The Specialties

Chemical Engineers

Chemical engineers held 52,000 jobs in 1992, with 70 percent employed in a chemical or petroleum manufacturing setting. Other employment opportunities exist in independent consulting firms, and engineering service companies. The average starting salary in this field is $39,105, making this one of the most financially rewarding fields for a new college graduate.

Civil Engineers

Civil engineering is the oldest branch of engineering, and the one that has the most direct impact on the way we all live. When you drive on the freeway, go to the airport to leave for a vacation, or drive over a bridge to get to work in the morning, you are seeing first-hand how civil engineering affects our lives. Civil engineers are responsible for designing and supervising the construction of roads, airports, tunnels, bridges, water supply and sewage systems, and buildings. They are basically responsible for the construction of all our major infrastructures and public structures. The major areas of specialization include structural, water resources, environmental, construction, transportation and geotechnical engineering. There are many opportunities to advance to supervisory and managerial positions in this field, particularly in local and state government offices.

Civil engineers held 173,000 jobs in 1992, with 40 percent employed by government agencies. About one-third are employed by engineering consulting firms. Other job opportunities exist with public utilities, transportation companies, and the construction industry. The average starting salary is $29,376, which is lower than some of the other engineering specialties, but higher than the starting salary of most other college graduates. Jobs are expected to increase in this area for the next ten years, in order to fulfill the need for improved transportation, water, and pollution control systems caused by our rapidly growing population. This field is also an excellent choice for bilingual employees who wish to travel, as foreign assignments are often available through consulting firms.

Computer Programmer

A computer programmer writes, updates, and maintains the programs and software that tell computers how to accomplish the tasks we give them. A programmers follows a system analyst's description of the task the computer needs to perform and creates a program to make the computer do the task. The creation of prepackaged software, generally for the home and small business user, is the fastest growing segment of this job market. The programmer generally specializes either in applications (creating programs that do specific jobs) or systems (maintaining the software that controls the operation of an entire computer system or network.)

Computer programmers held 555,000 jobs in 1992, with the majority employed by data processing organizations (this term includes companies that write and sell software.) Computer equipment manufacturers, and engineering management services provide other opportunities for programmers. While applications programmers are evenly distributed across a variety of fields, systems programmers are usually only employed by organizations that have a large computer center or by computer or software manufacturing companies. Salaries range from $19,700 to $58,000 per year, with systems programmers earning more than applications programmers.

Computer Scientists and System Analysts

Computer scientists (also called computer engineers) design and develop the hardware and software that is used to help personal and business computers accomplish their tasks. The rapid growth of the home computer market has created many job openings in this broad field, which includes all upper-level computer jobs from system operations to networking. The job titles vary from company to company, with each position requiring specialized training and experience with area-specific software and hardware. All of these positions involve problem solving and the creation of new technology. Computer scientists also conduct research, design computers, and develop new ways of applying computer technology.

System Analysts

System analysts are more plentiful than computer scientists, and deal more with practical applications than theoretical equations. System analysts define and solve business, scientific, and engineering problems, using computers. Job duties may include designing an entirely new computer system for a company (including hardware and software) or just adding a new software application to a system to better utilize the computer's power. A common specialization in this field is the networking or connection of multiple computers in a workplace.

Computer scientists and system analysts held a combined total of 666,000 jobs in 1992, mostly in the computer and data processing fields. Other job opportunities exist with government agencies, computer and electronics manufacturers, insurance companies, and universities. Some workers in this field are branching out into contract or temporary positions, arranged through temporary employment or consulting firms. Temporary positions can last from a few months to two years, depending on the complexity of the assignment. System analysts earn from $25,200-$65,000 per year, depending on their experience and the size of the employing institution. Computer scientists generally earn $5,000-$20,000 more than system analysts.

Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Electrical and electronics engineers design, develop, test and supervise the manufacturing of all types of electronic and electrical equipment. Common specializations include power generation, communications, computer electronics, and electrical equipment manufacturing. These engineers are involved at all stages of new product development. Because of the broad range of products this type of engineer is responsible for, this branch of the engineering field employs the most people. Electrical and electronics engineers held 370,000 jobs in 1992, with the majority employed by electronic or electrical equipment manufacturers. The average starting salary for these engineers is $33,754.

Industrial Engineers

Industrial engineers are responsible for determining the most effective ways for an organization to use the people, machines and information they have in order to make or process a product. Industrial engineers, unlike other engineers, are concerned with the structure of an organization, rather than the structure of an object. The goal of the industrial engineer is to increase a company's productivity through the effective management of people and use of business organization methods. Common job duties include the development of wage and salary administration systems, implementation of job evaluation programs, and design of production planning and control systems.

