Vehicle Engineering Career

Vehicle engineers dedicate themselves to the design, creation and functionality of vehicles and their components, including automobiles, trucks, buses, and motorcycles. Traditionally, they work in the entire product life cycle from the initial design through production, distribution and marketing, though often specialize in design, research and development or manufacturing. Take some time to request information from schools in our directory that can help you become a vehicle engineer. We recommend contacting multiple schools to be sure you start out on the right track!

Vehicle engineers are professionals who integrate engineering and business acumen to ensure vehicles are developed within cost requirements. Engineers in this field utilize a bevy of scientific principles including thermodynamic and mechanical inquiry to enhance operation and developing solutions for design flaws. Upon realizing a specialty, a vehicle engineer may be asked to execute a bevy of duties and responsibilities. Some undertake the design and creation of visual models for various vehicles and their accompanying parts and features with the assistance of digital applications, enabling them to determine the best source materials to employ.

A medley of companies compete for the expertise and skills of these scientific professionals. Producers of automobiles and commercial vehicles, as well as component manufacturers, employ these types of engineers to work on luxury, sport and utility vehicles and their supporting parts. In addition to the auto industry, design firms, industrial equipment manufacturers, energy firms, and competitive racing teams endeavor to secure the services of vehicle engineers. With these types of firms, these professionals dedicate their efforts to constructing prototypes and models of parts, the application of evaluation processes, computer software, and physical integrity measurements. Along these lines, professionals may endeavor in developing equipment and parts that meet evolving market conditions, customer tastes, and government safety and health requirements. In addition, they may refine design specifications, examine the environmental implications of a project, oversee the installation of new or enhanced assets into production facility, and/or investigate realized or potential failures in an engineering system. From a business executive perspective, vehicle engineers may negotiate with suppliers in managing contracts, delivery schedules, and logistics as well as track project budgets. Global companies such as General Motors, Tesla, Chevron, Johnson Controls, and Toyota serve as a sample of the firms in the market for these types of employees.

Read More: it hardware jobs

Real-life Example of a Transport Engineer Career

Based on the experience of several young practitioners in the profession, the field of transport engineering offers a rich professional experience. Scott Sorensen , an engineer from the University of Nebraska, developed an after school education program to teach principles of engineering to high school students, whereby they designed buildings and created electrical applications for Christmas lights. Matthew Arnold, an engineer from Kansas State University, finds the hands on nature of the field most engaging. He thrives performing outdoors, enabling him the experience the vitality absent working in an office. Both Sorensen and Arnold enjoy the state-of-the-art technology they employ on a daily basis such as self-driving vehicles. New challenges encountered have made the field particularly rewarding for Tomas Lindheimer, an engineer from the University of Kansas. He enjoys the broad concepts and intellectual curiosity the industry demands. He believes he’s constantly learning new concepts that compel him to rethink his preconceived notions.

The direct impact the field has on people’s lives serves as the most attractive part of the profession for these young professionals. Instead of sitting in an office, detached from their fellow man, these engineers see the influence their work has on the daily lives of the people they serve. Many professors and industry executives encourage aspiring students and candidates to carefully consider the impact their work has on society as a whole. It is one of a few industries where practitioners see first-hand the results their technical backgrounds have on the ways people experience their daily lives.

Read More: computer hardware jobs

Thermal Engineering Career

Professionals in the field of thermal engineering strive to develop more efficient means for transferring energy into more practical means, drawing on their expertise in heat transfer. Within an industrial context, these engineers work on solutions for fuels, exploring forms of chemical, electrical and mechanical energy. These professionals find specialization in the fields of high technology, solar power, oil and gas, power companies, as well as temperature control systems. Transforming power grids to create more affordable electricity has become one of the most popular fields utilizing the expertise of thermal engineers.

If you want to know more about becoming a thermal engineer, contact the schools listed here to learn more. It’s important to talk to as many schools as you can to determine the best way forward.

