Where Your Career Can Go Within Engineering and Construction: Engineering (General)

Engineers are at the heart of a wide range of industries, from oil and nuclear power to mining and electronics. But engineers also design better golf clubs, create faster computers, design buildings and bridges, and study how to control air and water pollution.

Engineering Basics

Math and science are fundamental principles of general engineering. Engineers take these paper- or lab-based principles and use them to design and build the things needed to make advancements in industry and society. For example, automotive engineers use algorithms to make the proper creases for folding the airbags in your car.

Education and Requirements

Most entry-level engineering jobs require a bachelor's degree, and advanced study is often required to keep up with technological advances. Engineers must have advanced computer skills because they use computers to analyze designs, simulate tests, create parts specifications, and monitor quality control and efficiencies in manufacturing processes. You may make a successful engineer if you are highly analytical and enjoy solving complex problems.

Engineering Subdisciplines and Average Salaries

Starting salaries for graduates who complete a general engineering degree program are among the highest for new entries into the workforce. Each engineering subdiscipline has its own requirements and concentration of study, and the average pay varies within each field. Here is a look at seventeen federally recognized engineering subdisciplines and median salaries in 2008:

• Aerospace engineering--$92,520
• Agricultural engineering--$68,730
• Biomedical engineering--$77,400
• Chemical engineering--$84,680
• Civil engineering--$74,600
• Computer hardware engineering--$97,400
• Electrical engineering--$82,160
• Electronics engineering--$86,370
• Environmental engineering--$74,020
• Health and safety engineering--$72,490
• Industrial engineering--$73,820
• Marine engineering--$74,140
• Materials engineering--$81,820
• Mechanical engineering--$74,920
• Mining and geological engineering--$75,960
• Nuclear engineering--$97,080
• Petroleum engineering--$108,020

Online Degree Programs

Many colleges and technical institutions offer online degree programs in various engineering subdisciplines--you can study engineering from the comfort of home or while you're still employed full-time. Or, if you're looking to test the waters for advancement or a career change, you may think about studying online for an associate's degree in engineering. Some engineering fields require specialty study at a university. The top five engineering degree programs in 2009, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, are:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of California-Berkeley
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The bulk of engineering degrees are awarded in electrical, electronics, mechanical, or civil engineering. There are more than 1,830 programs at colleges and universities that offer bachelor's degrees in engineering, and an additional 700 that offer accredited programs in engineering technology.

Licensure

Engineers who work for the public must earn the Professional Engineer designation. This licensure generally requires a degree from an engineering program approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, four years of relevant work experience, and completion of a state examination.

Hot Jobs

Civil engineers comprise the bulk of the field, and this subdiscipline is expected to grow 18 percent by 2016. However, job prospects are best for biomedical (21 percent growth), environmental (25 percent growth) and industrial (20 percent growth) engineering.

Engineering Marvels and Historical Figures

Some well-known examples of engineering feats are the pyramids of Egypt, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, the Chunnel, and the Big Dig. You can join the ranks of the best-known engineers in history, including Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Charles Goodyear, and Benjamin Franklin.