The need for engineers is expected to only increase. Right now in Utah, even with all the qualified engineering graduates, 1, 000 additional engineers are needed every year! Engineers generally earn more money than other college graduates with four-year degrees and society will always need engineers to creatively solve problems. Employment opportunities are highly diverse. For instance, Mechanical Engineers design advanced materials and structures to meet the demands of supersonic and hypersonic flight and space travel. Others are involved in efforts to clean up and preserve the earth’s environment.
Some Mechanical engineers are engaged on the development of alternative energy sources, improving engineering designs and related thermodynamic processes to be more energy efficient, and reducing the generation of pollutants. ME’s work in the energy field on new methods for energy generation (such as solar, wind power, and fuel cells), and also on the design of traditional electrical power plants equipped with reactors, pressure piping, heat exchangers, and other specialized components. In the automobile industry, Mechanical Engineers design nearly all the components of today’s automobiles. In manufacturing companies of all kinds, ME’s develop the systems that improve and speed up production processes. Mechanical Engineers also work alongside physicians, therapists, and other medical professionals to investigate the workings of the human body and to design aids and instruments for medical applications.
Other Mechanical Engineers work with trainers, coaches, and athletes on the design of sporting equipment. Mechanical Engineers involved in government research assist on key policy decisions regarding technology development and use. For example, engineers working with the US. Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and other agencies conduct important research in solar energy, advanced materials, radioactive waste removal, magnetic-levitation trains, and space missions to the planet Mars. These are exciting research projects that will have a direct impact on global business and the lives of people in the years ahead.
Top 5 in-demand Bachelor’s Degrees
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) September 2012 Salary Survey, the Top 5 in-demand bachelor’s degrees are:
- Engineering ($71, 702)
- Job Outlook: As more engineers retire, and many professionals transfer to managerial positions, job opportunities are flourishing.
- Computer Science ($70, 441)
- Business Administration/Management ($61, 353)
- Communications ($52, 209)
- Health Sciences ($52, 101)
One of the 10 Best-Paying Majors for Women
A report by Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce (CEW), analyzed 171 undergraduate majors by how well they pay off for women. Perhaps not surprisingly, the top 10 best-paying college majors for women closely align with the most recent list of the best-paying jobs for women, with pharmacy reigning supreme. The list is also dominated by engineering and computer science majors, areas where men are highly concentrated. No. 6: Mechanical Engineering Percentage of women: 7% Women’s median earnings: $70, 000 Men’s median earnings: $80, 000
