Newly Licensed SE San Diego

[StructCA]

Hello,

I am a project engineer in Southern California with 8 years experience as a structural engineer. Recently passed the SE exam and have been hunting around the internet for salary information. I work for a fairly small company which I have felt does not pay that well, but does have great flexibility, typically 40 hour weeks and average benefits. After passing my SE I received a raise and am making around $81.5K or just under $40/hr. I'm wondering if that is a reasonable wage for my area or should I look elsewhere?

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

Sounds like you're paid around average. I would stick with it unless you feel that you're as high as you can go their.

The ASCE engineering salary survey data is quite useful.

https://www.asme.org/getmedia/788e9...d/32673_Engineering_Income_Salary_Survey.aspx

Maine Professional and Structural Engineer.
(Just passed the 16-hour SE exam, woohoo!)

 

[Maui]

According to that survey,

Full-time salaried survey respondents holding an M.B.A. or an M.B.A. and an M.A. or M.S. have higher median incomes than those holding an M.S. in engineering.

And when I look at Exhibit 9 on page 11 of the survey it shows that an MBA even makes more, on average, than someone with a doctorate degree.

Does this seem justified to anyone in engineering?

Maui

 

[metengr]

No, it is not justified. However, supply and demand prevails.

 

[Ingenuity]

I can't help you with any direct relevant information, except to say that I was reading an article recently dated back in 2002, where it stated that the 2002 median salary for a concrete-truck driver in my area was $72,000, and the highest was $120,000. Seems hard to swallow for many graduates after 4 + years of college and after-college work experiences to see that driving an automatic, air conditioned, concrete transit-mixer pays more.

 

[BUGGAR]

I spent the last 17 years working structural in Sandy Eggo. They generally pay low around here with the understanding you automatically receive "solar dollars". Work with structurals that work strictly with architects is, I think, the worst.
I worked for the local office of a big marine engineering outfit but they were given the dregs from the main office and their management was always in "flux". They're in Mission Valley and I recommend you avoid them.

ps: Engineering managers here in San Diego seem to like it if you graduated from Cal Poly. There's a bit of an old boys network here. If I had it to do over, I would work in L.A. Seattle is good too but you're always subject to layoffs. New York City is the best but expensive. San Francisco seems to have no need for structural engineers.

G'luck