Jewelleeanna: I will be easy on this. Architects can get paid way more than engineers, depends on what your focus is. I recently found out a friend (not licensed arch), wasn't making even close to me while we were working. But I have a BS while he has a BA. I still think this is a huge difference. Don't get me wrong I am still considering to take Arch courses so I can get their point of view on the engineering side of things. But art courses compared to science courses are pretty different.
3X money making job? Investment bankers. Umm that job would have paid me way more for less work and less use of my brain. My IB friend who makes a killing even mentioned this as well. I was working 80+ hour weeks at one of my last jobs. Currently with my business, I won't be happy until I am working 15 hour days, 6 days a week.
But I like engineering quite a bit, and not in this for the money. So you can click my link and see I took my brain a step further and started my own Civil Engr. company.
I know some extremely smart mechanical engineers who got their kicks racing their cars in the canyons after work. Which was around 11pm.
Civil Development Group, LLC
Los Angeles Civil Engineering specializing in Hillside Grading
brandoncdg: I found your message to be a little confusing though you said you would "be easy on this." You say architects make way more than engineers but it also depends on your focus. Also your friend made less than you since your friend had a BA
In my experience I have found that in general most engineers do make more money than architects. However, if architecture was making me millions, I don't think it is the profession for me anyways.
From my experience in over 40 years in engineering, most of the engineers who left did so involuntarily. Their positions were eliminated and thus they were forced to find employment in other fields.
Not clear whether they consider promotion to manager level a transition out of engineering? Some places they say they do include engineering managers in the survey, other places it seems clear they don't.
In my experience, most companies' career paths dead end pretty quickly in the Engineering Dept, Management is the ultimate goal.
I've always wanted to leave but never had the courage to, and being fortunate enough to be employed in engineering work since graduating has also made it difficult.
It just seems like there's easier ways to make a good living and if your passion isn't engineering, it only makes sense to pursue those other options. It is certainly not a glamorous profession.
I'm getting worried that I may get stuck in the profession forever as the older I'm getting (I just turned 30), it's becoming increasingly harder to leave.
I'm getting worried that I may get stuck in the profession forever as the older I'm getting (I just turned 30), it's becoming increasingly harder to leave.
You're out of school only what? 6 or 8 years, and tired of it already? Why did you become an engineer in the first place? Are you going to go back for another 4 yrs of school to try something else for 8 yrs?!
It is a thankless job and certainly not how portrayed to me before I started.
We make ok money (but not as much as a good real estate agent), but are hired reluctantly by customers that do not appreciate the solutions and are tardy to pay, because when a good solution is delivered, "everyone knew that".
Because they can!
Because the pay doesn't reflect their level of training and qualifications! Because they don't get enough recognition from employers or society!
Because there is almost no job security.
Because they are young enough to change careers.
There are some good things about being an engineer if money is not important to you. Fred Dibnah is a perfect example of someone who loved engineering and had no interest in money.
I'm a young ME, and if I can't find work that allows for flexible time (work/life balance) and interesting problems to work on I'll leave for another field soon.
I think if you ask people my age (mid 20's) in the field, money is not priority one, its can I live a full-life outside the office, work on interesting things in the office and have responsibilities commensurate to what I feel my abilities are.
Why do people give up engineering? Back in the recent boom years, it was hard watching developers put a contract on a piece of land, hire a civil for a small percentage to do the layout for the development and then sell the development for a huge sum. The engineers typically did most of the work and many eventually realized that they could be doing the development and making the big bucks rather than some glorified real estate agent. The same went for homebuilding, commercial development, even grading contracting. I know of several engineers who went that route because the rewards at the time were far greater than you could find in engineering. Unfortunately, after the bust, many of these engineers were in bankruptcy court along with all of the other builders, contractors,and developers who had sorely overextended themselves. Many are now trying to get back into engineering. But when the construction industry revives, I'm sure I will see many engineers follow the path to greater wealth and easier work. I was tempted many times myself, but at least I kept to a field where I still have a job.
10 years ago when I graduated from college many of the people I knew who majored in engineering never had any intention of working as an engineer. They figured an engineering degree would make them more marketable in investment banking, etc.
As for me, I didn’t care much about money. Since I was good in math and science, everyone said that I should do engineering. Now I realize that math and science isn’t that interesting anymore when you do it all day. It’s not fun and interesting like the Discovery Channel but efficient and mundane like an assembly line.
As for money, I realize that to some extent, I do care. It’s pretty depressing when I realize that out of the 10 years I’ve been working, the only year my raise kept up with inflation was last year when inflation was negative.
Why do people give up?
I firmly believe that the third who stay in the profession after graduation/diploma were probably the only third on the course who REALLY wanted to be an engineer. Most of my ex lecturers said they doubted a third of any year's intake were cut out for engineering. They had just stopped at “E” on the A to Z of careers.
If any of you have ever had the “joy” of interviewing other people to be engineers where you work, it is patently obvious which ones are real engineers and which aren’t, and this is with candidates with a few years experience, and a good relevant degree under their belt.
I know the money of management is attractive, but the best advice I was ever given was “never say goodbye to the technology”.
I've not really followed this thread. But let's contrast 'The Banks' and 'BP' (BRITSH Petroleum according to the US president).
In one case you get re-capitalised by the state, and you keep or quickly re-instate your bonus. In the other case you are berated and it costs you and your bosses (share-holders) a great deal of money. But you fix the problem at great expense to your company.
One business deals in money tokens, where workers, directors etc. are well rewarded. The other business deals in real wealth.
I would also say people and culture play a big role, and its some engineer specific traits. I worked in Automotive in Detroit and the people are why I left. It was a 100% car-guy mentality. While I never had any problems with co-workers, their close mindedness on issues such as dealing with managers, new products (especially "green" products) and things like culture and the arts ultimately made me decide to at least try and find work in a place where traditionalism wasn't placed on such a high pedestal. Again, always got along with them, but couldn't help but feel my ideas, which really didn't even go too far against the grain, would not be valued.
![[peace]](/data/assets/smilies/peace.gif "[peace] [peace]")
