All About Being an Engineer
If you enjoy solving technical problems and your best subjects in higher education were science and math, you might consider becoming an engineer.
Engineers use their knowledge of scientific and mathematical principles to solve technical problems. They work in various disciplines, including civil, environmental, chemical, mechanical, electrical, and petroleum engineering.
You could be the most intelligent person in the room, but perseverance is arguably the most critical skill you need in engineering. Being confident enough to solve problems and find solutions, even when you don’t have all the answers, is a fundamental quality of an engineer.
What Does an Engineer Do?
So what exactly does an engineer do? In simple terms, engineers design, build, and maintain complex systems and structures. Engineers take scientific knowledge and convert it into technology, then take that technology and transform it into a working solution/innovation.
One of the most consistent engineering mindsets is innovation. Engineers must think in increasingly cross-disciplinary ways, finding combinations, patterns, and intersections between previously disparate conceptual realms.
Engineers are the architects of the world. They are the scientists and artists who created some of the most well-known landmarks in the world, such as the International Space Station and the Golden Gate Bridge.
The International Space Station took about 10 years to complete. As large as an American football pitch and weighing in at around 925,000 lbs, this colossal project has helped humans learn more about living and working in space than anyone could have ever imagined.
And at 1.7 miles long, the Golden Gate Bridge took a little over four years to complete and was considered an incredible engineering feat when it opened in 1937.
Types of Engineers & Salaries
Engineering Management: average salary- $142,145
Engineering management is the link between the engineering world and the world of business. Engineering managers act as translators between the two worlds by interfacing with both sides and streamlining engineering teams' and departments' processes and organizational structures.
They manage projects, products, and people and apply the engineering mindset— developing strategies that allow each structure element to work in tandem—for optimal efficiency.
Chemical Engineer: average salary- $138,500
Chemical engineers attack global problems at the chemical level. They apply engineering skills to chemistry to help mitigate pollution, optimize waste management, refine fuel products, make energy systems more productive, revolutionize agricultural processes, and work with manufacturing operations to consider the broader environment.
Computer Engineer: average salary- $128,170
Computer hardware engineers generally work in research laboratories that build and test various computer models. Most work in computer systems design services and manufacturing.
These engineers spend mass amounts of time researching, designing, developing, and testing computer systems and components, such as circuit boards, memory devices, networks, and routers.
Aerospace Engineer: average salary- $127,270
Aerospace engineers are at the forefront of the future. These engineers design and model aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles to chart the unknown and put it to work with rigorous scientific modeling.
Aerospace engineers specialize in one of two types of engineering: aeronautical or astronautical. Aeronautical engineers design aircraft systems to create lighter and stronger planes.
On the other hand, astronautical engineering focuses on spacecraft and how devices such as satellites can maneuver inside and outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Nuclear Engineer: average salary- $120,380
Nuclear engineers research new uses and management of nuclear power or material. They examine nuclear accidents and analyze the data to aid in designing preventive measures.
Many engineers test whether methods of using and managing nuclear material or reclaiming nuclear fuel are acceptable. Others find industrial and medical uses for radioactive materials—such as in medical diagnosis and treatment equipment.
Electrical Engineer: average salary- $120,300
Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, or power generation equipment.
Electrical engineers who work for the federal government must often research and develop electronic devices for telecommunications, aviation, radar, and sonar systems. They also design the electrical systems of automobiles and aircraft.
Systems Engineer: average salary- $123,407
Closely related to engineering management, the International Council on systems engineering (INCOSE) describes systems engineers as “responsible for the system concept, architecture, and design.”
Systems engineers analyze organizational systems to find more efficient ways of doing things. Their typical everyday activities include analyzing system challenges and identifying the best solution to meet project needs. Essentially, these engineers take a project from conception to completion.
Safety Engineer: average salary- $111,528
Safety engineers manage the design and implementation of safety procedures to ensure the well-being of employees. They combine engineering knowledge with safety skills to produce effective workplace safety plans.
The potential for harm is universal, but three examples of safety engineers include fire prevention and protection engineers, product safety or product compliance engineers, and systems safety engineers.
Robotics Engineer: average salary- $105,482
Robotics engineers work on modern robotic systems, including cutting-edge approaches to develop solutions to existing problems. After completing education, robotics engineers work on the conception, design, testing, analysis, and maintenance of robots and their frameworks. These engineers help build systems and devices that replicate human actions.
Material Engineer: average salary- $98,300
Materials engineers work with metals, ceramics, and plastics to create new materials. Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials to create products, from computer chips and aircraft wings to golf clubs and biomedical devices.
The BLS shows that the top two industries that employed materials engineers in 2020 are transportation equipment manufacturing (15%) and engineering services (13%).
Biomedical Engineer: average salary- $97,410
Biomedical engineers focus on advances in technology and medicine to develop new devices and equipment for improving human health. For example, they might design software to run medical equipment or computer simulations to test new drug therapies.
There is an increasing demand for biomedical engineers, largely because of the general shift towards the everyday use of machinery and technology in all aspects of life.
Industrial Engineer: average salary- $95,300
Industrial engineers apply science, mathematics, and engineering methods to complex system integration and operations. These large and complex systems require engineers to have knowledge and skills in various disciplines, the ability to work well with people, and a broad systems perspective.
Industrial engineers improve systematic processes through statistical analysis, interpersonal communication, design, planning, quality control, operations management, computer simulation, and problem-solving.
Mechanical Engineer: average salary- $90,160
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering fields, leading to the development of more than 30 technical divisions, according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Mechanical engineers develop and design products as diverse as inkjet printer nozzles, elevators, factory equipment, and thermal sensors, often incorporating thermodynamics and materials science. They also interact with nearly every other facet of engineering.
Automotive Engineer: average salary- $84,839
Automotive engineers design, test, and build land vehicles that operate in various environments, which in turn requires an extraordinarily complex and multi-disciplinary approach.
Fuel systems, thermodynamics, computer science, and industrial logistics intersect in automotive engineering to build more innovative, efficient, and safer land transportation systems that feel effortless.
Civil Engineer: average salary- $72,513
Civil engineers conceive, design, build, supervise, operate, construct, and maintain infrastructure projects and systems in the public and private sectors, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply and sewage treatment systems.
Best Engineering Colleges/ Universities
The following are the top 20 engineering colleges in the US for any specialty, according to U.S. News rankings.
#1- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
#2- Stanford University
#3- University of California- Berkeley
#4- Carnegie Mellon University
#4- Purdue University- West Lafayette
#6- University of Texas- Austin (Cockrell)
#7- California Institute of Technology
#7- Georgia Institute of Technology
#9- University of Michigan- Ann Arbor
#10- Texas A&M University- College Station
#10- University of California- San Diego (Jacobs)
#10- University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign
#13- Columbia University (Fu Foundation)
#13- Cornell University
#15- University of Southern California (Viterbi)
#16- Johns Hopkins University (Whiting)
#16- University of California- Los Angeles (Samueli)
#18- Northwestern University (McCormick)
#18- University of Pennsylvania
#20- Princeton University
