Can one make a good living with an Engineering Tech degree?

I am sorry, do you have a BS in both Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, and now you are working on an engineering technology degree?

Or you are working on a BS in Electrical and Mechanical Technology?

Typically an ET degree is not a saleable as a full engineering degree, although that does not mean there are not jobs out there. Problem is with later advancement.

I would recommend getting a full BSEE or BSME instead. If that is what you are working on, Good on you!

i am working on a electrical and mechanical engineering technology degree. they offer an over all degree in the technology department. during the time in the B S program how ever i will be earning my associates in fine arts (engineering& applied sciences) and Electrical and computer engineering technology's. Sorry about the confusion it tends to be a mouthful.

I would comment that no matter what type of engineering education you decide upon, the most important factor affecting your ability to get a good job "out the gate" is your ability to sell yourself and your qualifications. Dont know about Miami of Ohio, but if there is a co-op program (such as Univ. of Cincinnati has) where you can get some solid engineering experience, or if you can work part-time as a temp. in an engineering trainee position while in college it is a plus in selling yourself.

My 2 cents worth.

A degree is just paper that tells others that you got brain.

If you think you are good as such an employer would hire you...there thousand outside than are better than you.

So it actually takes "YOU" to make a decent living. The paper is just like a car for you to travel...how fast is depending on your driving.

Absolutely.

For most (smart) employers, a degree (of any kind) is proof that you can be self motivated and learn. In the majority of cases, what you have learnt is of secondary importance, as they will want you to learn their business their way.

There will be a HUGE shortfall of just about every profession when the boomers have retired, there is already a huge shortfall in tradespeople (in Canada) who can often make way more than those in more 'academic' jobs.

the world is your oyster (I just hope you like seafood!)

For a couple of years now, I've been hearing that the big problem facing a lot of companies today is retirement of the experts or the "really good ones".

The reason why that's a problem is that there are very few kids going into engineering courses and the like, that there are not enough "replacements" for the old guards.

'Seems that a lot of college-age kids are lining up to join "American Idol" rather than enrolling in engineering classes.

If all this is true (and I think it is), you should have no problem getting a job. If you're good, that is.

Some companies are not very keen on training their people because, once trained, they become more marketable and prone to leaving for better pay. But there's a catch there:

What If We Train Them and They Leave? What If We Don't and They Stay?

^{(don't know the originator of the phrase - it's all over the place!)}

If you have too many qualifications it looks like you are a 'perpetual student' with no real world experience...
I'd rather employ someone who has just an average degree but has got some real world experience ..and ENTHUSIASM for engineering...rather than just a desire for a high paid job.

Del

First of all, I agree with you Del. Have some Enthusiasm! Do what you like! You must have a passion for what you wanna do! That is the key to become good at something.

I utterly disagree with todays' job-ad fashion statement 'aim high and you can achive anything'. Sure, that is when you can become a full on jerk to your hard working collegues and eventually a fine breed of bully, and if you do it well you might even get a (well deserved?) recognition for it in a form of promotion and excellent pay.

The only thing makes me wonder about this - how long will it last before a complete melt down in economy.

If you come to think of it in many cases lucky if 5-10%, even in large firms, who might know his/her job. The rest are hopeless paper shufflers who quite often take the real glory.

I'm sure no economy can support this madness for too long.

I gather this could also be part of the global warming/warning process in that everything must eventually collapse as there is not enough replacement coming along to substitute those with skills are leaving.

My type of employer! I got an associates degree in physics over 20 years ago and have constructed a lot of home made designs in analogue electronics. My electric bicycle project was the most difficult one.

First, respect what you are doing (otherwise your total life is mistake). Second, be honest, work hard no matter what position and payment you have got. Even if it's not appropriate to your level. Then, do not complain about your job and salary. After a while, people who you have been working with, will notice you and try to get to their team, company, department, whatsoever, for better interest (need to earn, no skipping)

Another thing. You better pursue academic job rather than practical industrial job with the theoretical knowledge and a bunch of degrees. Professors also make good money and have long vacation

IMHO. Having the best rifle doesn't make you the best shooter. Don't waste your knowledge.

