The U.S. Department of Labor expects engineering jobs to grow by 11 percent through 2018. The growth is even more significant that DOL, forecasts many other fields to contract. In this list, I will tell you, based on the projections by analysts and those in the know, what kind of engineers are at the top of businesses' wish lists.
To qualify for engineering, the standard is a Bachelor of Science degree, however, for the better jobs, some companies may ask for a master's degree. Across America, irrespective of the discipline, engineers must pass a licensure exam, if they are to offer services directly to the public.
The following specialties were chosen based on their projected demand over the coming decade, as well as the average salary such engineers will command. Engineers trained in the most in-demand fields can command among the highest salaries of all college graduates in the country.
Aerospace Engineer, Level V
This requires a bachelor's degree in aerospace or an allied engineering specialty. In addition to the academic qualification, it also requires eight or more years of experience, in this field or a related field. An aerospace engineer would be required to supervise construction of aircraft and associated parts of an aircraft. He will also be asked to evaluate stress-tests on aircraft and determine if they are air-worthy or not. The median expected salary for a typical Aerospace Engineer, Level V in the United States is $120,588.
Engineering Manager
The duty of the engineering manager is to organize, direct, control and coordinate the engineering and technical operations of an organization. Engineering Managers require an academic qualification proportionate with a Bachelor degree in engineering but must have at least eight years of relevant experience in addition to the formal qualification.
Since engineers themselves are a rare breed, managing them requires someone who understands them and their work and who better than an engineer to manage them. An engineering manager's duty includes overseeing engineering projects and processes, creating design specs and evaluating results. The eight or so years of experience required to become an engineering manager, stands them in good stead as they have the requisite knowledge and familiarity to deal effectively with any problem or crisis with the engineering department. A median salary for an Engineering Manager would be around $115,036.
Materials Engineer, Level 111
The median expected salary for a typical Mechanical Engineer III in the US is $84,899. To become one you need a bachelor's degree in engineering with between 4 and 6 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Apart from the qualifications he must be familiar with Engineering concepts, practices, and procedures. A material engineer has multi-duties that include designs, developing, testing all aspects of mechanical components, equipment, and machinery. He has to apply his expertise of engineering principles to design products such as engines, instruments, controls and machines. He could also asked to be part of maintenance team that looks after the maintaining and repairing of mechanical products. It is one of the most fascinating and potentially lucrative engineering sub-specialties of the future now.
Petroleum Drilling Engineer, Level I
The median expected salary for a characteristic Petroleum Drilling Engineer, Level 1 in the United States is $77,492. To qualify for this job, a candidate requires a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering but the field could also open opportunities for candidates with chemical, civil or mechanical engineering degrees.
A Level one engineer is generally accepted to be familiar with standard concepts, practices and procedures. He however, will be accepted to work under general supervision until he garners enough experience and knowledge to be left unmonitored. There is a big demand for such workers and employers are always looking for engineers who can use their expertise to design and put into practice systems to extract oil and gas from the earth. However the work calls for rigorous worker-safety and environmental-protection requirements.
Chemical Engineer, Level II
The median expected salary for a typical Chemical Engineer Level II in the United States is $75,133 and the academic qualifications required for this profession are a bachelor's degree, ideally in chemical engineering, plus three to five years' experience. Chemical engineers design and initiate processes for the manufacturing chemicals and related products such as cement, detergents, gasoline, plastics, and synthetics. They are expected to use their expertise to improve manufacturing processes that lead to better, less expensive products.
Nuclear Engineer, Level I
The median expected salary for a representative Nuclear Engineer Level I in the United States is $65,265 and the academic qualifications required for this profession are a bachelor's degree, preferably in Engineering. However, some positions require licensing and senior positions may require an advanced degree. The prime duties of a nuclear engineer are to design and initiate processes to derive maximum benefits from nuclear energy and radiation. He is expected to conduct research into energy systems. Given the millions that go into setting up such plants and that they have the potential to cause devastating harm, an engineer's on carries a lot of responsibly. As a result policies are heavily mandated by government constraints. Nuclear fuels also power many spacecraft and submarines, and nuclear medicine is an up-and-coming field.
