Engineering
Every kind of engineer, and the technologists who work beside them.
29 careers
Engineers
23Aerospace EngineerDesign the things that fly. Four years of hard math, then aircraft, rockets, satellites or missiles.$135kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandAgricultural EngineerEngineering for food, water and land. Machines, irrigation, grain storage and the systems that feed the country.$99kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandBiomedical EngineerDesign the machines and implants that keep people alive, then prove they are safe.$109kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandChemical EngineerDesign and run the plants that turn raw material into fuel, medicine, plastic and food. Four years of hard math, then real money.$125kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandCivil EngineerDesign the roads, bridges, water systems and buildings everyone uses without thinking about them.$101kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandComputer EngineerDesign the chips, boards and machines that software runs on.$162kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandElectrical EngineerDesign the circuits, chips, motors and power systems that everything else quietly depends on.$121kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandEnvironmental EngineerDesign the systems that keep water drinkable, air breathable and contaminated ground safe. Four years of school, then a license if you want to sign off on designs.$107kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandFire Protection EngineerDesign the sprinklers, alarms and escape routes that keep a building from killing the people inside it.$115kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandGeological EngineerWork out what the ground will do before anyone digs into it, and design the mine or tunnel around the answer.$106kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandGeotechnical EngineerEvery building, bridge and dam sits on soil. You are the one who decides whether the soil can take it.$101kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandIndustrial EngineerMake a factory, hospital or warehouse work better. Four years of school and no licensing gauntlet.$102kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMaterials EngineerDecide what things are made of, and find out why they broke. Four years of chemistry and physics, then good pay in industry.$113kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMechanical EngineerDesign anything that moves, heats, cools or carries a load. The broadest engineering degree there is.$104kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMining EngineerWork out how to get rock out of the ground safely, cheaply and without wrecking the place, then keep the people underground alive.$106kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandNaval ArchitectDesign ships. Hulls, stability, structure and propulsion, for the Navy, shipyards and offshore industry.$112kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandNuclear EngineerKeep reactors running safely and design the next ones. A small field, a long career, and almost no room for a careless day.$134kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPetroleum EngineerWork out how to get oil and gas out of rock, safely and cheaply. A national median of $144,910, tied to a price you do not control.$145kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPower Systems EngineerPlan and protect the grid: the substations, transmission lines and controls that keep the lights on.$121kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandRobotics EngineerDesign machines that sense, decide and move. Half mechanical, half electrical, mostly code.$123kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandStructural EngineerWork out whether a building, a bridge or a stadium will stand up, then sign your name to the answer.$101kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandTransportation EngineerDesign the roads, intersections, transit lines and traffic signals that a whole city depends on.$101kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandWater Resources EngineerDesign the systems that move, store, clean and hold back water. Floods, dams, storm drains, drinking water and rivers.$101kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand
Technologists
6Chemical TechnologistRun the tests that decide whether a batch ships. Two years of college, a lab coat, and steady work in industry.$60kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandDrafting TechnologistTurn an engineer's sketch into the drawing a crew builds from. Two years of school can get you in, and there is no license.$66kTypical pay1 to 4 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandElectrical Engineering TechnologistTurn an engineer's drawing into a working circuit, then test it until you know exactly why it fails.$78kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandEngineering TechnologistEngineering work without the engineering degree. Two to four years of college, then drawings, testing and site work.$65kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandHealth and Safety OfficerFind the thing that is going to hurt somebody, and get it fixed before it does. Unpopular some days, and the reason people go home whole.$90kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMechanical Engineering TechnologistBuild, test and fix the designs engineers draw. Two to four years of school, hands on the hardware.$75kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand