MEP Designer Salary 2

[mars081978]

I would like to know what is the current market salary for Mechanical designer(got 4 yrs degree, but not EIT or PE yet) with 1.5 years experience.


Thanks

CW

 

[ChrisConley]

Where are you in the world?

 

[mars081978]

I live in Fort Worth , but work at Dallas.

 

[EmeraldCoastHVACR]

take the EIT asap.

the more you wait, the more difficult it will become.

 

[gepman]

You can fill out this form at Think Energy Group but they are a recruiter so they probably will be contacting you.

http://www.powerplantjobs.com/ppj.nsf/engineeringsalarysurvey2?openform&cat=Hvac Designer

I think that ASHRAE has a salary survey if you want to join.

 

[bunyala]

By the time I was graduating with a BSME from UTA, I had 2 years experience. My starting salary was $45,000 per year in a company in Iowa.

 

[RossABQ]

I am more or less in the same region (NM) and I am amazed at the numbers I am hearing lately. Top pay I've heard: for a fresh-out-of-school BSME, Sandia Labs recently hired a guy with top grades for $85k !!!!!!!!! Most are more in the $50k range, with no relevant experience!

 

[mars081978]

So, MEP designer get less pay than those on other field with MSBE? It is sad that to find out I'm the lowest pay in the department and my boss told my other co-working that I'm cheap and good. I able to do work like other people do but pay much less. When my company looking for hire new people, fresh out of college with no experience, they offer them with 2 pay grade high than me.

 

[Wareagl487]

I can tell you what it was in 1980 - +/-$16,000.....

Andy W.

 

[RossABQ]

What is an "MSBE"? (Master of Science in ???) The term "MEP Designer" is incorrect if you have a BSME or BSCHe degree. A designer is a non-degreed or Associate degreed person in most companies, and is focused on layout and drafting. Valuable people, but not degreed engineers.

You will have to decide if there is a reason you are getting less; or if they are taking advantage of you. Are you making an apples-to-apples comparison with the other new-hires? Are your skills the same as theirs? Not just design skills, but written and oral communication? Were their grades comparable to yours? You give us little information on which to comment.

 

[gepman]

I was wondering which year bunyala was talking about.

I started out in 1981 with a MS in Engineering for $20,000, I thought it was a lot back then although there was a woman ChE that got a $25,000 per year offer that everyone at school was jealous of.

I found this page for what it is worth. Apparently the average HVAC designer in Forth Worth, Texas makes $43,000 per year. You can put in any job title and city.

http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=HVAC+Engineer&l1=Fort+Worth,+Texas

 

[mars081978]

Everyone, thank yo for your valuable posts. RossABQ, I'm sorry for the typo(It's BSME, i don't know what i'm thinking at that time.) This is another question, if "MEP Designer" is incorrect, am I a mechanical engineer? Even without EIT or PE?

 

[gepman]

Many consulting engineering firms won't allow the term "engineer" to be in the job title since in some cases the term "engineer" is controlled by the State Board of Engineers (and Land Surveyors depending on the state) and is usually restricted to someone that has an EIT or PE.

Not all consulting engineering firms follow this practice.

 

[RossABQ]

For salary purposes, you are a junior engineer if you are degreed, not a junior designer. If your degree is in Mechanical, you could be mechanical and process but not electrical.

 

[EmeraldCoastHVACR]

gepman,

That's oldschool. I was a maintenance machinist for Wyman-Gordon(Fortune 400 firm) back in 79 and I got paid union wage of 37k doing maintenance on Absorption Chillers.

Engineers always were underpaid.

NASA rocks in that you start at G 13, but your making 100k within 10 years with a Bachelors.

 

[EmeraldCoastHVACR]

RossABQ,

GM offered me an Engineering Mgmt positon that was in charge of the manufacturing engineering & tool/diemaking dept for 125k with a Bachelors in 2000 -- but I had proven mgmt & engineering background.

 

[bunyala]

Gepman, I graduated in 2003.

My job title was "Mechanical Designer" until December last year... after I passed the PE.

Now my business card reads "Mechanical Engineer".

Generally I concur consulting engineers in the HVAC industry are overworked and underpaid.

 

[Drazen]

is that something to do with architects?

in my country the biggest trouble with MEP is that architects contract jobs with clients/investors and than they very often subcontract MEP part in very unfair manner, wih no consequences for them...

they claim they are in charge for the whole design , all coordination and interdisciplinary issues, but most of time they just bill that acitvity and put most of that work to you.

mechanical and electrical engineers are too good people, I think

 

[RossABQ]

Drazen, your experience is not unique, unfortunately...

 

[south4scuba]

Generally speaking, Mechanical Engineers are paid based on competition in their geographical area. For example, in Houston, TX right now MEP firms are required to pay whatever it takes to compete with the petroleum industry which is on fire right now (no pun intended!)

I suspect that Electrical Engineers are also paid well in areas that have a lot of computer industry.

Get the picture? It's all about competition for your talents.

With regard to your title, I agree that a BSME degreed engineering intern should not be labeled as a Mechanical Designer. You should immediately take the EIT exam and then your title will be Engineer-In-Training as designated by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers.

Become licensed as soon as possibe. You will never regret it.