Engineering salaries

madnirvana

which engineers earn the highest and after how much experience?

Some (outdated) information: http://www.engineersireland.ie/Uploads/common/files/SalarySurvey.pdf

Civil gives you the greatest scope to set up your own business and therefore has the greatest earning potential.

dave2pvd

Moonbaby wrote: »

Civil gives you the greatest scope to set up your own business and therefore has the greatest earning potential.

Add grain of salt. And then some more.

madnirvana

which enginnering has more money??
civil
mechanical
computer
electronic
manufacturing

dave2pvd

It's highly debatable. I'd wager that some sectors of electronics could earn the most money. Specialist disciplines like DSP development can pay very well - I've heard of Silicon Valley salaries in six figures for advanced degrees with some experience.

But it's a bit moot really. None of the above may be the correct answer.

1: Moonbaby touched on one right answer: entrepreneurship. Or ownership in other forms. If you want to win, you need some skin.

2: If for example, electronics is the answer - it may not matter. You may hate electronics. Industrial design or civil eng might be your thing. You will not make money in a discipline if you don't have a passion for it.

So think beyond the qualification a little and figure out a career path. Eg: design engineering to project management to people management. Or be more creative, by perhaps marrying the company owner's daughter/son

Sherifu

If you want money go work in a bank.

aquascrotum

The concensus is that civil/structural pay is pretty poor in comparison to most other engineering disciplines at most pay grades. There is in my experience a far greater degree of job satisfaction in the construction industry generally though.

As others have said, if you want to make proper money, start your own business. Takes cojones though.

Martron

aquascrotum wrote: »

The concensus is that civil/structural pay is pretty poor in comparison to most other engineering disciplines at most pay grades. There is in my experience a far greater degree of job satisfaction in the construction industry generally though.

As others have said, if you want to make proper money, start your own business. Takes cojones though.

you will never earn your money working for someone else thats the truth.

i am civil site engineer. hours= crap money= crap stress=crap.

would i do anything else......... no.

folan

there's something to be said for the additional bit of security you get in a company though. Starting salaries of most of my friends out of college is roughly 27-30 k, although im on alot less because i opted for an internship with the hope of a real job, instead of going for grad. Bad decision, has really backfired.

bassman22

big money in chem, something like 40/50% of Ireland exports are pharmaceutical...

petethedrummer

bassman22 wrote: »

big money in chem, something like 40/50% of Ireland exports are pharmaceutical...

There is lots of money to be made in the pharmaceutical companies (until we price ourselves out of the market)...but you don't have to be a chemical engineer. Mechanical, electrical, software/automation also get lots of work.

There is also buckets of paper work which can be mind numbingly boring.

madnirvana

i know i know..

Engineers earn crap

folan

well, maybe, but the Engineers Ireland did the salary survey this week, keep an eye out for its results. itd be the best measure.

DublinDilbert

dave2pvd wrote: »

It's highly debatable. I'd wager that some sectors of electronics could earn the most money. Specialist disciplines like DSP development can pay very well - I've heard of Silicon Valley salaries in six figures for advanced degrees with some experience.

But it's a bit moot really. None of the above may be the correct answer.

1: Moonbaby touched on one right answer: entrepreneurship. Or ownership in other forms. If you want to win, you need some skin.

2: If for example, electronics is the answer - it may not matter. You may hate electronics. Industrial design or civil eng might be your thing. You will not make money in a discipline if you don't have a passion for it.

So think beyond the qualification a little and figure out a career path. Eg: design engineering to project management to people management. Or be more creative, by perhaps marrying the company owner's daughter/son

It all depends on where the demand is in the economy. For example that Electronics DSP specialist on a 6 figure salary in the US, may not be able to find a job here... The is not a major amount of electronic design work being done in Ireland, although the government keeps belting on about our knowledge based economy.

Particularly in the likes of electronic engineering people seem to get pigeon holed into specialist areas very early on and never seem to be able to get out of them. Eg if you start working in industrial automation its hard to get back into R & D electronics.

madnirvana

wish i repeated my L.C so i would have gotten into MED!!