Industrial engineers held 119,000 jobs in 1992. Eighty percent of these engineers are employed by manufacturing companies, while the rest are employed in insurance companies, banks, hospitals, or retail organizations. The average starting salary for industrial engineers is $32,348. Because of the people management aspect of this occupation, there are opportunities for many industrial engineers to move into management and administrative positions.

Mechanical Engineers

Mechanical engineers plan and design tools, engines, machines and other mechanical equipment for the manufacturing industry and for consumers. They also create the tools that other engineers use to complete their work. Common mechanical engineering specialties include applied mechanics, design engineering, power plant engineering, and underwater technology.

Mechanical engineers held 227,000 jobs in 1992. Most are employed by the manufacturing industry, with the rest found in business and engineering consulting firms and government agencies. The average starting salary in this field is $34,462.

How to Break Into the Field

You can start preparing for a career in engineering or computers while you are still in high school by taking advanced science, mathematics, and computer courses. Many high schools also offer advanced placement courses that will allow you to skip some required college courses. Enrolling in these courses will not only give you a head start on your college classes, but can also help you gain admission into competitive programs at schools that are known for their computing and engineering departments.

For most entry-level engineering jobs, a bachelor's degree in engineering, or one of the engineering specialties, is required. All fifty states, and the District of Columbia, require that all engineers "whose work may affect life, health, or property, or who offer their work to the public" be registered with the state in which they perform their primary work. Registration requires a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program, four years of relevant work experience, and a passing score on a state exam. Research-oriented positions, or university faculty jobs, require a Ph.D.

The computer field, on the other hand, has no real industry-wide education requirements. Work experience is one of the main factors considered when reviewing applicants in this field. "My current job was not directly attained due to my education, but rather through experience," says Luis Espino, a system administrator in Houston, Texas. "The College of Technology had a Macintosh lab where I started doing computer support many years ago. I've been doing computer support ever since."

Computer programming courses are taught in many high schools, and most community colleges offer two-year degrees that can prepare students for entry-level programming jobs. These programs can help students attain positions that will allow them to gain valuable job skills, pay for school, and earn the bachelor's degree necessary for upper-level administrative positions, and computer science positions.

Continuing education is extremely important for engineers and computer professionals. The rapid advancement of technology makes it critical that people in these careers adapt to and utilize new techniques and breakthroughs as soon as they become known (or, preferably, before!) Continuing education courses are offered at larger computer hardware manufacturing companies, software vendors, and many universities. Employers usually pay for these courses, in order to gain the benefit of a well-trained employee.

Computer science and engineering are expected to continue as major growth industries well into the next century, due to the increasing automation and technological integration our society is undertaking. Many new positions are created each year, and most companies actively recruit new college graduates at job fairs. Add these factors to the significantly above average starting salaries these jobs promise, and you can see why this can be a lucrative field for a college student to pursue.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to these jobs. Sitting at a computer all day can cause eye and back strain. The fast pace of technological advancement can make your training and knowledge instantly obsolete, forcing you to take a full load of courses to catch up. Relocation is often unavoidable if you don't already live in an industry center. Long hours are often necessary to meet project deadlines. The urge not to stop working until you've found the problem or finished the project can also be a hazard, says Abel Hernandez, a senior software designer in Garland Texas. "It's too easy to take your work home with you in your mind and think about it throughout the day or all weekend long." He also adds that before deciding upon this as a career choice, "make sure that you have the 'hunger' for programming otherwise it will be very boring. People that I know who got into computer programming just for the money and opportunity are now in another field or are looking for something else."

These drawbacks are minor, however, if you are serious about pursuing one of these jobs. In what other career can you find out how things work, and then make them work even better? Another plus is the type of people you work with. "You get to work with people who are geniuses in the field," says Ramon Figueroa, a doctoral associate in the department of mathematics at Western Michigan University. "For example, I have met people who were Einstein's buddies."

For some, their love of playing with computers was reason enough to go into the field. It was for Douglas Ladden, the director of international sales for a San Jose engineering company, who says: "I liked playing with computers, and to think they would pay me to play!" Ladden makes an important point to consider when he says "Don't do it for the money, do it because you really love doing it, and because you truly believe the world will be a better place because of doing it."

In addition to the monetary compensation, many people in the field gain personal satisfaction, knowing that they are engaged in work that affects many people. "The rewarding aspect of this field is that its objective is to reduce costs and increase productivity. It is rewarding to know you are helping your company succeed," says Danny Martinez, an industrial engineering graduate student at Texas A&M University. If personal fulfillment, lifelong learning, and an opportunity to make an above average salary sound like what you are interested in, pursuing a career in engineering or computer science could be the route to making your career dreams come true.