There are no certainties, just possibilities.

Dear Friend

I look at your question from a different perspective. If you like your subject and the field of operation, then there is no reason why you cannot make a decent living, at most it make take a little longer. Now donot ask me how "decent" is decent living!! All the best.

Ashok Toshniwal, Bangalore, India.

PS - you are not the only one who gets this question in the head (and everywhere else!!!) most of the students do get this feeling, more so if they feel that there college is not a top ranking one.

All the Degrees you have mentioned are your basic qualifications.They give you oppurtunity for getting jobs.It is entirely upto you how you accept real life situation.I had my Production Engineering Degree but finaly landed up with marketing profession and retired as marketing professional by promoting my product as No.1 in India. Well, just clear your degrees and wait for good oppurtunity and grab it.

If you're looking for a job in in government or at a government contractor, an Engineering Techonology degree won't help you much getting an "engineering" job - especially right out of school. Most of them specify in the postings "Engineering Technology degrees not being accepted." In my opinion it's not a very smart move on their part because there are a lot of ETs out there who can do jobs just as good or better than those with "engineering degrees," but it has something to do with how the regulations and all that mess are set up. Though there are some tech jobs, they aren't what you'd expect. If you're looking for an industry job, then I agree with everyone else.

Where I've worked, Associates Degrees and especially experience will get you above the mean salary for the area. One really good thing to do is obtain a license once you get out for more credibility and your employer may require a license.

Many websites list salary comparisons for different degrees.

A real world example is one friend who started as a tech with an Associates Degree in the aerospace industry. After about a decade he decided to move on to another company and that company paid for him to get a Bachelors and Masters Degree in engineering. Once he got the Bachelors and Masters degrees however he doubled his salary in about 7 years.

Your degree(s) will get you an interview, but not necessarily a career. Experience has a much higher bearing on landing the position.

Here is my proven career plan for future earning potential: engineering positions pay OK but not great. Sales and Marketing is where the good money will be found. However you first need engineering experience as a training ground to become a Sales Engineer.

Step #1

First find your entry level engineering passion and devote your life to it. Don't even consider how little it pays, what you are doing is much more important that how much you earn. Become the leading guru in your company about how their products work.

Step #2

Suck-up shamelessly to the sales department. Meet with them. Eat with them. Play with them. Become their "go-to" guy for handling any technical questions and inquiries. Shower them with product specifications and drawings, even if you have to prepare documentation on your own time. Beg them to let you travel on technical sales calls.

Step #3

Ask the Sales VP how you can prepare for a future position in the sales department and then do it. Make sure every day you are performing a task that will get you one step closer to your goal. It may require temporarily taking a position with an outside distributor just to gain sales experience, then transfer back as a sales manager. Maybe you even will have to take a sales position with the competition if your company is not willing to promote you to Sales Engineer.

My $0.02 USD

As the dean of men once told me almost fifty years ago, "A degree only tells others how high you have jumped,not how high you can jump".......You will be judged on your ability to solve problems and get the job done in the world of work.You can sell your degree only to employment agencies and school systems...I have worked with hundreds of people with advanced degrees in all of the major disciplines. I can't remember any who cared about the other's degree.Once you have entered the world of work, your peers will be the ones who count towards your advancement.....I think you should take heed of a discussion I had many years ago in which I asked a plant manager,"What does it take to become a plant manager"?... He replied," I can have one of the brightest engineers in the country working for me , but unless I alow him to attend my plant meetings, he will never have a chance to become successful....He said that to be successful, everyone needs a mentor as did he. ... Earlier, he was a staff mechanical engineer who had a mentor.

I'm going to kick in here, and say.. an engineering technology degree.. will do you JUST FINE.

