Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

Register Log in

One Engineer Fights for the Right to be called Engineer 3

Status
Not open for further replies.
BS.

I was in the UK before this where the term engineer isn't really protected and I have reservations over some of the rules/effort made in the US to protect the term.

So, I'm inclined to think you might be making stuff up to be more dramatic.

People here in the states have no more or less an idea of what an engineer does than they did in the UK from what I've seen.

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​
 
In the UK the title 'engineer' is not protected. You can earn more money as a train driver, used car salesman, store manager, police officer and the list goes on. If the title 'engineer' was protected it may become a more sought after career! Most insurance companies don't even list the job title 'engineer' in the 'proffesional occupations' category.

Chris
 
There are many handy folks that can fix pipes, but to offer services as a "plumber' and expect to get paid, one becomes a licensed plumber.

There are many clever folks that understand wiring and can trouble shoot and repair a circuit; but to offer services as an "electrician" and expect to get paid for that, one becomes licensed as an electrician.

There are many fabricators that understand the strength of materials and how to put things together; to offer services as a fabrication designer, and expect to get paid for that, one should not advertise (and a company name is considered advertising) engineering.

Seems simple enough to me. Perhaps that the author of the story does not understand this is evidence he is not an engineer (?)
 
Obviously chris9 thinks he isn't paid very much, perhaps he'd be better off doing some self-education or looking for another job rather than whining on eng-tips.

Engineering isn't a protected word in Australia, our grads start at about 100% of the median full time wage for Australia,


which admittedly is about the same as the AVERAGE engineer in the UK.

and people like me are on twice that. Is that good? I don't know. If some bloke sells cars and he is good at it, should he be paid more than me? I don't know. I know I couldn't sell cars. Or at least I very much doubt I'd enjoy selling them as much as I enjoy 'designing' them.


Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376
 
For sure you should be paid more than some bloke that can BS all day.
If it weren't for people like you, his job would not exist to say the least...

[peace]
Fe
 
Nice link Greg, what is considered private and public?

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
 
So Chris, as has been asked on other forums where similar subjects come up, what are these awesome jobs we could walk into with our current engineering education - or equivalent - and make much better money with similar employment conditions (hours worked, pressure, environment etc.) & effort required etc.?

Obviously you're not talking about Doctors or Lawyers/Solicitors/Barristers as they generally take extra education and, at least in the early stages of their careers, long sometimes unsociable hours, oh and maybe a bit more stressful than the average engineering job - not that some aren't stressful enough.

One assumes you aren't talking about financial 'City/Wall street' type jobs since while it will probably recover to some extent right now that field isn't quite the 'green grass' it was often perceived to be. Plus I understand there is a little bit of pressure in the highest earning of those jobs etc.

Maybe you're talking about IT jobs, though I don't think that's quite as lucrative as it maybe was a few years back though I haven't really kept track.

Several of the jobs you mentioned originally have somewhat different employment conditions, hours, schedule etc. which partially explains the apparently high pay. Pretty sure when I was an engineer in the UK I was making more than a PC with similar experience. Used car salesman is one of those jobs that while some folks excel and make loads, many fall by the wayside.


So, what are these jobs?

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​
 
I just find it interesting that I can offer "Mechanical Design Services" as a "Mechanical Designer". I can do that with and Mechanical Engineering degree or without one. And I can still charge $200/hour doing it. As long as nothing goes wrong, no one says a word because no one knows any better.

The second you mention the word engineer, all hell breaks loose.

I think people should be liable for the work they do. Period. Ever heard of "buyer beware"?

I'm a decent mechanical engineer (oh sh*t, can I not say that?), but when I decided I wanted to vault the ceiling in my house, along with doing my own calcs, I hired a structural engineer. I asked to see jobs he had done in the past, along with his credentials.

I met with him and decided he was good to go. I can't be the only person smart enough to do due diligence on a prospective service person.

I completely understand the necessity of the various PE tests as a matter of protecting the public, but I can't for the life of me figure out why we bicker about this stupid term.

If you don't have a PE license, then you shouldn't be able to have the title PE. Why shouldn't I be able to call myself an engineer, when I graduated from an engineering college, hold and engineering job, and have an engineering title?

It seems silly.

V
 
No, you can't. At least not in Wisconsin. They are pretty specific about services, no matter what you call them.
 
Tick-

My point, as I'm sure you understand, is that there's always a way to get around wording and "titles".

The entire patent litigation industry is based on that.

V
 
hahaha. Here we go again.
Most who are PE (or PEng) are one one side, whereas most who don't have a PEng are on the other.....typical humans [pipe]

[peace]
Fe
 
FeX32

I think you'll find that many of those on the 'other side' are those who live where the terms 'engineer/engineering' are NOT protected, and somehow still manage to make a reasonable living as a professional engineer.
 
Is there a website or database where the rules/regulations are compared from state to state for what is engineering/who can be called an engineer? Is the big difference just between: your company can do "engineering work" (ie design/make widgets) but that you cannot custom design a widget for somebody and charge them consulting fees?
 
Interesting discussion but, as some commented, its been beaten to death. However, as an old Professional Engineer, it got me wondering how old an useless I have to become to be no longer authorized to offer engineering services.

HAZOP at
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Ian Portsmouth
  • Locked
  • Question
Who will the Engineer of the Future be? 4
2
Replies
28
Views
29
geotechguy1
geotechguy1
DirtSmuggler
  • Locked
  • Question
Where will Geotech engineers be most valued in 5 years? 6
Replies
10
Views
16
SWComposites
SWComposites
GregLocock
  • Locked
  • News
Engineers Australia pussyfooting around 50% unemployment in immigrant engineers
Replies
10
Views
11
GregLocock
GregLocock
Geotech-ing
  • Locked
  • Article
Geotechnical Engineering - The Great Divide between Younger and Older Engineers 14
Replies
17
Views
20
CWB1
CWB1
NOLAscience
  • Locked
  • Question
Eng-Tips.com Has Been Sold to WTWH Canada, Inc.
Replies
18
Views
19
SnTMan
SnTMan
Back
Top