How much does a P.E. license increase your pay normally?

[Kreon]

In civil it is a big thing. In the Boston area you can expect it to increase your pay by about 10K (so I'm told). FE matters a good chunk here too, for some reason. Supposedly it will boost my pay by a few thousand, but we shall see.

Also to note: In the US getting your PE is different from Canada (got into a discussion about that with someone on here a couple months ago, may have been Imp actually). In the US there is a state mandated working time period, a test, and usually some proof of work (in MA it is 1 lb of calculations, in NH it is 3 professional references who may be asked to send work but rarely are. The test is a doozy as well.

 

[brianmanahan]

I work for Boeing and there is not a single engineer that has a PE. They are completely worthless to us. I don't understand why the stupid thing exists. Shouldn't your degree cover that? Aerospace engineers can design rockets and airplanes without any stupid title, yet civil engineers need one to build a bridge out of concrete and rebar?

:thumbsup:

 

[LurkerPrime]

I work for Boeing and there is not a single engineer that has a PE. They are completely worthless to us. I don't understand why the stupid thing exists. Shouldn't your degree cover that? Aerospace engineers can design rockets and airplanes without any stupid title, yet civil engineers need one to build a bridge out of concrete and rebar?

Its so the .gov can point the finger at someone when a bridge collapses.

 

[CLite]

Mechanical Engineers sometimes need PE stamps if you have to code stamp pressure vessels or piping systems to ASME BPVC or ASME B1.1/B31.3. In general though stamping is driven by state laws and refineries/power plants are exempt either due to interstate commerce or because in the case of nukes they are regulated by NRC. Not a very large selection of the process and power industry even has to bother obtaining PE stamps. They are mainly required for things like test facilities that are not involved with cross-state trade. Sometimes clients want a PE stamp anyways even when it's not required by state law (or exempt via commerce clause) but it's rare.

To be honest in the ME world there is no real reason to have more than a couple people in a company with a license for any given state. For us probably one in fifty jobs require a PE stamp.

 

[CraKaJaX]

OP, it sounds like we are exactly in the same boat.. literally. I graduated (EE) last December and have been in the power industry since then. Making in the 60's, just took (and passed) the FE exam, and now I'm cranking out the experience in order to sign up for the PE. The company I work for does contracting for power utilities (there's also some environmental stuff going on at other offices), so as you probably have guessed.... EVERYTHING is a drawing. We have ~10 people in the office with their PE's (EE and Civil). Drawings are required to be stamped before they're sent out the door, etc. AFAIK, once you get your PE, you get a 3k bonus and a 8k raise - no questions asked. I know this from one of the younger guys I work with who just recently passed the PE. In my opinion, getting your PE really depends on what type of industry you're in. My .02.

 

[Ninjahedge]

I work for Boeing and there is not a single engineer that has a PE. They are completely worthless to us. I don't understand why the stupid thing exists. Shouldn't your degree cover that? Aerospace engineers can design rockets and airplanes without any stupid title, yet civil engineers need one to build a bridge out of concrete and rebar?

Yep.

Because what you learn in the job world is that what you learn in school is only a small bit of what you actually do on the job.

That is why they do not let you take the test when you get out. They wait ~5 years (depending on degree) and see if you:

a) retained what you learned
b) Learned other things like local code, job practice and more practical skills.

Aerospace Engineers can usually do more with less because there is less law and code involved. MOST of what they do is theory/science with a healthy Factor of Safety slapped on. (not that that is bad, it is just how it is).

So you are telling me that an AE w/experience is worth as much as one just out of school?