I graduated from UMaine's Electrical Engineering Technology program with a BS in '05... with a pretty poor GPA (too much time spent tinkering on stuff instead of applying my learning to the homework)... I spent a year after that doing CNC control retrofits, machine design/troubleshooting, and energy audits.. after that, I worked for a local startup company, and have finally settled down doing automation/controls/machine design for a well recognized company in the outdoor recreation industry.

Each employer I have had, has told me after the hire, that one of my strongest selling points, was my A) real-world experience as opposed to "book experience), B) the hands-on aspect that my technology degree pushed, and C) my willingness to dive into things that I was unfamiliar with.

I have several friends that I graduated with, all from the engineering technology department @ UMaine (a few MET, a few EET), all are highly paid, and highly entrenched in their respective careers... one has taken over as pretty much a general manager position @ his company (he has only been out of school since '04), one is currently involved in direct hiring of new employees for a large Maine-based (but spreading across the nation.. he's currently in California @ a job) company, while also doing systems engineering/plant startups.. both are making well over $50k (in Maine, that's a VERY respectable salary), have nice homes, and nice cars. Yet another friend of mine, left the EET program from UMaine approx 10 years ago, and is making over $100k/year for a technology company (he has only been with them for approx 1.5-2 years), and is driving an '07 BMW 330XI...

So... yes.. you can make a VERY good living with an engineering Technology degree, despite what many say about ET being "less" than an engineering degree... In my experience, the ET graduates tend to be more willing to "have a go at it", and are more immersed in the day-to-day process of their careers than the engineer degrees.

So.. there is my $2 usd (i put down WAY too much for it only to be worth $.02 :) )

What you are worth now is a question with way too many variables (field of interest, geographical location, do you drool when you speak, etc.) to answer accurately.

Of course, getting a good first job is important, but it is only the first step. What constitutes a "good job" is a matter of debate and priority.

However, what you will be worth, down the road, is a matter of methodology. No matter what your field or credentials, your career is nothing more or less than a campaign of skill development, gathering experience and self promotion.

Develop your skills in a field you enjoy and that there is a strong and/or steady market for. Work for companies that are good names in that field. Pay your dues, pay attention, and put in your time.

Continue to train and learn while employed. A healthy in-house training programme is an important consideration when choosing an employer, perhaps more important than salary. Take on projects that challenge you. Seek promotion when ready. Don't be afraid to change jobs and/or employers for the right reasons.

Work hard at developing and maintaining the trust and respect of the other company members, whether superior, peer or subordinate.

Learn and respect the corporate culture you are working in.

The engineering professionals that I admire and respect the most, are those that followed the aforementioned guidelines and are now running their own companies

Just remember, job security is a contradiction in terms. Running your own operation, down the road, is the closest you are going to get, and far more rewarding. Your level of success depends largely on how you get to that stage.

Good Luck!

The short answer is "Yes". The slightly longer answer is actually advice. Be sure to prepare and test for the Professional Engineer license. I believe the BS degree will qualify you to do so but check with the PE licensing board or better yet with the dean of your department. To repeat one of the posts about the degree, a PE is just a piece of paper but it will open every door to allow you to apply for a position, assuming they aren't asking for graduate degrees or PhD, etc. Take the first test, the FE, while in school, since most of the "basics" you will almost if ever use once you are out of school.

Good luck!

An ET degree probably won't qualify for a PE, depending on what state you are in...

After High Scool, college and university is the doorway to industry and commerce. Even in college you're still undecided what you're going to do. Analyze what you're really good at. Try hard to be "Real Good" in reading, writing and presentation. Many engineering jobs are not only very technical but mostly a communication savvy market. I myself have a degree in Business Admin-major in Management Information Systems but I never had the chance to work in that arena.(...?). I earn very decent $$$ as a Validation Engineer even though I am not an engineer. What got me into validations is my experience in industry as technician. College taught me social skills and how to interface with the pro's (engineers, management, production, contractors, sellers and buyers, procurement, facilitators...etc, etc).

I believe networking and social skills together with good communication skills and alot of enthusiasm is the key.