Thermal engineers dedicate their efforts to refining electronics systems and safety applications. They collaborate extensively with groups of hardware and software experts at all stages of the product cycle from initial design through the manufacturing and installation of products and systems. In this capacity, they may develop models for industrial assets rooted in computer projects for optimizing source materials and functionality.

Read More: hardware test engineer job description

Structural Engineering Career Outlook

Structural Engineering focuses on the support integrity of large developments such as buildings, bridges and stadiums. Structural engineers are responsible for some of the most import constructions in history, including Washington Roebling who built the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and Gustave Eiffel who completed The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Structural engineers traditionally collaborate with a team of professionals including architects, urban planners and civil engineers, among others, to realize the completion of a project.

Federal and local governments as well as private enterprises contract these practitioners for work throughout the world, whereby they are entrusted to ensure public safety by meeting building codes and standards. For buildings, these professionals achieve this by developing the components such as roof framing columns and foundations. In bridges, they develop the piers, deck and/or stringers. In addition, they select the most appropriate materials including wood, concrete, steel and/or aluminum, thereby protecting the structure and surrounding communities in the case of natural disasters, weather, collisions or explosions. To determine the best materials, structural engineers rely on digital hardware and software applications for modeling and analysis.

Read More: is computer hardware engineer a good career

Software Engineering Degrees

Most people are familiar with older, more traditional engineering fields such as mechanical, civil, or electrical. Software Engineering is a relatively new discipline, but in today’s increasingly interconnected world, it is becoming more and more important.

Software Engineering differs from Computer Science or Web Design in that you are formulating how the overall software system functions, and how it works within its intended hardware environment.

Software Engineers are responsible for every phase of a development project, not just for writing the computer code. Upon the initiation of a project, they make sure requirements are documented and validated.

This assures the entire project is working toward the correct goal. They then move on to system design, often overseeing the creation of software prototypes to present to clients for additional validation.

Once the design is solid, Software Engineers manage the overall development effort to make sure the pieces are coming together as planned. Finally, they create and oversee test cases which assure system functionality is complete and traceable to the requirements generated at the time of project initiation.

Software Engineering is the discipline that makes sure computer systems are developed methodically and result in building the right product with quality built in from the beginning.

Read More: it hardware jobs

Life of a Petroleum Engineer

Petroleum engineers typically design equipment to extract oil and gas, and develop ways to force oil out of wells through injection of water, chemicals, gases, or steam.

They develop drilling plans, survey, evaluate, and test wells. They use computer-controlled drilling to connect separated deposits to a single well. They ensure proper installation, maintenance, and operation of oil field equipment.

Reservoir engineers optimize production with proper well placement and enhanced recovery techniques. Drilling engineers oversee the technical aspects of drilling exploration, production, and injection wells. Production and subsurface engineers direct connections between reservoirs and wells, overseeing downhole monitoring equipment and flow control, sand control, and perforations.

They select surface equipment to separate fluids (oil, natural gas, and water), and they evaluate artificial lift methods.

Emerging career choices involve pollution cleanup, hydrology, and underground waste disposal (the subsurface injection of carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gases). Petroleum engineers are also educated in geothermal energy production, in situ uranium leaching, and coal gasification.

The known worldwide oil and gas reserves are larger than ever. Found in diverse areas, these resources provide opportunities for assignments in the Middle East, Asia, South America, Australia, and beyond.

Read More: computer hardware jobs

Main Focus of a Nuclear Engineering Degree

Nuclear engineering is the most integrated of the engineering disciplines. The many components of nuclear systems (medical imaging, nuclear fission reactors, ultrasensitive contraband detectors, and fusion reactors) must all be understood as well as how they relate to one another. Nuclear engineers must be experts in their primary field, as well as knowledgeable in other fields such as electronics, thermodynamics, physics, and materials science. The fundamentals of one science are often the same tools used in solving problems in the other disciplines.

An undergraduate degree in nuclear science and engineering develops the fundamentals of nuclear processes—their production, interactions, and radiation measurements. These studies bring the student all the way to the design phase of nuclear-based systems, stressing social, health, and energy and security impacts.

