Engineering Careers

Careers in engineering can be professionally and financially rewarding. In fact, eight of the ten highest-earning undergraduate majors were engineering-related, according to a TIME article. The highest-earning major, petroleum engineering, is related to a career that has a median earnings per year of $120,000, according to the article. It is small wonder, then, that the number of engineering degrees conferred has increased each year since 1999, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

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Engineers specialize in a wide variety of areas, including mining, nuclear energy, manufacturing, computer hardware, and electronics. Though most engineering jobs need at least a bachelor’s degree for entry, licensure often requires at least a master’s degree. However, an associate degree is often sufficient for entry into engineering technician positions, allowing undergraduates to enter into the field while still working towards a higher degree level.

Employment in each of these industries will vary based on economic conditions and other factors. For example, employment of biomedical engineers is expected to grow 62% from 2010 to 2020 due to an increased demand for biomedical devices and procedures, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Meanwhile, computer hardware engineers will only see a 9% increase in employment due to foreign competition. You can learn more about some engineering jobs below.