What's the typical salary progression for an engineer?

[IndyColtsFan]

nm

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Yes, Alkemyst, I'm jealous I don't have an awesome care like you do.

I wasn't trolling at all. I am clarifying your post. What's your projected first year salary again as a fresh teacher? $150k?

PDF Page X is average starting pay for business Ph.D.s

Here you can download the 'who went where' report

Thanks for asking,

/hug

 

[SeductivePig]

Are bonuses very common for small companies like mine that mainly do consulting?

I always hear my director every day talking about proposals, pretty much everything we do is for some other company in terms of design/modification work.

I read one of the pages on my employee manual today and it mentioned bonuses and how employees might get a bonus depending on their extra hours worked and if those hours were helpful.



Either way I'm starting to realize that my secondary job is quite useless and I could be doing something better with my time. Whether it's investing, being a waitier, or taking more classes.. I just don't know what kind of job I could possibly do part time that pays well. I mean, I'm willing to spend time learning about it but if it's another $13.50 job.. meh.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Are bonuses very common for small companies like mine that mainly do consulting?

I always hear my director every day talking about proposals, pretty much everything we do is for some other company in terms of design/modification work.

I read one of the pages on my employee manual today and it mentioned bonuses and how employees might get a bonus depending on their extra hours worked and if those hours were helpful.



Either way I'm starting to realize that my secondary job is quite useless and I could be doing something better with my time. Whether it's investing, being a waitier, or taking more classes.. I just don't know what kind of job I could possibly do part time that pays well. I mean, I'm willing to spend time learning about it but if it's another $13.50 job.. meh.

You should be getting a masters. Either in your field or in business: depending on your desire to go managerial-track.

 

[gorcorps]

I got an extra 5k on my starting salary just because I have a masters. Then I got a 5% raise this year for a "promotion" because my 1 year makes me a full engineer and not just associate. Supposedly that's just promotional and there's the possibility of getting another 3% merit raise. Anyway, that promotional raise put me over 70k, and I'm making more than the guys who have been there 3-4 years already. I'm on the "high" end of my group for raises and I still just got 5%. Don't expect more without jumping ship.

 

[LurkerPrime]

I guess I'll go with this format. Graduated in '10, NukeE. No overtime, but the () includes bonus. I also live in a fairly average COL area.

2010: 70k
2011: 72k (77k)
2012: 75k (85k) + promotion coming

That being said, I don't know many other engineers that made as much as me out of school.

NukeE is $$ just like petroE. I got recruited pretty heavily to join the Navy nukeE program. Would have paid me a 10k signing bonus, paid for my last 2 years of school and salary of 32k/yr for my last 2 years of school. Then of course 5 mandatory years in the navy with a set pay progress which was pretty damn good. The downside of course is being deployed on a sub or AC carrier for months at a time. If I was single at the time, I might have ended up in the navy. However I knew my relationship with my g/f (now wife) would have suffered greatly if I was gone for months at a time.

 

[rcpratt]

NukeE is $$ just like petroE. I got recruited pretty heavily to join the Navy nukeE program. Would have paid me a 10k signing bonus, paid for my last 2 years of school and salary of 32k/yr for my last 2 years of school. Then of course 5 mandatory years in the navy with a set pay progress which was pretty damn good. The downside of course is being deployed on a sub or AC carrier for months at a time. If I was single at the time, I might have ended up in the navy. However I knew my relationship with my g/f (now wife) would have suffered greatly if I was gone for months at a time.

It's higher than most, but it's nothing close to petroleum. Some of the Navy programs are pretty good for sure, if you can stomach it. Never appealed to me.

 

[DigDog]

tldr @ page 1;

it seems people here are focusing on the wages, meaning "higher earnings are better, because money matters", which is wrong on 2 counts.

1) are you in a job you enjoy ? if you are and you can support yourself, then go to point 2 (this is not all hippy talk here)

2) big money will NEVER come out of a wage; either you get a career out of your job, which you supplement with training, or you use your earnings and position to create yourself a own business, and that is the ONLY way you will earn big bux (unless you are 0.001% of the population but that goes without saying). way i see it, 30k or 100k is still shit compared to someone who owns a business, say a car dealership, or a restaurant. get a business and you are looking at a million per year, if you are good.

last but not least you might find a job that pays less, but gives you more - gets you laid, gives you free time, lets you study what you love, etc .. what floats ur boat.

 

[Gibson486]

Are bonuses very common for small companies like mine that mainly do consulting?

I always hear my director every day talking about proposals, pretty much everything we do is for some other company in terms of design/modification work.

I read one of the pages on my employee manual today and it mentioned bonuses and how employees might get a bonus depending on their extra hours worked and if those hours were helpful.



Either way I'm starting to realize that my secondary job is quite useless and I could be doing something better with my time. Whether it's investing, being a waitier, or taking more classes.. I just don't know what kind of job I could possibly do part time that pays well. I mean, I'm willing to spend time learning about it but if it's another $13.50 job.. meh.

A few things...

yes, it is typical for you to get a bonus in that industry. In most places, it's 3-5% of your pay and it depends on your review.

Yes, you have to do proposals first. There a so many firms that do power systems engineering. It's not like buying a vacuum and comparing 4 brands. When work needs to be done, you rely on your leads to let you know someone is in need of your services. You have to look for them, they do not look for you. Once they find the customer, the firm do the proposal. The proposal is part contract part sales. Anything you put on there is essentially saying, "this is how we will do the work...this is what to expect, this is the timeline", then they also give them this multipage document that says stuff about the success of the company and it may even have a few references.

