calling all mechanical engineers

[Phred]

Frank,

I am an EE but some of the issues you rasie are the same for most engineering.

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

What should i expect for an average salary if i had a PHd in engineering

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Keep in mind that a BS degree is 4 years fulltime. An MS is an additional 2 years. A Ph.D. nromally requires an MS and then 3 years. So a PH.D. is ~9 years beyond high school.

You can do a BS part time but it will take forever if you work a lot of hours. I don't recommend that. However, studies show that students that work less than 20 hours per week can still keep good grades.
You can definetly do an MS part time. Lot of folks do this. It will take you a while. Some companies will pay for you to do an MS while you work for them. This usually takes the form of tuition support or time off to go to class.
The PH.D. is very hard to do part time since you will be expected to work on a research project as well as take classes. This degree is a full time job.

Also you normally do not have to pay to do an MS or PH.D. In fact you would normally be paid to do so. Just some minimal support plus a tuition wavier.

Starting salaries prior to the economy crash were around 30-45K for a BS, and 45-50K for an MS. These figures may be higher in expensive areas and lower elsewhere.
The Ph.D. is hard to put a figure on but you will make a good deal more.

With all this said I would recommend that you definetly go to school if possible. Start with a BS and take it from there.

As already expressed above lots of folks feel that a Ph.D. is a waste of time. However, in some fields it will open doors for you. You just need to weight the time and energy versus the pay-off. Also if you want to work for a university definetly get a Ph.D.

Sounds like if you want to have your own company then maybe a BS ME and then an MBA? You could do an MBA part time in a couple of years while you start your company.

Fred

 

[RoyJackson]

"Oh, and one more point... Definitely go for the full up degree. My company, and most others in my field draw a line at a four year engineering degree. "

True, to an extent. In Quality, it's kind of a toss up between Engineering and Business. Most Quality functions end up being facillitation of issues anyway. The Engineering aspect is to ensure one can "talk the talk"...communications, in other words.

I worked at one company (non-automotive) that required a 4 year degree for any position above a certain level. They didn't care what the degree was...just so you had the diploma. So, we ended up with one Quality Engineer who was (by degree) a zoologist..another with a Phys Ed degree. Neither had a clue what they were doing...no mechanical aptitude at all. So...ended up they depended on the blue collar guys (one of which was this writer) to disposition product.
Reckon it's lucky we were pretty easy going...we could have blown smoke and really screwed the pooch...and they would have taken the hit for the decisions.

Actually, it was frustrating as all get out. These folks were being paid 30% more then the quality technicians. Now, as I was working for a contract engineering company (contracted to the company being dicussed), I could not really complain...I was getting paid by the contractor. But I have seen a heck of a lot of this kind of thing since I've been automotive (last 6 or 7 years).

 

[qwerty15]

Thanks for the info everyone. This will be the begining of my junior year. I have taken classes in accounting and microsoft office. This year im taking a CAD class and next year a financial planning class. My grades are mostly A's with nothing below a B. I will look into those summer programs for next summer. Youve given me a lot to think about. I wont be replying for about a week for i am going to my uncles for vacation. Talk to you then.

 

[BigDave]

Frank,

I was a student in New Jersey about 20 years ago, except I thought engineers worked on trains. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif At your age, my goal was to win the Tour de France. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif I joined the Navy right after high school and experienced what it was like to be in the lower levels of a strong caste system. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif The difference between an officer and an enlisted person was that the officer went to college. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif So after the Navy, I went to college and 9 years later I had a Ph.D. in Engineering Science & Mechanics. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif It wasn't easy, but I would definitely do it again. I would recommend an M.S. as a minimum, but a Ph.D opens some doors and closes others. A Ph.D. isn't just for academics, I spend most of my time in front of customers, and I do almost no research. Basically, I head committees & advise people on technical issues. I only work 40 hours a week, and I earn more than many MBA's who work twice as many hours. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif There are many salary surveys available on the Web, but in my experience a Ph.D. is worth about 10 grand more than an M.S to start. The best part is that your salary will grow faster and reach higher levels on average. Sure there are exceptions, but I'm writing about averages. Success will not be handed to you on a silver platter, you will still need to work hard, but it will be a whole lot easier when you walk into a room and are introduced as Dr. Schmitz. It's sound vain, but it sure feels good to be instantly recognized for reaching a goal that isn't reached by many.

