maybe work somewhere your family already owns a home. If you can eliminate housing costs or add 30K to 40K to a typical mid-level structural salary you will be fine. If you’re single, or have no kids, then none of this applies to you now…but may in the future.
///
For me, part of the problem is that I tasted real money prior to structural engineering and never had to consult. I was in the military as an officer and sadly, made far more money there than I did with an MS in structures. The delta was massive and depressing, considering how much more societally important my bridge job was than my military one…at least imho.
I know MILPERS my age who own properties…plural. I met people (enlisted and officer) retiring in their 40s from the military who played their cards right and had two or three paid off rental properties. By the time I am 40, on my old structures track, I would not even be halfway through a thirty year mortgage…
Out in the civilian world, I still kept in touch with former military who went straight to the feds doing various GS management jobs, or continued working in the military. It hurts when you know you are working harder, are book smarter, and yet your peers in the same age group are easily supporting families on one salary, with a far better financial future.
So I took the fed job and here I am. Depressed at leaving my craft, but without any options that are realistically better. In the words of Mr. Hershey, I guess “that is what the money is there for”.
