Best-paying college major: engineering

[TecHNooB]

GPA isn't that important (but at least aim for over a 3.0). My GPA wasn't great but I got 60k+ out of undergrad. After two years, it jumped +30%.

you live in cali tho.

 

[skim milk]

you live in cali tho.

This was all before I moved to SF. I only recently relocated to SF. I am in the process of switching to another job and localize my salary to the increased cost of living (hopefully).

 

[Obsy]

Does this 60k-average figure include Computer Science and Engineering?

 

[Schadenfroh]

The only non-engineering major among the top five was computer science, which earned graduating students average starting salary offers of $63,017.

Excellent

 

[Rumpltzer]

That number would be lower if you took out the offers from the large defense contractors like Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrup-Gruman, etc.

1. It's Northrop Grumman.

2. Northrop Grumman should be removed from your list.

While they are a large defense contractor, they do not compensate competitively and tend to lose out on the best of new grads.

 

[Hacp]

That's if you can get a job.

 

[Bignate603]

I thought long and hard about going into engineering. Decided against it after seeing how it turned out for my father (Electrical/mechanical engineer). Basically, after you turn 45 or older, you're likely out of work, and getting new positions becomes exponentially harder the older you get. Age discrimination is a huge issue in engineering.

So I've decided to shoot for actuary.

Average age at my company for engineers is >50. I'm not sure what you're talking about.

 

[thegimp03]

I had 2 good friends who graduated and worked within 10 miles of me in the Silicon Valley. Both were offered $60k+. From Lockheed and Northrup. But that's not impressive. I got paid about the same at a startup.

My friends at Cisco and Apple got paid a LOT more. You can negotiate a lot with companies like Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco from what I hear.



As an undergrad, you're not qualified for jack shit. MBA is a graduate degree for that reason. People who do undergrad business somewhat confuse me. You still have to start out where the econ majors go into, like accounting, accountancy, audit, etc. From what I know my friends at KPMG got offered sub $60k. But then again KPMG is the bottom of the big 4, so they probably got a little better from firms like EY, etc.

Public accounting is a different animal, especially these days when business hasn't been as good and clients want their fees cut. Staying in public accounting for awhile and leaving the firm generally gives the person a nice pay jump because recruiters and hiring people realize how valuable a CPA who put in the time in public accounting might be.

 

[Bignate603]

I'm one of those engineers who harasses your wife
The up side is that women who learn to deal with it and trash talk back get a lot of respect.

It's the code of school ground. Claim dominance by.... doing the stance of dominance. Women can do it too.

What do you design? I want to make sure I never go anywhere near it.

 

[0roo0roo]

missing lifetime average pay, if you are out of work or age out, that average goes down fast, other fields like nursing are more protected, with unions...and such.

 

[TheVrolok]

Thought this was fairly common knowledge? One of the few majors that you can actually use upon graduation to do some meaningful work.

 

[ShawnD1]

What do you design? I want to make sure I never go anywhere near it.

Signal design for road and train crossings. I do things like make drawings showing the wiring from inductors in the roads to the traffic controllers.

 

[Imp]

Avg age at my workplace is 49, and that's after trying to hire a lot of young engineers in the past few years.

Mines is about that or higher. Working at a structural engineering office, so by nature, you pretty much have to be super experienced and/or nerdy.

My last office was a lot younger, probably mid to late-thirties since it was the environmental department.

Someone mentioned female engineers being able to give/take with the good old-boy's club. Ya, I respect those ones less because they're usually putting on a show. I made a student cry at work, and I respected her x100 more because she was being herself and being a girl-girl. A bunch of other girls just tried to talk shit back to me, then passive-aggressively fumed. Yes, I am a shit disturber.

 

[Leros]

GPA isn't that important so I wouldn't limit yourself to this range (but at least aim for over a 3.0). My GPA wasn't great but I got 60k+ out of undergrad. After two years, it jumped +30%.

I'm making claim this based on what I've personally experienced. I graduated with my BSEE last year and I'm in grad school now. I also applied for full-time positions last year (as a backup to grad school) and watched my friends apply for jobs.

I had a few friends with < 3.0 GPAs. They got $40k-ish jobs doing sales work or very basic technical work.

My friends with 3.0-3.2 mostly didn't like engineering that much anyway and went into engineering sales making about $40-50k.

My 3.2-3.5 friends were getting $50-60k offers. My 3.5+ friends were getting $60-80k offers.

Of course this is a great generalization. I know it doesn't apply to all.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/08/pf/college/best_paying_college_majors/index.htm

avg $60k+ offers out of school

That isn't surprising. It was that way when I graduated with my EE degree nearly 20 years ago as well.

 

[Patranus]

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/08/pf/college/best_paying_college_majors/index.htm

avg $60k+ offers out of school

Out of school being the operative word.

Engineering has a very low salary ceiling.

 

[thecrecarc]

Here is some similar information from a differing source. Not only does it have starting pay, but mid-career pay after 15 years as well.
http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp

One thing that is apparent is that engineering remains on top, in both starting and mid-career salary. Given this is the field I plan on working in, I am quite happy about this. Also, holy crap petroleum engineers (though I hear job security is poor).

 

[RedArmy]

Graduated with a BS in CoE last Spring. Every job I see that looks like something I could apply for wants you to have 4 years of experience or more

 

[rcpratt]

I'm making claim this based on what I've personally experienced. I graduated with my BSEE last year and I'm in grad school now. I also applied for full-time positions last year (as a backup to grad school) and watched my friends apply for jobs.

I had a few friends with < 3.0 GPAs. They got $40k-ish jobs doing sales work or very basic technical work.

My friends with 3.0-3.2 mostly didn't like engineering that much anyway and went into engineering sales making about $40-50k.

My 3.2-3.5 friends were getting $50-60k offers. My 3.5+ friends were getting $60-80k offers.

Of course this is a great generalization. I know it doesn't apply to all.

$70k with a 2.8. Only other offer I knew the number on was a girl with a 3.3 at $65k. /shrug

 

[Circlenaut]

Argh with a biotech degree a 3.0 or a 3.8 doesn't mean much in pay. Worked my ass off for no reason.

 

[Fenixgoon]

67k here with M.S. in (materials) engineering

 

[TecHNooB]

this thread makes me sad. i settled for 60 cuz my parents told me to

 

[busydude]

My friends, who are Ph.D graduates, have had starting salary of $90K+.

 

[Gibson486]

BSEE....

Do not make 60K

Do not get your hopes up, however....these numbers are always skewed.

 

[masteryoda34]

Graduated with a BS in CoE last Spring. Every job I see that looks like something I could apply for wants you to have 4 years of experience or more

Friendly advice. Keyword: "wants"

Doesn't mean they won't hire someone without 4 years experience. But you definitely won't get hired if you don't apply.