Studies also incorporate computer methods, thermal-fluid engineering, and electronics—critical tools for a nuclear engineering career.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering prepares students for careers in the application and engineering of low-energy nuclear physics. This includes design, analysis, and operation of radiation systems and their applications, such as fission reactors and accelerators, and biomedical uses. Students are also prepared for graduate study in a wide range of engineering and physical sciences.

A five-year program offers an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering simultaneously.

Read More: average help desk salary

Real Life Nanoengineers

 

Real Life Nanoengineers Making an Impact

Nanoengineers not only impact the way people live and think on Earth, but also may provide the key to further space exploration. As both the European Space Agency and NASA strive to execute manned missions to other planets like Mars as well as develop more advanced spacesuits and micro-shuttles, nanotechnology will serve an essential role in pushing these endeavors into reality. Nanoengineers will be called upon to reduce the weight and sheer volume of components needed to explore other worlds, thereby reducing the costs associated with such expeditions. This may well enable countries with smaller economies to venture into space. For example, nano engineers at NASA have created sensors rooted in nanotechnology for use on the International Space Station (ISS). The sensor is the size of a postage stamp, yet has the capacity to detect impurities in an astronaut’s air supply, and may well be utilized on potential roving explorations on Mars to gather samples from the red planet. Furthermore, technology companies like Apple have used nanotechnology and professionals to develop their tablet hardware products and musical devices like the iPad mini and iPod nano. The iPod nano, for instance, features a compact, design that clips onto a person’s lapel making it easy for customers to listen to music while being unencumbered by a weighty product. The sleek, minimalist design associated with Apple products illuminates how the field of study bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and providing useful and lucrative consumer products. As nanotechnology grows with the expertise of its practitioners, its impact will be seen throughout all spheres of human life.

Read More: help desk technician salary

Academic Requirements for Molecular Engineers

A Bachelor’s Degree is mandated by companies seeking to offer jobs to aspiring candidates in the field. Colleges and universities throughout the United States offer programs in bimolecular engineering and the related chemical engineering. Candidates are encouraged to expose themselves to broad subjects in math and science, including but not limited to mechanics, thermodynamics and chemistry. Job applicants with more advanced credentials such as a Master’s Degree or Ph.D. have a greater potential to assume senior management positions with a company as well as teach university students. At this level, students complete coursework in advanced bioenergy, fuel cells and polymers. Those candidates more interested in the commercial side of the industry should refine their business acumen, particularly their negotiating skills, leadership qualities and written and oral communication capacities, as they will be responsible for managing teams, making presentations and acquiring assets.

The field is particularly important for scientific materials research and pharmaceuticals, as it is employed as a sophisticated form of chemical engineering. A potential application of molecular engineering would include a minute device that navigates seamlessly through a human body eradicating cancerous cells thereby precluding them from spreading. Duties of professional in the field may well include using statistics and computer models to predict molecular manipulation outcomes; employ business acumen in marketing applications; demonstrate leadership capabilities in managing a team of engineers and researchers; as well as manage the entire life cycle of product development.

Read More: help desk level 1 salary

Mining and Geological Engineering Career Outlook

 

Salary and Career Outlook

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics “employment of mining and geological engineers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2012 to 2022,” which according to their data puts it on par with most other occupations in terms of projected growth. With the average salary for mine and geological engineering professionals being reported at $86,870 annually (or $41.76 hourly) as of 2013, the range between the lowest and highest paid percentages of the industrial professionals was between approximately $49,000 and $140,000 depending upon industrial focus, employer, position and experience.

A recent 2013 BLS study found that in regards to median salary, differences in respect to specific location also existed. In the metropolitan area of Huston Texas, the annual mean average for geological and mining engineers, including health and safety professionals, was $147,880, with the same occupations earning between $118,450 and $121,350 in the Bakersfield and Oakland California markets, respectively. These salaries, when compared to the $84,140 mean of the St. Louis metropolitan market and the $69,970 measured in the Colorado Springs market, show that sometimes drastic disparities exist in respect to salary, dependent upon location and industrial focus.

Read More: it support salary

Mechatronic Engineering Education Requirements

 

Earning Your Mechatronics Degree

Mechatronic engineers require at least a Bachelor’s degree, whereby most of these professionals have completed undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering. The field, though, transcends this traditional discipline into a variety of fields of study such as electronics, decision-making theories, and information technology, among others. With a Master’s degree in mechatronic engineering, an individual has the credentials to assume management and more advanced research posts. Graduate programs often feature traditional classroom instruction with practical industry experience. Coursework traditionally explores practices in automation theory, methodology, and analysis. An example mechatronic engineering class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for example, instructs the design of mechatronic systems that integrate mechanical, electrical, and control systems engineering. For those seeking a less rigorous option of entering the field, an associate's degree in mechatronics can be attained at a community college or technical institution. These 2-year degree programs equip candidates with the skills to assume entry-level positions, whereby they troubleshoot maintenance processes. Classroom instruction typically entails course work in robotic design as well as training in engineering drawing.

Students of mechatronics have gone on to develop many of the “smart” devices that have transformed a medley of industries around the world. From robots and anti-lock brakes to photocopiers and computer drives, mechatronics professionals are changing the way people work and live, according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The technology is also found in humidity-sensitive clothes dryers and windshield wipers as well as in healthcare, agriculture, construction, entertainment, automobiles, and tools for the disabled and elderly communities. These technological innovations reflect the dedication these professionals have to become life-long learners. With a bevy of associations, professional organizations, societies, and resources like the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the Technology Student Association (TSA), and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), among others, students and seasoned professionals have seamless access to the knowledge and resources necessary to bolster their education and skills as the industry evolves over time. Organizations such as these also provide mentoring and networking opportunities that have the potential to enhance the prowess of an individual seeking transformative career opportunities and guidance as well as for institutions seeking to attract and nurture talent to their efforts. In addition, esteemed institutions such as MIT offer free online course programs for students and professionals through its Open Course Ware initiative.

Read More: how much do help desk technicians make

Mechanical Engineering Types of Degrees

 Types of Degrees

It usually takes four to five years to obtain a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. Students should seriously think about co-operative education where they take one semester or quarter of university courses and work in an industry-related environment the next semester or quarter.

Co-oping is a paid internship, and oftentimes the job experience can lead to employment at graduation. The ambitious student can take another two years of coursework to obtain a Master's Degree in mechanical engineering. The student who desires to go into research and/or teach engineering can spend another year or two obtaining a PhD.

Online Study

There are some universities that offer online mechanical engineering study programs. However, mechanical engineering is not well suited to online study because this discipline requires hands-on experience with moving parts and instruments.

Additionally, all accredited engineering schools require the design, construction and presentation of a senior design project that is supervised by an engineering professor. This is an educational benefit that an online study program cannot truly offer.

Professional Engineer (PE) License

The PE license is a respected seal of competence and assurance of quality. This prestigious license shows that the engineer is at the top of the profession, both in competence and ethics. For consulting engineers and private practitioners, it is essential if not a legal requirement to be licensed. Only professional engineers can sign and seal engineering drawings or serve as qualified expert witnesses.

Moreover, professional engineers can earn higher incomes throughout their career, and the license expands the opportunities beyond the company organization, such as independent consulting.

Read More: tier 1 help desk salary

Materials Science Engineering Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

Educational requirements throughout given industries range from four year Bachelor’s degrees, to more advanced Masters and Doctorates. Companies and institutions looking to employ Material Science Engineers typically look for a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, though in a few, very rare instances, mixes of formal education and practical working experience can be acceptable for some entry level positions, in lieu of a formal degree. As Material Science Engineering is considered a “interdisciplinary science,” and covers a broad range of applicable physical sciences, specific focuses of study can weigh heavily on available career options after schooling.

