[Question] Civil engineering versus R&D - why the pay gap?

kenjicpl

I have a few friends working in civil engineering, and I’ve heard them lament about how difficult it is to get a raise in Ireland. On the other hand, engineers in R&D – especially in trendy fields like medical devices or automotive – seem to get paid handsomely and are on a quick promotional path in terms of career.

Do you feel that there is a big gap in pay between civil engineering and R&D? If so, why do you think there is this gap?

mikhail

They're different fields. Why on earth would they be paid the same?

Turbulent Bill

Supply and demand. Civil has had the classic boom and bust cycle over the last 15 years, while R&D has gradually expanded.

They also need very different skill sets.

kenjicpl

Mikhail: True true, but still, the gap is really wide (in some cases, almost double for the same years of experience).

Turbulent Bill: So would civil be in the bust phase at the moment?

I guess the main question then is whether R&D is in a boom phase and that in a few years the salary will come down, or perhaps R&D is a really stable area and it will keep on paying well for decades to come...

What do ye think?

CatFromHue

I'm guessing people who work in R&D tend to be pretty well qualified, PhD's etc, so that'll be a factor too.

Turbulent Bill

kenjicpl wrote: »

Mikhail: True true, but still, the gap is really wide (in some cases, almost double for the same years of experience).

Turbulent Bill: So would civil be in the bust phase at the moment?

I guess the main question then is whether R&D is in a boom phase and that in a few years the salary will come down, or perhaps R&D is a really stable area and it will keep on paying well for decades to come...

What do ye think?

I'm in R&D and don't have a great handle on what's happening in civil. From the civil salary thread, it looks like salaries are gradually improving, but from a very low base.

The entire jobs market is cyclical, so it's impossible to tell how things will ever pan out. R&D has generally been paid better than most other specialities (except maybe chemical engineering), and I'd expect that to continue given the drive for IP generation etc. Requires high level qualifications and broad experience though. The in-demand "R" in R&D changes every few years, so you end up changing roles frequently.

shesty

Maybe more to do with tax policies and what the government is prepared to give by way of tax breaks to companies in R&D.....

eeguy

shesty wrote: »

Maybe more to do with tax policies and what the government is prepared to give by way of tax breaks to companies in R&D.....

Definitely this. There's a lot of money to be made in tax breaks for R&D in Ireland and I'd wager that plenty of MNCs are basing their R&D here to get a few million off the tax bill. Which let's them invest in more talent and capital.

kenjicpl

Thanks for the really interesting replies.

The point about tax breaks attracting big investment makes me a bit sad. That seems to imply that engineers are paid not according to merit but according to how tax laws work.

Does any of you work in the civil engineering space or as an R&D engineer? Would be great to get your insight on how it feels to be in one or the other position.