Engineers are building our world. It is also said that among the lists from the highest paying jobs, many engineering professions appear. What is it really like? Where do the highest paid engineers live and what does it take to be able to design?
Who is an engineer?
The word "engineer" is very ambiguous. There are plenty of technical professions that are referred to by this term. An example? A programmer, bridge builder, architect or pilot. As you can easily guess, engineer salary definitely depends on the specialty.
In most of the world, you must have a Bachelor of Engineering or Master of Engineering degree to work as an engineer. Studies are usually difficult and expensive, so the highest paid engineers can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
What should I study to become an engineer?
Not everyone can become an engineer. First of all, you need to complete a degree that is appropriate to your future work. There are many engineering types that involve different fields of expertise - knowledge of chemistry will be much more important for a materials engineer than for a processor developer or programmer. On the other hand, a marine engineer does not need to draw as well as an architect.
Thanks to globalization and the existence of the Internet, you can work anywhere in the world, but you need to be able to communicate efficiently. That is why it is worthwhile to learn languages. The absolute minimum is English at a fluent level.
Mathematics is a very universal subject. Most fields in engineering use mathematics, though of course in different ways and to different degrees. If you plan to do technical studies, it is essential to make sure you have a good foundation.
Types of engineers and their salaries
It's time to look at a few types of career an engineer can choose. Some of them may seem obvious, but some areas are really rare.
Space engineer
It’s one of the highest paid jobs in the world, mainly because of the huge demands and high interest. These people are involved in creating many things, not just rockets. After all, someone has to design every screw for a new space probe.
The job market is quite limited, as the vast majority of companies in the industry are located in the U.S. and China. The median salary is $122,000, which will certainly make for a pleasant living in most states in the U.S. Equally important is the fact that only 10% of space engineers earn less than $77,000 a year.
Automotive constructor
This job is another opportunity to earn a high engineer salary, because automotive companies have huge research budgets. Although automotive pays less than NASA, employment is much more stable.
There are many more employment options as the industry is more diversified. In the States you'll earn about $90,000 a year, in Germany 61,000 euros a year, and in Japan about JPY 9 million. The big advantage of automotive is the huge variety of job opportunities.
Software engineer
Programming was not to be missed! There are probably as many career paths in IT as any other field in engineering, and the industry has unlimited potential for growth. Let's focus on the most popular IT-related profession, the programmer.
Average software engineering salary in the US average $94 thousand. In Europe, it is also good, as the median in the UK is 58 thousand pounds. A German programmer can expect 65 thousand euros a year. Software companies are likely to give a lot of perks, like expensive computers or phones. The 4-day work week is also getting popular.
Offshore engineer
Offshore engineers are people, without which gas prices would be even higher, and shipping would not be able to function. It’s one of the highest paid jobs due to the high risk of injury or death. Working conditions aren’t attractive, but operators offer many perks, like apartments, cars, good insurances and other benefits.
A career as an engineer on an oil platform is certainly attractive. Drill consultants earn as much as $305,000 a year. Australian engineers receive about $163,000, while Norwegian engineers receive about $120,000. A big advantage of this job is really long vacations - many companies work on a 2/4 system, meaning that after two weeks at sea you spend four weeks at home.
Environmental engineer
If you are looking for a typically high engineering salary, this is probably not the profession for you. These professionals often work for utility companies and the government, and through them, we process wastewater and build safe infrastructure.
How much do engineers make in this industry? Average salary in the U.S is around $82k. German engineers make about 42k Euro a year, the same as Chinese ones. Maybe not as much as rocket constructors, but it's an acceptable salary.
Building engineers and architects
These are basically two different types of engineers. Constructors take care of the strength and solidity of buildings, while architects work on the visual and functional layer. Nevertheless, these are jobs that pay well.
When you start a career as an engineer, your earnings in the US will be quite low, settling around $60 thousand. The average is not high either, it's around $72 thousand a year. British engineers earn an average of £45 thousand, while Japanese engineers earn $41 thousand.
Aviation engineer and pilot
We have already written about the salaries of pilots, but there are other aviation engineering types. People involved in the development of new aircraft and helicopters certainly can't complain about a low standard of living.
Jobs that pay well are usually located in two places - U.S. and Europe, as Boeing and Airbus are located there. A Boeing engineer earns about $110,000 a year, while Airbus employees can expect $96,000 a year. Despite the rather large differences, aviation prophecies are probably the best engineering jobs for the future. The market is still growing rapidly.