PS.Sometimes, money isn't everything!

Take advice from one speaking from experience...

I graduated in 2003 with an MET, and started at 48K/yr. I am now with a large company and have just been offered 72K/yr. To make money fast, you have to be good and "JOB HOP" your way to success. Unfortunate but true. A Technology degree will make you less attractive to hire, and could cause issues with HR depending on how HR views your degree in relationship to am ME. If I could do it over again, I would get an ME, and I may "upgrade" my MET to an ME. Just get an ME, it will be worth it in the long run.

I agree, higher education is the greatest thing. Continued education reinforces that and helps to enhance knowledge which looks good on a resume. But, I also believe that one should do that which he enjoys doing. I decided long ago that I was not going to stick around long term with any company. Also, management was a headache so I stuck to technology.

there can be a misconseption that getting the degree companies will come knocking at your door.

Fact is, getting the degree (B.S.) is the easy part, which it justs opens the door alittle wider. after you land your job, thats when the hard work begins.

As far as second guessing whether you made the right decision, don't burn your self out second guessing yourself. If you enjoy your work, that in itself will show. You may go through some hard times at first, but never stop learning and it will work out.

After seeing the many replies you go to your engineering tech degree, let me tell you about me.

I am now 75 years of age, retired from Parson's Engineering Corporation, power and petrochemical division (SIP), in 1998 with the title of 'principle mechanical designer', a title for which I am most proud. I do not have any type of degree. However, I have five years of college as a double major in Chemistry and physics. I ran out of GI Bill in my senior year before I could complete my degree. I went to work for the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Draftsman in 1961 after scoring one of the highest marks for entry into the civil service. It was not long before I was moved from GS-3 to GS-4 and shortly after that became an 'engineering technician' at GS-5 where I was assigned to examine contractor's reports to assure compliance, input computer key punch cards (that old fashion thing) for the reports, and to aid and assist in legal action against non-compliances I found in the reports. In 1966, I left civil service to work for Yuba Heat transfer to learn to design heat exchangers. After starting as a trainee, I advance to lead designer. In 1974, after a devastating divorce, I move from Tulsa to Oklahoma City and went to work for a small Engineering company, Trend Construction, and was signed to do 'special projects' and 'research projects'. I was my own boss, more or less, and had a direct line to the owner/management of the company. In 1978, I moved to Houston Texas, going to work for S&B Engineering, then on to work for Internorth central engineering, which became NEICO, where I was the lead on the design and construction of Cogen One in Texas City, Texas. After Enron took over Internorth and closed down NEICO, I laid out for a year, then went to work for SIP, the power and petrochemical subsidiary of Parson's Engineering. I think I made a very good living, retiring with a nice IRA rollover. However, the economy did me in and now, all I have left is a very small retirement income from Enron and social security.

So there, you have my entire work history as an engineering technician/draftsman. It is worthwhile, but you must apply yourself and never fail to continue your education. Every major engineering corporation has a library, and you need to avail yourself of that. It is, today, to continue your adult education via distance learning, MIT has open course wear you can study without cost (no credet unless you enroll, however). You can use google to fine free online education (be careful though, there is also fraud online, too).

chtank,

well put on the last paragraph, and there is nothing right with pride, it shows

There has been a lot of great examples in this thread about succeeding with a technology degree, or with no degree......

The unhappy fact is that in todays world, if you have no degree, you are sunk, an engineering technology degree, gets you technician work, and you have to have an engineering degree to be a project leader or manager or any kind of resposible charge.

That is just the way of the world...

Chtank, would not have landed the kind of employment he did at S&B or Parsons in todays world without an engineering degree. That just would not happen...

That is true or at lease very unlikely. Competency or incompetency for performance can come from degreed, ongoing degreed and non-degreed people, one reduces risk by choosing degreed, unless circumstance would dictate otherwise.

With this being, being the right person, in the right place, at the right time.

