More than 100,000 students get a degree in engineering every year. Being one of the most sought-after careers nowadays, competition for jobs must be fierce. With somewhere around 40 engineering degrees available, choosing the right one might be difficult for some. If you haven’t decided which specific field to pursue, this list of some of the highest paying engineering jobs might help.
Depending on your particular interests and skills, deciding one over the others might be easier for some of you. However, if the decisive factor is the level of income of a given engineering field, we’ve got the numbers for you. We’ll look at three different types of engineering that are becoming better and better paid. These branches include petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, and aerospace engineering.
Petroleum Engineer
We must reckon that the oil and gas industry is one of the most profitable out there. Those who decide to look for job opportunities within this field with definitely be on top of the highest paying engineering jobs. As a petroleum engineer, reports indicate that the average entry-level yearly salary is around the $80,000 mark. Furthermore, engineers with more than 10 years of experience and get around $160,000 and $180,000.
As a petroleum engineer, you are in charge of developing more effective and efficient ways to extract oil and gas from the surface of the earth. According to several reports, experts estimate that in the coming 10 years, there will be such a demand for petroleum engineers that the number of positions available will be greater than the number of qualified engineers to fulfill them.
Chemical Engineer
There are several fields and job opportunities for students who graduate from a major in chemical engineering. Depending on the branch you want to specialize in is the yearly salary you could expect. Principal Process Engineers have an average mid-career pay around the $130,000 mark. Consequently, those who decide to focus on Chemical Research & Development Engineering, though, have an average mid-career pay of around $120,000. Thus, Chemical Engineering definitely makes it into the hghest paying engineering jobs.
First of all, Principal Process Engineers usually work with other engineers, and they focus on analyzing, evaluating, assessing, developing, and improving programs, technologies, systems, and systems. Their main objective is to ensure quality standards are met. Research & Development Engineers work in a similar way. As the job title mentions, they specialize in conducting research, implementing theories and principles to ensure the validity of results. Similarly, their main objective is to improve existing technologies and develop ways for innovation.
Aerospace Engineer
One of the highest paying engineering jobs that literally involves rocket science is aerospace engineering. Even when the Department of Labor foresees a growth of only 5% in the future, there might be an increasing demand for aerospace engineers if the United Space Airforce becomes a reality. Aerospace engineers can find entry-level jobs after graduating and can expect a yearly income near the $60,000 mark. Nonetheless, after 10 to 15 years in the job, they can expect salaries of up to $115,000 or even more.
In essence, this might be one of the most interesting jobs to get for those who have a passion for aircrafts and spacecrafts even. Aerospace engineers focus on designing, developing, and improving aircrafts, satellites, missiles, and any other spacecraft equipment.
