I would ditto silverbullet28. My degree is Mechanical Engineering And Design Technology. This is a four year bachelor of science degree. Mine is from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK, and is ABET accredited. I was in a full blown ME college before transfering to OSU, and the main difference for me was that more time is spent on the practical application of mechanical engineering formulas and theories, rather than how those formulas and theories were derived. Also, the ME program I was in was a mix of 80%/20% lecture to lab, while the MECDT program was closer to 60%/40%. I graduated 15 years ago :Q and have worked for two aerospace companies. I was recruted out of college by a company outside of Dallas, Texas, where I worked for four years. I have been in Wichita Kansas for the last 11 years. Both companies recognized me as an Engineer, (I did not pursue the Professional Engineer license, though it was an option), with all the benefits and trappings. I am paid on the same scale as any other engineer with my experience. I have been fortunate that both companies recognized my degree as a sign that I was "trainable", and have sent me to many on the job classes. I am currently doing finite element analysis of body skins. I have done a great deal of design work, as well as teaching classes, giving lectures, and leading design teams. So I cannot complain about the lack of advancement or opportunities.
Sorry for the lengthy reply, but it always burns me to hear how Techs are not real engineers. Now, we do have people here with two year associates degrees, and they do not make the money or have the benefits of the engineers, all other things being equal (years of service, experience, etc).
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