Mechanical Jobs: 40hr/wk, salary over 100k? 2

[keithmregan]

I am new to this forum and reposting this topic because my initial posts were deleted for cross posting and posting in the technical Mechanical forum.

I completed the first two years of the MEM curriculum and two coop cycles at Drexel University before switching to Audio engineering. I handle audio for bands and meetings now and am tired of the 60 hour weeks, physical labor and am no longer interested in what I do. I am also concerned about my job prospects and income as I get older.

I have a few questions that I would appreciate any input on:

Are there Mechanical Engineering jobs that pay over 100k/yr with a 40 hour work week?
(I know there is work out there where you can make that kind of $ but what are the hours typically?)

Do I need to get a MSME and/or and MBA to make over 100k with 5-7 years experience?

Which specialty has the highest starting salary?(I make about 60K now and own a house,and I am trying to not take a loss in income if I were to complete my MEM)

Which specialty is the highest paying in general(I hear R & D is pretty good pay)?


Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

 

[TheTick]

I'm going to venture a guess that no such animal exists. That kind of money comes with a certain skill level and a certain level of responsibility that almost certainly necessitates overtime and/or travel. You're just not going to walk into that fresh out of school.

 

[KENAT]

I answered your original post with a nice long well thought out reply. Summary version:

We have some $100k + jobs for Engineers with I believe just BS (actually one may even be a designers without the BS) but...

They occasionally work more than 40 hours a week.

They sometimes travel including over weekends.

They have to sometimes perform light physical labor on trial fits etc.

They have been with the company a while and are considered almost indispensible.

They have some kind of technical leadership and/or management functions as well.

This is in the high tech field (nanotechnology) in Santa Barbara.



KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[MadMango]

Those 40hr/wk, little travel, $100k jobs do exist, just not in any entry-level positions. I think you would hard pressed to land a job with those benefits within 5-7yrs. I would think realistically they are in the 7-10yr experience bracket, probably with a military contractor in an aerospace R&D environment.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[Twoballcane]

Principle to Fellow Engineers (some with just BS ME, but most with MS ME) makes more than $100k per year at defense companies. But your talking about 15 to 20 years or experince and a lot of up front work (well that's why their Principles or Fellows). But once there, they seem to have 40 hr weeks with some travel. However, like most higher up positions, there is a lot of responsiblities that they have to be accountable. So bigger the bucks the less sleep you will get at night. You have to figure out what is your tolerance level to stress.

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

 

[MadMango]

Something to consider, if you get an MBA, chances are you won't be doing any engineering afterwards.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[keithmregan]

yeah I am not sure about the MBA not sure I want to be all management. A MSME is more appealing.

I figured it would probably take at least 7 years out of school to be making over 100k, but that is OK. I just want to know that I am going to get there eventually.

Would a MSME speed this up?

I have heard that getting a technical sales job with a BS in MEM can be high paying. Does anyone know anything about what those technical sales jobs are like? I am assuming lots of travel.

 

[KENAT]

Technical sales see thread731-213467

Assuming it'll take you about 1-2 years to get your BS ME then we're looking at the 2014-2017 time frame that you want to be earning 100k.

Assuming you don't want that 100k adjusted for inflation, and assuming you're very good, and that you're willing to move to a reasonably high paying area, have some management or technical leadership responsibility etc.

Then yes 100k is realistic with limited travel etc.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[Senselessticker]

what?!?! You mean folks are getting into engineering for the $$$? I got friends with degrees in "B.S." who make 2 or 3 times my salary... If you are simply after the $$$$ there are many many other options out there...

 

[keithmregan]

no I am not considering finishing my MEM just to make more money. I want to be interested in what I do and use my mind and be challenged. Yes money is important especially if I am going to go back and get a second undergrad degree. I have to realistically factor in the bottom line to my decision.

Thought about just getting a MBA with a finance concentration but I am not sure that I wouold like working with finance or in the straight business world.

senselessticker, what are some of the other options out there where I could get a graduate or second undergraduate degree and make over 100k? Just curious

I am highly considering Mechanical engineering because of the diverse amount of jobs and types if jobs I could get with the degree

 

[KENAT]

You keep throwing $100K out there.

