Engineering Employment

Engineering employment remains strong throughout the US, despite recent negative economic cycles. By 2012, the engineering employment rate is expected to increase by 8.6 percent for engineers, engineering managers, and engineering support staff due to anticipated demographic and economic changes. Evolving technologies may improve the engineering employment outlook as skilled and knowledgeable engineers are required in the engineering process.

Engineering employment statistics for 2002 reveal that architecture and engineering occupations held approximately 2,411,260 jobs. Compensation for engineering employment varied significantly depending upon the size and nature of the employer, its geographic location, and economic conditions. In 2002, most architecture and engineering occupations earned between $40,600 and $72,530. The lowest 10 percent of the profession earned less than $30,370, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $90,750. Most engineering managers earned between $72,480 and $114,050, with the lowest 10 percent of the profession earning less than $57,840, and the highest 10 percent earning more than $141,380.

As daily problems arise, employers utilize engineers to formulate practical solutions to fit their needs.  Duties range from updating current systems to creating completely new products.  Mathematic and scientific knowledge is the basis of all engineering careers.  Professionals may choose to specialize in fields such as research and development, production, testing, or maintenance engineering.  Each specialty focuses on an explicit phase of the process, but all professionals work together in order to successfully create solutions for daily needs. 

Research and development engineers are responsible for analyzing situations, designing remedies, and developing cost effective, efficient, and reliable designs.  Production, testing, and maintenance engineers use designs created by other associates to create actual models.  They test and examine all aspects of new designs, perfect previous concepts or parts, and create or produce final products.  Engineers rely heavily on computers for producing and analyzing designs, testing or presenting concepts, and generating specific measurements. 

Once a thorough knowledge of the industry is obtained, many engineers move on to become sales engineers, who use technical details to sell products.  Candidates may enter the field as assistants or other entry level careers after receiving their Bachelors degree.  All states require candidates employed in public fields to pass an examination in order to receive certification.  Many engineers receive training in one area of expertise, and then assume a career in a related field, which allows for greater opportunities.  Candidates may also pursue technician degrees which mandate two to four years of formal education, and allows them to assume many of the same duties associated with specialized engineers, but advancement is limited if they never pursue certification. 

Some of the highest starting salaries are associated with engineering employment, so competition tends to be high for these occupations.  Engineering employment rates are projected to increase as fast as average industries, and professionals are projecting the number of qualified candidates will closely balance with the number of occupational openings.  Technology has made it possible for professionals overseas to coordinate ideas and work together on numerous projects.  Employers prefer experienced candidates who have the most up to date technical knowledge; therefore continuing education is necessary for all engineering careers. 

For more information on employment in the engineering industry, please visit the following sites:

• Mechanical Engineering Magazine Online
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Masters of Engineering Management Program
• University of Michigan
• Parsons Co.

iHireEngineering can help with your engineering employment needs.  We are a niche job board specializing only in engineering positions and job postings.  A few of the job titles we feature include:

• Engineering Manager
• Chief Engineer
• Engineer