Top Paying Engineering Jobs

Most engineering degrees by their very nature assure high salaries. In fact, anyone looking for a high paying job is advised to look into engineer as a career option. Of course, you do need the aptitude and mind bend for any given engineering jobs. Assuming you have the skills, most reports suggest that some of the highest paying fields are from various areas of engineering. The high demand for engineers and the fact that the requirement for engineers is only going to increase are major factors contributing to these high salaries. Considering the way the world is headed, advancements in technology are only going to increase the demand for skilled engineers to keep up to date with modern requirements.

Finding the Highest Paying Engineering Jobs

Finding fields in engineering that pay the best, however, is a rather subjective proposition. An engineering job that may be in demand today may not have the same value a few years down the line. In this light, it is always wiser to pick an engineering field that promises longevity.

That being said, the present scenario gives a clear picture of engineering fields that are highly in demand and pay rather well. In the present climate, majors in petroleum engineers are some of the highest paid engineers with starting salaries being somewhere around the $93,000 mark. This is at least $20,000 more than what most computer engineers get paid on average. This brings us to the second best paying engineering job out there – computer engineering. Find the right company and even a software engineer can be paid in excess of $100,000. Companies such as Facebook, Google, Cisco Systems and Twitter pay their software engineers top dollar to ensure great products.

However, when you are speaking of high salaries, it is important to take several other factors into consideration. For example, many companies pay their software engineers much more in the form of stock options and bonuses.

As mentioned, the prevailing demand for engineers is what determines the highest paying fields. In this respect, even power engineers are being paid hefty salaries. There are several reasons behind this surge in salaries of power engineers. For example, one of the many reasons leading to a boost in demand for power engineers in the US is that many of these utilities are facing the problem of their workforce getting rather old at an alarming rate. Many power utilities have also joined hands to provide aspiring engineers with scholarships to handle the future of power engineering requirements better.

There are many other fields of engineering that are considered to be just as well paying. Some of these include aeronautical, aerospace, chemical, mechanical, electrical/electronic, biochemical, genetic, communication, technology, and petroleum engineering. While picking the right field is important, it is also important for aspiring engineers to be aware of the qualifications they must equip themselves with before applying for the job. The right timing is extremely important and so is picking the right companies.

While there is no doubt you need to prioritize pay when picking an engineering field, it is equally important to take several other factors in consideration. Here are some factors to take into consideration when looking for the highest paying engineering jobs out there:

Does the job also give you a chance to achieve long term goals?

When you are looking for a high paying engineering fields, this is perhaps the most important question to ask yourself. As a student of any field of engineering, you must have the clarity to set several goals for yourself that you will stick by for the rest of your life. Without properly defined goals, you run the risk of losing direction in your career and even the best paying jobs may not be able to save you from dwindling levels of motivation and engagement. Every step you take towards a better paying job should place you in a better position to reach your life goals. For example, if your goal is to first become an engineer and then a manager, the field you chose should support this progression.

Look for ways to minimize risk

If you are leaving a stable field or job to get into a higher paying one, you must take the time out to assess the levels of risk involved in this transition. If you think you are minimizing risk by simply going for the highest paying engineering fields, you could not be more wrong. There is always a chance that the high paying engineering field you picked is not within your realms of interest and fails to motivate you in the future. So, even when looking for the best paying engineering fields, it is always possible to find a creative way to minimize risks while doing so. With that said, if you find the field of your interest to be high paying but also very risky, do not hold yourself back and give it your everything. As long as your goals and priorities are always in vision, you will eventually work things out.

Are you well placed to make the most of the presented opportunities?

Even after you spot a high paying engineering field with good enough number of companies to provide you with opportunities, you must have a specific plan to make the most of opportunities at hand. There are many situations wherein there are ample opportunities presenting themselves but you are not well prepared to make the most of them. Before you take on a new position in a company, you must work out a specific plan to make the most of the opportunity. Just because you have found a highly reputable company offering a lucrative salary, this does not mean that you have success guaranteed.

At the end of the day, there is no doubt about the fact that finding a high paying engineering field is of utmost importance if you are an aspiring engineer. However, you must look at these additional factors to ensure all around success and prosperity.

For further detail on salaries in your specific area, check out Glassdoor.

By Diane Barlow