So look into postgrad Med.

The think about Law, Accountancy and Medcine is that if you want to make tonnes of dosh with them. Its alot of your time and you have to bear alot of pressure.

If I wanted to focus on making money, I would rather set up a system that makes money for me, than have to work for every penny myself.
You don't need fancy qualifications or ideas for that.

Eoin D

aquascrotum wrote: »

The concensus is that civil/structural pay is pretty poor in comparison to most other engineering disciplines at most pay grades.

From what I have heard and read thats wrong, civil engineers get paid the most, there is a small book released every year around CAO time and last time I read it Civils were the highest paid engineers. Contractors start off on higher wages than consultants but it levels out after a few years experience

folan wrote: »

well, maybe, but the Engineers Ireland did the salary survey this week, keep an eye out for its results. itd be the best measure.

Apparently after 4 years qualified engineers should be earning approx €50,000 per annum. ( I say engineers but it may only be civil engineers as I'm in my final year of civil engineering and I was told by someone in my class that read that latest IEI magazine)

Brianb8802

Eoin D wrote: »

Apparently after 4 years qualified engineers should be earning approx €50,000 per annum.

Ah that would not be true. Unless im going to get a €15,000 bonus in the next 2 years.

folan

Brianb8802 wrote: »

Ah that would not be true. Unless im going to get a €15,000 bonus in the next 2 years.

Hey, stranger things have happened at sea!

Seriously though, I assume your in your 2nd year in a company, and so still at an near entry level payband. So in the next while you should be promoted above that, which could add up to about €5000, from what Im told at my company!

Although, I agreee that €50,000 seems a bit far fetched after 4 years! I'd be interested in seeing what type thats in.

Anyone know when the IEI survey results are out? I forget.

Voodu Child

folan wrote: »

Although, I agreee that €50,000 seems a bit far fetched after 4 years! I'd be interested in seeing what type thats in.

A site engineer would have no problem earning that much or more after 4 years.

If anything, 50k is a little conservative. Plenty of guys would hit that at 2-3 years, especially if you included perks like bonus's and cars.

aquascrotum

Eoin D wrote: »

From what I have heard and read thats wrong, civil engineers get paid the most, there is a small book released every year around CAO time and last time I read it Civils were the highest paid engineers. Contractors start off on higher wages than consultants but it levels out after a few years experience

My comment related mostly to the consulting side of things - can't speak for RoI but a civil/structural grad in NI would expect to start on 20k stg, electrical/mechanical etc would start on mid 20k-ish.

I've 4 yrs experience and am looking into moving to Drogheda/Dublin, and my expected salary in a consultancy is circa E40-45k - again, an M&E mate who made a similar move to a southern consultancy is on E60k+.

Civil engineering contractors do get good money - but they're putting in 55+ hour weeks for it - more in the summer. A fairly big Kildare civil contractor offered me E60k + benefits and I've zero contractor experience.

petethedrummer

madnirvana wrote: »

wish i repeated my L.C so i would have gotten into MED!!

If money was your one motivation for being a doctor I wouldn't wanna be your patient. If you want guaranteed huge earnings without any risk then maybe engineering is not for you.

But if you are prepared to take a few risks and spot a few opportunites you can make good money as an engineer. Same in any walk of life. Just takes some nerve and maybe a few failed attempts.

Nukem

I dunno is it down to a particular study of engineer. I work with Civil,Proces,Mech and Marine and we are all in the same department (Energy Sector) and we all pretty much earn the similar, obviously this depends on experience. Energy is a loveless job from the point of view that it is heard to alter people perceptions of energy, but financially it is becoming a big earner.

Another area that I work in is facility management for industrial and commercial clients. Now I will admit working with clients that have large overheads allows for severe hourly negotiation.

In the end I think it boils down to perseverance and finding something you like and are good at.

smooth operater

folan wrote: »

Anyone know when the IEI survey results are out? I forget.

I'd also be interested to compare mine to the average.....It'll give me an excuse to leave

breadmonkey

I think madnirvana is destined for accountancy, lol.