I need advice on a new career (Plumbing Engineer)

[Desdichado]

Hi,
I am a mechanical engineer. Last summer I took a job (at the recommendation of engineers on this forum) as a fire protection sprinkler designer. I like the job, but the possibilities for advancement are not there.

Well I have recently got an offer to become a plumbing engineer. The new company will be paying me as an entry level mechanical engineer. So the pay increase is very large. They will also help me get my PE, which is important to me.

What I am concerned about is the future of a Plumbing Engineer. Im having a hard time finding people with alot of knowledge as to where this career could lead. Also, I have no idea as to how much a Plumbing Engineer with a PE could make.

I have the opportunity to take a job as a manufacturing engineer for another company as well. I think I would enjoy the plumbing engineer job more, but im concerned that I wouldnt be able to make as good of a living in the long run.

If anyone has any experience with plumbing engineering, or any knowledge about it at all... PLEASE help!!!

Is it a good career? Is the top-end pay comparable to other fields?

Thanks in advance guys.

-Des

 

[Desdichado]

I also wanted to ask what type of wages are normal for a Mechanical Engineer with 1 year of experience? One offer I have is for $50k/year the Milwaukee area. Is that good?

 

[mizzoueng]

I would think that plumbing engineering would involve waster water and domestic water. The good thing about this is that old buildings go down every day and new plumbing and ways to get rid of waste are always needed. And with all the new buildings going up, municipalities will need engineers to design more efficent ways to move this water and to treat it.

What I am saying is that the future is fine, as long as people keep eating that is.....

As for the pay, I think 50K is average, I'm a 1st year and I am at 48K, was supposed to be at 50K in November but....

 

[ScottyUK]

Is 'Plumbing Engineer' a recognised title, or is it the new name for what I would have called 'Plumber' a few years ago before eveybody decided to misappropriate the title 'Engineer' and append it to their own trade? Piping Engineer I certainly recognise, but plumbing engineer is a new one to me.

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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...

 

[Desdichado]

A plumber does the installation. I would be designing the plumbing systems for multi millions dollar projects. For hospitals, college buildings, and various other large buildings.

They want me to get my PE, so I imagine it is a bit more technical than simply installing pipe.

 

[PSE]

If the piping/plumbing engineering sounds more of interest to you go after that. I would think that there are quite a few industries that utilize that speciality. Oil/Gas, Chemicals, Pharmacuticals, semiconductor, and building construction immediately come to mind. Manufacturing in the midwest appears to be a bit on the down side. As for salaries, it depends highly on locale and company size.

I would recommend at some point early in your career, establishing a "baseline" of reasonable longevity within a position. Someone who jumps from employer to employer every few years tends to find fewer positions becoming available and are likely considered only for short term contracts. Decide soon what path you want to take and let your career evolve from there.

Regards,

 

[Desdichado]

Thanks for the advice guys.

PSE, I agree with you about establishing a "baseline". That is why I am asking these questions. I really want to start a career that I will stay with for a long time.

My fear is that I will be picking something that will limit my income. I have seen alot of high paying HVAC engineer jobs listed, and alot of high paying manufacturing engineer jobs listed... but not very many plumbing engineering jobs listed.

I guess Im afraid of spending the next 5 years getting my PE at this company, only to end up pidgeon holed into a low paying position for the rest of my life.

I will be trying to start a family with my fiance in the next year, and I really want to make enough money for them to have a better life than I had growing up.

Hopefully I can get some feedback from this, so I can start a long term career.

Thanks guys

 

[mizzoueng]

Plumbing engineering is a recognized title. As far as I know you cannot major in it, it is something you become after school and are in the field.

The Mechanical Contractors Association of America has a good reference called the Model Plumbing Code. See if your company has it. PLumbing Engineering is also sometimes called "Sanitary Engineering" and if I remember right there is a professional society for it (like ASME).

 

[Desdichado]

Thanks alot for the references Ill check them out tonight!

 

[kchayfie]

You'll only end up pigeon-holed by your career choice if you focus on the specifics related to you chosen industry and don't develop any transferable skills. As PSE suggests, there will probably be plenty of things you pick up in plumbing that you can use in oil and gas, pharma, building design, etc. You can also pay attention to the work other members of your team are doing and pick up knowledge that would allow you to migrate into their chosen speciality if you really wanted to. Just make sure that people around you don't start to think that the only thing you can do is plumbing.

 

[ziggi]

I thought plumbing engineering was similar to piping engineering. I reckon though that the focus is on waste water piping code and design and even a bit of civil and geological work for underground piping.
From what I understand piping engineers are in demand right now, as for plumbing engineers....well... people are breeding like rabbits and those fuzzy critters need places to work, play and sleep along with all the amenities, so I definately see a future in plumbing engineering.
Worst comes to worst piping design in waste water could translate to hazardous service, or you could branch into underground piping and get some civil experience.

 

[Ashereng]

If you are good at what you do, you will be able to make money - in almost anything.

$50K in Milwaukee seems to be average - I'm not from that area, but it's good for where I am - for 1 year experience.

If you like what you do, you will probably become really good at it. If you don't like what you do, you can still become really good at it, but it takes more effort.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[Desdichado]

Thanks for all the great advice guys, as always I am finding this forum to be a great source of knowledge. If anyone else has more input, I would apreciate reading it.

Thanks again.

 

[Twoballcane]

Desdichado,
I think your industry is called MEP or Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing. Not sure if this is a real field (sorry for my ignorance) but check out this thread thread731-151521.

Good luck!


Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[DaveVikingPE]

I work with 2 plumbing engineers on a regular basis. Well, they're part plumbing, part HVAC, part other ME. The plumbing work is really interesting (radiant heating layouts look really neat) and ties in with my work since the framing has to support the plumbing. Sometimes they cross-discipline with civil utilities, too.

Don't worry about pigeon-holing yourself, there's more advantages in specializing than in generalizing. Plus, once you get really good at something, everyone will know that picking up something else will be easy for you and the doors will open.

 

[Desdichado]

Well I guess my ultimate goal would be to learn about all MEPs,get my PE, and then start my own consultant agency. Maybe I am nieve, but I want to own my own business some day.

Trying to do that in the manufacturing world would be much more challenging I suppose.

Its wierd where I am ending up. In college, I had seen myself designing fully automated machines and robot arms. So working with fire protection, and potentially plumbing, is still an idea that is growing on me.

I suppose alot of college grads don't end up doing what they thought they would be doing in college. Heck my cousin is a civil engineer that delivers pizzas....

 

[ziggi]

Plumbing engineering and HVAC in general is much more steady work than manufacturing, b/c manufacturing is much more prone to economic swings, but it can also be much more interesting and cutting edge.

However no matter how much outsourcing occurs, an engineer in India will have a hard time justifying a site visit to North America, which I would assume are required in plumbing engineering, but a product can always be made in India and shipped over.

 

[Desdichado]

Oh yeah, Good point ziggi. I had thought of that when I started fire protection design work, but had forgotten about that. Thanks!!

 

[EddyC]

Perhaps you should check out

http://www.aspe.org

They are the leading professional society for plumbing engineers in the USA. They could probably give you guidance on the nature of plumbing engineering. They also have a cerification program, CIPE (Certified In Plumbing Engineering). You can subscribe to their magazine as well.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

In the early 1970's I involved in some R&D work on precision valves for aircraft use. The contract was with the Kohler Co.

http://www.kohler.com/

Of course they are much more well known for their plumbing fixtures. While visiting their office at Kohler, WI, I was surprised to find that they had a very active engineering department for their various products. Perhaps there are meaninful plumbing career posibilities with that type manufacturer.

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net