Of course it's a long road to travel and at 16 I would never imagined earning a Ph.D., but life happens, so good luck. Take the opportunities that life offers you, and have no regrets, no matter what you do with your life. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[cstocks]

So should we call you Dr. BigDave?/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Turfman]

What I want to know is what kind to tractors the mechanical engineers have? I would think they would give these things a hard look.

Watching the engineers in my neighborhood, I note that they pick come funny cars. And none of them know how to form cement. (Most of them are civil engineers.)

They all give me a headache. All the fancy calculators and math. There is a running joke in the DOT here that about the only thing the project engineer got right on the last freeway project was the number of portapotties required. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[qwerty15]

Dr Big Dave,
I would never expect anything to be handed to me on a silver platter. Wow, i thought being called Mr. Schmitz by one of my teachers sounded good but Dr. sounds a lot better. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif I would like to move out of NJ and get some tractor land. Houses here are on average 200,000 - 600000 and you only get a 1/2 acre. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Well i got to get ready to leave for that five hour drive. Talk to yall next week.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

You have got a couple of years until college. Why not try to get a part time job in a shop? I try to hire young adults like you, because of your enthusiasm. I have a degree in industrial technology, and I worked in repair shops all the way through college. It turns out that I never really used my degree the way I thought I would, but the courses gave me valuable general knowledge. Your education builds on past experiences, and I think a good technical backgound is a solid foundation on which to build an engineering degree. I've known engineers that were "book smart", but not very handy in practical application. It will be hard to get a repair shop to consider you for employment due to your age, but a well composed resume will get you taken much more seriously. If you can't get a job at a tractor shop, try other shops. Even though tractors are your thing, you will gain knowledge from anything you fix. Just ask if you want any tips on making a resume; I've seen a lot of them. By the way, one of my employees is in his last semester of mechanical engineering courses. He's a real smart cookie.

p.s. Shouldn't your name be querty16 now?

 

[dmccarty]

qwerty15,

Once you get into a University look into the CoOp program.
I had about three years of CoOp experience by the time I
graduated. The CoOp work will let you know what your field
is like and it really opens doors for jobs. I would CoOp as
much as you can and at as many different companies as
you can.

As others have said Dilbert is reality as well as a Cartoon. Not
much that you can do about it execpt understand that is what
the work world is like in many ways. If money is what you
want then at least get some business classes at some point.
Engineers are basically wage slaves. We are expensive hired
help its the manglers that make the real decisions and get
the dollars.

Remember that the person who controls the dollars usually
gets what they want.....

If you want to design tractors and heavy equipments start
looking at the companies that design/manufactuer the
machinary. Look at the industry trends and how well the
companies are doing. Also look at their labor relations. And
realise that these companies are highly cyclical. Research
how often they have laid off labor and the engineers. Fear
of layoffs provides a wee amount of stress. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif After
you figure out which companies you might want to work for
after graduation you can try to get CoOps in those
businesses....

Good Luck,
Dan McCarty

 

[rdricks]

"What I want to know is what kind to tractors the mechanical engineers have?"

I am a Mechanical Engineer and I have a Kubota BX2200. As for the original question, as others have said, look at Dilbert. Fairly accurate.

I do very little actual engineering work anymore - most of the job is "technical communication" with the overseas vendors. I would question with some of the others the PHD - I personally would lean towards your Professional Engineering certification in place of the PHD. Also, an MBA or PMP would be worth looking into.