Is there any particular gographic location you want to work in?

This will make a big difference.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[keithmregan]

I am planning on staying in the norht east. Preferably the Philadelphia or surrounding areas.


I know money is just money, but I want to live comfortably and be able to support a family someday. I figure that I need to be able to have a career where I can make between 100-150K in this day and age to do that.

Money is not the most important thing, so I want to make it and LOVE or at least frequently enjoy what I do.
Using my mind with what I do is very important to me. I no longer feel challenged with my present career.


I considered law, but dont think that it is for me and sure as hell dont want to work 70-80hr weeks for the first 10 years out of school(the market is flooded anyway and there arent many great law jobs anymore.

Also considered being an actuary like my brother. All you need to do is pass the 8 exams and it pays very well and mostly only requires you to work 40 hour weeks. I am not sure that I want to work with just numbers all day.

I dont think that working with straight finance or business is very appealing either and a lot of those jobs require 60 hour work weeks as well


Any other suggestions on possible career paths? I am really leaning towards Mechanical engineering. It is just the way that I think and I love science and design

 

[KENAT]

Don't use it as any more than a rough guide but:

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/...=19092&hrside=&ftesize=#+of+employees&x=0&y=0

For Mech Eng IV "5-8 years of experience"

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/...dAjaxKeywordWithOR=#mechanical#+OR+#engineer#

So you might hit 100k, however in my opinion Salary.com tends to be a little on the high side though it will vary.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[GregLocock]

Another way to look at it is that 100k is about $60 ph. For a company to remain profitable a rule of thumb is that it needs to charge about 3 times your hourly rate.

Therefore you would need to be in the sort of position that is charged out at $200 ph.

I know of two engineers who charged out at that rate or more, both were older than 35, I am not sure that either would regularly command such a figure.

In the defence industry such charge-out rates are less unusual due to the cluelessness of the government when it comes to contracts, but I am not convinced that that gets reflected back into the employee's pay.




Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[ischgl99]

An MSME is probably not going to help you very much, you will either loose 2-3 years in income while going to school as well as the costs for the degree for a modest increase in pay that will most likely be the same as what you would have gotten with the BSME and 2-3 years experience, or you will spend several years doing it at night and having little free time.

You might find an engineering job paying $100k in the Northeast, but it will not be easy to find and you will have to job hop to get it. Fresh grads are getting in the $50-60k range and you might get a bit more due to your past experience, but anything not engineering related will not count for much. Figure 3-5% yearly raises, maybe even less if the economy is not doing well, if you stay at the same company. Switching to a different company might give you a big pay raise, but only if you have something to offer them. If you are focused on a 40 hour workweek, then I doubt you have the proper attitude to have what they are looking for at the higher pay rate. High paying jobs go to the guys that are willing to travel, put in extra hours when not asked, spend their free time keeping updated in their industry, etc.

If you do not enjoy what you are doing, it will show and you will never get the higher salary you desire.

 

[Gymmeh]

Location is everything…

"I know money is just money, but I want to live comfortably and be able to support a family someday. I figure that I need to be able to have a career where I can make between 100-150K in this day and age to do that."

Move to the right city and you can live comfortably, support the fam., on $40k.

Could you try to get a pay raise and move to a less expensive place?

 

[keithmregan]

thanks for the responses.

just trying to figure out what I want to do in the future. 2 years of school with little to no income is a hard thing to figure in when I am already making 60K. I just realyl dont like what I do anymore.

I want to like it and get paid well. I wouldnt mind working longer days if I were being paid really well. I think I would like a lot of areas of engineering. Design in particular

 

[LCruiser]

You could get it in northern Canada in the coal fields with the way the dollar is now.

 

[davefitz]

You could work in Zimbabwe, with a currency of 30,000 ZD= 1 USD. Then an annual engineers salary might be $1.8 million ZD. Be a millionaire in 7 months. Operators are standing by.

 

[ykee]

you want 100k right out of school, and only want to work 40 hours a week? Please let us all know when you do find this job.

Seriously, I think if you choose the right field, pay your dues (ie: work hard, network etc), get OUT of the technical side and into management and are sufficiently good at dealing with people this is not unreasonable in 5-7 years.