Ranging from thermodynamics, chemical and bio-chemical research, synthetic materials creation and testing and even forensic engineering and investigation, it is often advisable for students entering the field of Material Science Engineering, to fully investigate potential and desired career goals while going through their studies, so as to ensure the appropriate skills and education are attained in pursuit of their end goals. For example, should a student with a strong focus on thermodynamics and mineral based composite materials enter the fields of blast furnace design or rocketry, their skills and education may not be as well suited for bio-medical or bio-mechanical design as one with a stronger focus in bio-mechanics or bio-chemistry. As such, within such a diverse field as Material Science and Engineering, it can be helpful to fully explore available career options either before enrolling in a degree program and while entering the introductory level courses of such, so as to adequately define one’s focus of study going forward.

Read More: it help desk salary

Marine Engineering degree through online study

Many schools offer online marine engineering degrees. When making your selection, ensure that your school of choice offers programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

A four-year bachelor of science degree is sufficient to cover the basic concepts of marine engineering. Those wishing to learn more about a specific facet of the profession are advised to earn a masters (one to two more years), and possibly later a PhD (time varies widely). Certain colleges offer combined masters to PhD programs that help students earn post-graduate education degrees faster.

It should be noted that after finishing a bachelor’s degree, marine engineers typically take several U.S. Coast Guard licensing exams. After successfully passing the Third Assistant License Exam, engineers gain more experience before taking the Second Assistant license. After even more time in the field, marine engineers take the First Assistant license, followed by the Chief Assistant license.

Read More: help desk jobs salary

Career With Industrial Engineering Degree

It is expected that employment of industrial engineers may grow 5 percent between 2012 and 2022. This is actually a lower expected growth rate than in many other careers, even in other branches of engineering. Industrial engineers are employed in a broad array of settings, and the type of work they do is very varied. Most industrial engineers work in manufacturing as well as in professional, technical, and scientific services. Median wages for industrial engineers in the United States as a whole were $80,300 in 2013, according to ONet. In New York State, the median wage for industrial engineers was $79,800, whereas in Texas the median wage is $91,800. In Florida, the median wage was $68,500. Clearly, different areas of the country pay industrial engineers very differently.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the range between the lowest and highest paid percentages of industrial engineers was $52,000 yearly, or $24.98 hourly, versus $119,500 yearly, or $57.43 hourly as of 2013. Within the profession, the specific industry an individual works in, as well as the tasks they perform and how experienced they are is responsible for these differences.

The entry-level qualification needed to work as an industrial engineer is typically a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. It is not uncommon, however, for practicing industrial engineers to have degrees in related fields such as mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering technology, or general engineering. Many universities that offer degrees in the field offer advanced degrees: master’s and doctoral level program, as well. US News and World Report ranks industrial engineering programs in the United States. In 2012, the top ranked US program was at the Georgia Institute of Technology. As of 2012, it had held this ranking for twenty-two consecutive years. The program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and University of California, Berkeley, have been ranked second and third in the United States for many years.

Read More: it support salary

Main Focus of an Environmental Engineer

 

Engineers are the world's lifeline to everything that defines our civilization, not unlike the Romans with their aqueducts, toilets, and sewer systems. Environmental engineering is a critical career field that helps keep our planet inhabitable and sustainable.

If you are considering embarking on a career dedicated to environmental engineering, there are many facets of your education that will come into play, and the more you know now, the better engineer you will be.

Your role as an environmental engineer will involve providing safe and plentiful water supplies, developing systems for reducing pollutants in air, water and hazardous wastes; anticipating the effects of contaminants' transport, and correcting improper disposal situations where hazardous materials are concerned.

As an environmental engineer, you will seek solutions to public health threats, improvements in and adherence to the law surrounding sanitation and construction, waste disposal, recycling, industrial hygiene, and environmental sustainability.

Read More: help desk job salary

Electrical Engineers Career Outlook

 Electrical engineering has been at the forefront of every technological gain of the past century. This growth is perhaps most evident in the development of today's increasingly smaller transistors, as the number of components placed with an integrated circuit doubles continuously.

Enabling all other technologies and far outpacing them in development speed, electrical engineering has increasing demand and positive career possibilities for qualified professionals.

