How to Begin Your Profitable, Exciting Career as a Systems Engineer

Most engineering disciplines focus on one aspect of a system, like electronics, mechanics, software, or aerodynamics. However, a systems engineer takes those separate pieces and puts them together into one logical, effective system. Essentially, a systems engineer looks at the big picture of a project to solve problems.

Do you know how essential systems engineers can be to the success of a project? One well-known example is the Hubble Space Telescope, worth $1.6 billion. NASA decided not to conduct a total system test in order to save money, and as a result missed a crucial flaw in the mirror that left the telescope capable of projecting images at only a third of its expected resolution. If a systems engineer had been able to perform the test, that costly disaster may have been averted.

What Kinds of Projects Do Systems Engineers Work On?

Because systems engineers work in so many different fields, the career possibilities are abundant. Some projects that systems engineers have worked on include:

Constructing necessary network services for a cellular communications system
Creating a new communications satellite
Developing a medical device for heart defibrillation
Helping with the design and creation of the next-generation commercial aircraft
Researching the next systems engineering software tools
Working on the architecture of the U.S. Army's Future Combat System (which includes trucks, tanks, aircraft, unmanned vehicles, communication systems, and soldiers)

Which Systems Engineering Jobs Are the Most Profitable?

In 2009, CNN Money ranked Systems Engineer as #1 in their "Best Jobs in America" list. Why? Demand for systems engineers is increasing rapidly, with 45 percent job growth predicted from 2006-2016. Furthermore, the article lists the median salary for experienced systems engineers at $87,100, while some of the top-paying jobs offer salaries around $130,000.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2008, the top-paying industries for computer software systems engineers are:

Paper and paper product merchant wholesalers
Other information services
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing
Scientific research and development services

What Training Does a Systems Engineer Need?

To effectively design a complex system, you need to consider everything from costs to scheduling, training, manufacturing, operations, performance, and testing. You must have strong math skills, excellent diplomacy, the ability to communicate well with all sorts of people, lots of patience, and a talent for creative problem solving.

Developing these skills requires at least a bachelor's degree, and quite often a master's degree as well. The good news is that you can earn these degrees online, giving you the ability to attend classes from your own home and even hold down a full-time job while studying, if you so desire.

You also have a lot of options for your degree. At the undergraduate level, you can choose to broaden your knowledge by earning a Bachelor of Science degree in a different engineering field, like electrical or mechanical engineering. Or, you can find a bachelor's degree program in systems engineering itself.

Your specific coursework may include:

Computer programming and simulations
Designing experiments
Economic analysis
Modern management techniques
Operational analysis and optimization techniques
Theory of linear systems

At the graduate level, you have another choice. Some programs lead solely to a Master of Science in Systems Engineering, while others offer a dual degree program in which you simultaneously earn an MS in Systems Engineering and an MBA.

Try one of these online degree options to get you started on this exciting career path.