Engineering Which engineering disciplines is paid the most

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The discussion centers on the salary comparisons among various engineering disciplines, specifically mechanical, civil, computer, and communications engineering. Participants emphasize that while salary is an important factor, choosing a major solely based on potential earnings may lead to dissatisfaction in one's career. They highlight that salary reports often do not account for bonuses and perks, which can vary significantly by company rather than discipline. The conversation also notes that many engineers work outside their specific fields, often starting at similar salary levels regardless of their degree. Additionally, there is curiosity about why civil and petroleum engineers with master's degrees may have lower average starting salaries than those with undergraduate degrees. Overall, the importance of job satisfaction and negotiation skills in determining salary is underscored.
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hello
i just have a question:

which engineering disciplines is paid the most:

merchanical,civil,computer and communications engineering?
10x!
 
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qwerty321 said:
hello
i just have a question:

which engineering disciplines is paid the most:

merchanical,civil,computer and communications engineering?
10x!

I have nothing to add beyond Freyster's links but a bit of advice:

If you're trying to decide a major based solely on salary, you might not like the results. Also note that most salary reports don't include potential perks/bonus structures. This varies a lot more by company than by discipline. Yes, you can probably command a salary that's a bit higher, but if you do not enjoy what you are doing it very well might not be worth it in the long run.

Another bit - it is very common for someone with a degree in one engineering field to work in another. I hold undergraduate degrees in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, but my job title is "Consultant Engineer". A number of my colleagues hold degrees in Chemical, Civil, Industrial, Electrical, etc. - and we all started at more or less the same pay (adjusted for hiring date/inflation, of course).
 


qwerty321 said:
which engineering disciplines is paid the most:

Answer:
The ones who are best at negotiating contracts.
 


Engineering Management (Your Boss).

Because they control the money, your salary, whom to keep around and to fire.
 


Stovebolt said:
If you're trying to decide a major based solely on salary, you might not like the results.

So true.
 
Freyster98 said:
For what it's worth, here's some links...


http://www.engineersalary.com/

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm#earnings

in the second link, if you scroll down to table 3, there is teh average starting salary based on your education level. I am curious as to why Civil and Petroleum engineers' average starting salary is less with a masters degree than an undergraduate.
 

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