I beg to differ with you Steve. I, too, live in Houston, and I am stull well connected. Degree or no degree, you must apply yourself to get ahead in the engineering field. This young man needs to realize, he must start at the beginning and by applying himself will succeed. With a degree and with application, he will advance faster than without a degree or without application. I have had to hire or not hire many and I have had to fire or not fire many, it all depends on how productive and how able they are to working as a team. Anyone, regardless of his education, if he is of nrmal intellegence and is willing to learn and work with others can succeed. It takes a good supervisor who is willing and motivated to teach and an employee who is willing and motivated to learn.

chtank,

you have an establish reputation which you paid for from your experience.

And yes, people need to start somewhere, and there is a difference between producing and performing, legally and actuality its better to perform than to produce.

You see you can produce crap that people don't buy. but when you perform it has meaning to you work that your projects perform.

Sounds like a play with words, but having run a business with employees it makes sense.

And the point I believe Steve was trying to get across, if would a person like yourself came along that was 20 years old, do you think he can repeat what you accomplished today?

Exactly Phoenix,

Chtank, no offense to you, and I certainly am proud of your accomplished career, all I am saying is there is no way Parsons or S&B are going to hire someone who is twenty something without a engineering degree to do engineering work in todays world... The HR people use an engineering degree as the basic hurdle. They may get to do CAD work or check drawings, but without an engineering degree they are not going to get the kind of work you did.. Another area that folks without an engineering degree can succeed at is technical sales, but even in tech sales they prefer engineers.

Companies like S&B have to sell the qualifications of their staff to... Well to people like me.....

I have a project at S&B right now...... and I am hard enough on them because so much of their staff, while engineers, are "experienced challanged" if you will...

yes, but that is S&B, not one of hte places I would look to for entry and also not known for loyalty to their employees, and with a lot of nepotism involved..

After reading so many posted threads I dont know if youngman Jeramewr has got right message or got confused.Well I summerise it, after all You who has to perform in the profession.Different situations need different approaches which are not taught in colleges. So youngman keep your eyes,ears and mind alert and open and only your hard work will earn you fatter paypacket. GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

Thank you all for your input. I do understand that i am the largest variable in my question. I wish you all best and thank you again for the input.

Good answer from an engineer ( largest variable ). You will certainly do well. All the best. With good wishes

Ashok Toshniwal, Bangalore, India

One of the things a potential employer is looking for is an ability to work with other people. Many firms don't employ "firsts", as they are not the sort of perople they are looking for.

It's what fills in the gaps that counts.

• Sports - are you interested in win/lose (tennis?) or are you a team player (social group cyclist?)
• Hobbies - are you a brainiac (specialised in ultra-low-power radio transmitter design and construction?) or an organiser (ran the canoe club for several years?)

These sort of things give the employer a better view of the candidate. Remember they have a problem and the solution may be in front of the interviewer:

• Can you do the job (ability)?
• Will you do the job (motivation)?
• Will you fit (balance)?

There is no right answer, only people!

Personally I would change career fast. I have 31 years of Industry experience as an Engineer. Have lived and worked in 9 countires as an Engineer. And have also seen and witnessed the ever faster changes happening in manufacturing in this global enonomy.

The problem is there are no more 40 year jobs out there. And as we transition into a full blown global economy the West will loose out in not only jobs but all related products, because our labour charge part of the price is way too high to compete with China and India and all other emerging low cost centres.

As a consultant I now have to chase jobs in earnest because most of what I did before has gone off to India and China and various places for low cost labour. Whereas before I could choose where and what I wanted to work on. Also consequently my pay has remained roughly the same for this last 6 years, although the cost of living has increased accordingly. (diminishing projects)

My advice is: Beware of your chosen career, because if it can be "Offshored" or "internetted" out, then you can bet your bottom dollar that the bean counters that run corporations will send it away in exchange for profits. Ie: Boeing will put aircraft design and manufacture into India. Japan already designs and build the wings for Beoings 787 now!

Best wishes for your search for a sustainable future. Myself I will concentrate on survival, let alone sustain.

Regards D