Is Electrical Engineering as Employable as Chemical Engineering?

[JoshHolloway]

I am currently majoring in chemical engineering, but I really am not finding it that interesting. I am in my first year, so I still have time to change my major and not have to take any extra classes. So I am taking the same classes this whole year that I would take if I were to major in about any branch of engineering. I have been interested in electronics for a few years now, and I already know a lot about electronics for never taking a formal class. The reason I chose Chemical Engineeing is because of the money. And I also chose it because I know that it is very easy to get a job with a chemical engineering degree. So my question is whether or not it is easy to get a job with a Electrical Engineering degree? If EE's are as employable, or at least almost as employable as Chem E's, then I would much rather major in EE.

 

[tmc]

I don't have any facts about this, but from what I hear from friends studying EE, EEs are more employable than CEs. This is probably biased, but I've always thought of EE as being very employable.

 

[JoshHolloway]

I have never heard anyone say that EE's are more employable than Chem E's. But I just started researching the issue a few days ago. I sure do hope that you are right! Even if that is not true, and EE's are equally as employable as Chem E's then I am deffinetely changing my major to EE. It seems to me that there would be less people going into Chem E, and that is why it is so easy to get a job in that field, simply supply and demand. But it seems to me that there would actually be more EE jobs, but more people probabaly go into the field of EE. I don't know if that is true, but that is what I am guessing is the case.

 

[Serbian.matematika]

JoshH. it is opposite; there are more Chem Eng students than EE. There are less jobs for Chem than EE graduates, also money too. The only thing for sure I can tell you Chem Eng is much easier program, and if you are not so good in math then better think 2x before you switch your majors.
Usually students from EE program are changing their major to Chem Eng bcs it is easier.

 

[JoshHolloway]

I absolutely love math. I am not great at math, but I do think of myself as being pretty good at it. And even if it is harder I think I will actually have a greater chance at succeeding in EE because I actually find electronics interesting whereas I am not finding myself to be very interested in chemistry.

 

[JoshHolloway]

There are less jobs for Chem than EE graduates, also money too.

Every where I have read about the salary of these two fields has said that Chem E's make more money than EE's. I even read on CNN's website that Chemical Engineering was the highest paying job directly out of school in 2004 (for undergraduates.)

 

[JoshHolloway]

Here is a link to a CNN article that has a list of average starting salaries. It says that Chem E's make more on average than EE's. Not much more, but more nonetheless.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/02/05/pf/college/lucrative_degrees/

 

[Manchot]

Seriously, money-wise, the difference is very small. Therefore, IMO, you should do whatever you find most interesting.

 

[JoshHolloway]

Yes, I agree.

 

[leright]

JoshH. it is opposite; there are more Chem Eng students than EE. There are less jobs for Chem than EE graduates, also money too. The only thing for sure I can tell you Chem Eng is much easier program, and if you are not so good in math then better think 2x before you switch your majors.
Usually students from EE program are changing their major to Chem Eng bcs it is easier.

Maybe at your school chem E is easier than EE, but not everywhere. At many schools, the chemE program is the hardest engineering program. But of course, at others, the EE program is hardest (UM - ann arbor, for instance). Many people believe chemE is harder because of the chemistry involved, but really, chemistry is NOT all that difficult.

 

[leright]

Here is a link to a CNN article that has a list of average starting salaries. It says that Chem E's make more on average than EE's. Not much more, but more nonetheless.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/02/05/pf/college/lucrative_degrees/

I hope you didn't choose chemE solely based on salary statistics on CNN's website. First of all, the salary difference is VERY small there, and EEs could easily make more the next year, since the difference is negligible. You should pick the major that interests you the most. Engineering isn't a major you want to pick just because you want to make lots of money. They subject should also strongly interest you, because you won't make it through engineering alive if not.

 

[leon1127]

I absolutely love math. I am not great at math, but I do think of myself as being pretty good at it. And even if it is harder I think I will actually have a greater chance at succeeding in EE because I actually find electronics interesting whereas I am not finding myself to be very interested in chemistry.

very simple. if you hate chemistry, you should change it. you might find electronics interesting. But the question is " do you rather read circuit diagram instead rate graph with your whole life?"

 

[JoshHolloway]

Well, I do not know how to read rate graphs yet (I am only in my first semester), but I do know how to read simple circuit diargrams already. And I do enjoy looking at schematics and figuring them out. I don't yet know how to create my own, but I would love to learn. And it is not that I do not like chemistry. I do like the theoretical stuff like molecular geometry and things like that. But I do not think that Chemical Engineers really use things like that. It seems to me that fluid mechanics and things like that would be the things I would use the most. And I do not find fluid dynamics interesting. I have tried to like it, but I just don't. But I love electronics. Thanks for the input everyone, I think I have made up my mind. I think EE is for me.

 

[leright]

Well, I do not know how to read rate graphs yet (I am only in my first semester), but I do know how to read simple circuit diargrams already. And I do enjoy looking at schematics and figuring them out. I don't yet know how to create my own, but I would love to learn. And it is not that I do not like chemistry. I do like the theoretical stuff like molecular geometry and things like that. But I do not think that Chemical Engineers really use things like that. It seems to me that fluid mechanics and things like that would be the things I would use the most. And I do not find fluid dynamics interesting. I have tried to like it, but I just don't. But I love electronics. Thanks for the input everyone, I think I have made up my mind. I think EE is for me.

I don't know how ANYONE could enjoy fluid mechanics...what a horrendous topic. But you're right, most likely your mechanical engineering background (i.e. thermodynamics, fluids, statics, dynamics) you gain in chemical engineering will be used more than your chemistry background. Of course you'll be frequently using your rate kinetics knowledge, and you will be frequently using stoichiometry, but I'd imagine more so it will be ME knowledge you'd apply.

 

[JoshHolloway]

I don't know how ANYONE could enjoy fluid mechanics...what a horrendous topic.

Agreed. It sucks.

 

[Serbian.matematika]

Maybe at your school chem E is easier than EE, but not everywhere. At many schools, the chemE program is the hardest engineering program. But of course, at others, the EE program is hardest (UM - ann arbor, for instance). Many people believe chemE is harder because of the chemistry involved, but really, chemistry is NOT all that difficult.

That's news to me. CE is known as girls program in engineering and EE is considered the hardest program at least here in Ontario, however I am a girl and in EE.