Electrical engineers earn $87,180 yearly on average, according to U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

A basic market pricing report was composed using data from a Salary.com survey of employers through all industries. This report showed $61,740 as a typical entry-level salary for an electrical engineer in the U.S.

Another report issued by Florida State University showed electrical engineers as ranking fifth nationally in 2010-2011 with salaries beginning at $60,800 and reaching $104,000

Read More: tier 1 help desk salary

Computer Engineering Degree

Most people own or have ready access to a personal computer. These marvels of modern technology have revolutionized everything from the way we get our news to how we communicate with friends and relatives to how we entertain ourselves. However, the traditional PC or laptop is only one type of computer. Virtually every modern machine and process is computer-controlled. Some computers are tiny, as in the smallest cell phones and MP3 players.

Other computers are actually massive networks of thinking machines, working on terabytes of data and cranking out billions of calculations per second. The common factor making these machines possible is the Computer Engineer. Computer Engineering differs from Software Engineering and Computer Science in that it focuses on the actual hardware that’s responsible for performing the work. Software is the set of instructions used by a computer to get work done.

Without Computer Engineers designing the hardware platform it runs on, software would be so many useless bits of data. While they need to know the principles of software operation, Computer Engineers are responsible for designing the components of a computing system. Whether that computer is in the Stealth Bomber or under your car’s hood, all computers have similar components and functions, varying mostly in size, shape and application.

Computer Engineers design everything from the Central Processing Unit to primary and secondary memory storage to input and output methods. Even if they are using off-the-shelf components, they’re responsible for making sure the integration works flawlessly.

Read More:  help desk salary

Civil Engineer Career Outlook and Salary

Civil Engineers focus on six basic infrastructure systems. The structural engineer focuses on design and analysis of buildings and bridges. The geotechnical engineer designs and builds tunnels, pipelines, embankments, and foundations. The environmental engineer analyzes and solves problems involving air and water quality and management of waste and hazardous materials.

Water resources engineers seek ways to improve water sources through hydrology, meteorology, and fluid dynamics. Construction engineers manage projects for erecting buildings, digging tunnels, and laying roads. Transportation engineers design, construct and maintain highways, railways, airfields and ports.

Graduates work for nongovernmental organizations, private companies, government agencies, public or private institutions, national research laboratories, or educational institutions. As for research, while masters-degree graduates can be involved through projects or assignments, it is primarily only those at the Ph.D. level who perform research in this field.

Bureau of Labor Statistics for Occupational Employment and Wages (BLS) show civil engineers as those who perform planning, designing of building structures and facilities, and overseeing their construction and maintenance. These structures include water and sewage systems, roads and railroads, airports and harbors, bridges and tunnels, channels and dams, irrigation projects and pipelines, and power plants. The Bureau's data include engineers for geo-technical, architectural, structural, traffic and ocean expertise. Hydrologists are not included.

There are countless associations for those who have attained their degrees. Professional organizations offer career resources, resources for employers, research opportunities, databases, libraries, web resources, professional networking, and many other opportunities for those with a degree in civil engineering.

Read More: it service desk salary

What is a Chemical Engineer?

 

Chemical Engineering Degrees

Chemical engineers are not only the lab coat wearing scientists who stand over beakers, mixing formulas in laboratories. They also work in the field, putting into practice the knowledge gained in laboratories, as well as their own brand of chemistry that applies the physical sciences and the life sciences.

They use mathematics and economics to create processes for converting raw materials or chemicals into forms that are more useful. Today's chemical engineers are involved with biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, and fuel cells, to name a very few of their specialties!

Chemical process engineers focus on the design, manufacture, and operation of industrial plants, their equipment, and the related chemical processes. Chemical product engineers develop new or modified substances for consumables ranging from pharmaceuticals and face wipes to furniture polish, foods, and far beyond.

Chemical engineers may do research at industrial or university levels, designing better pollution control, resource conservation, and safety measures. They can be involved in the design and construction of plants as project engineers, using their knowledge to select equipment, optimize production, minimize costs, and increase profitability.

Read More: help desk specialist salaries