Also, that work you do for other people? They are your partners. However, you will find that when they are not your partners, they are your competition. Your work is dependent on how many people need your services. Lots of times, firms like CDM win a proposal, but they are directed to source the other parts of the work to other firms. In that case, CDM would be the engineering firm, and you would be the contractor for CDM. You two are now friends even though you were killing each other two weeks ago for some multi million dollar project. Firms love these because it is the best way to take business away from competitors. In this industry, taking business away from CDM is like winning the superbowl.

Just an FYI....you have time now...but once you get going, the flood gates will open up and you will be complaining about how you are overworked. If I were you, I'd enjoy the free time. Once you get noticed, you will be thrown into projects and since your billing rate is so low. They will line up for you to do the work and then all these projects will be on your plate, then they will complain that you took to long on the project. Also factor in the poorly budgeted projects where you need to do 100 hours worth of work in 40. Oh...and you will soon know the frustrations of utilization targets...

As for getting a masters...the masters does not really hold any value in power systems engineering...at least not yet. It's all about the PE. It will not hurt to get your masters, but it does not have that much effect on how you grow in that field. If anything, I'd get the masters just in case you decide you do not like this field. This field is VERY tough to transition out of.

 

[SeductivePig]

A few things...

yes, it is typical for you to get a bonus in that industry. In most places, it's 3-5% of your pay and it depends on your review.

Yes, you have to do proposals first. There a so many firms that do power systems engineering. It's not like buying a vacuum and comparing 4 brands. When work needs to be done, you rely on your leads to let you know someone is in need of your services. You have to look for them, they do not look for you. Once they find the customer, the firm do the proposal. The proposal is part contract part sales. Anything you put on there is essentially saying, "this is how we will do the work...this is what to expect, this is the timeline", then they also give them this multipage document that says stuff about the success of the company and it may even have a few references.

Also, that work you do for other people? They are your partners. However, you will find that when they are not your partners, they are your competition. Your work is dependent on how many people need your services. Lots of times, firms like CDM win a proposal, but they are directed to source the other parts of the work to other firms. In that case, CDM would be the engineering firm, and you would be the contractor for CDM. You two are now friends even though you were killing each other two weeks ago for some multi million dollar project. Firms love these because it is the best way to take business away from competitors. In this industry, taking business away from CDM is like winning the superbowl.

Just an FYI....you have time now...but once you get going, the flood gates will open up and you will be complaining about how you are overworked. If I were you, I'd enjoy the free time. Once you get noticed, you will be thrown into projects and since your billing rate is so low. They will line up for you to do the work and then all these projects will be on your plate, then they will complain that you took to long on the project. Also factor in the poorly budgeted projects where you need to do 100 hours worth of work in 40. Oh...and you will soon know the frustrations of utilization targets...

As for getting a masters...the masters does not really hold any value in power systems engineering...at least not yet. It's all about the PE. It will not hurt to get your masters, but it does not have that much effect on how you grow in that field. If anything, I'd get the masters just in case you decide you do not like this field. This field is VERY tough to transition out of.

Damn, you know a lot!

I just feel bad enjoying my free time because I spent a good chunk of money relocating, and I have 6 figure student loans to start paying.

I haven't experienced much of life yet (women/traveling) and now I have a solid chance to do it because I've earned it, but it doesn't feel right.. knowing my friend is doing much more than me makes me feel lazy.

I took a rough count of how many actual electrical engineers we have on our team.. the number is less than 15. There are other divisions of engineering in the company though but my director is keeping an eye on me, got a feeling he has big plans for me since I'm the youngest guy there. My supervisor is also training me a lot. It's good work so far, a bit tedious but that's expected when you're looking at buses with tons of feeders.

 

[alkemyst]

tldr @ page 1;

it seems people here are focusing on the wages, meaning "higher earnings are better, because money matters", which is wrong on 2 counts.

1) are you in a job you enjoy ? if you are and you can support yourself, then go to point 2 (this is not all hippy talk here)

2) big money will NEVER come out of a wage; either you get a career out of your job, which you supplement with training, or you use your earnings and position to create yourself a own business, and that is the ONLY way you will earn big bux (unless you are 0.001% of the population but that goes without saying). way i see it, 30k or 100k is still shit compared to someone who owns a business, say a car dealership, or a restaurant. get a business and you are looking at a million per year, if you are good.

last but not least you might find a job that pays less, but gives you more - gets you laid, gives you free time, lets you study what you love, etc .. what floats ur boat.

Most people that own businesses take home less than $50k per year prior to health insurance and retirement.

You are very optimistic at making a million per year, what is the buy in for that? I'd be interested.

 

[Doppel]

It is true that most will never get very wealthy without owning a business or being a top exec in a big one. But most small business owners are doing no better than the rest of us..

 

[Gibson486]

Damn, you know a lot!

I just feel bad enjoying my free time because I spent a good chunk of money relocating, and I have 6 figure student loans to start paying.

I haven't experienced much of life yet (women/traveling) and now I have a solid chance to do it because I've earned it, but it doesn't feel right.. knowing my friend is doing much more than me makes me feel lazy.

I took a rough count of how many actual electrical engineers we have on our team.. the number is less than 15. There are other divisions of engineering in the company though but my director is keeping an eye on me, got a feeling he has big plans for me since I'm the youngest guy there. My supervisor is also training me a lot. It's good work so far, a bit tedious but that's expected when you're looking at buses with tons of feeders.

LOL...I only worked in the in that industry for almost 4 years... It may have been a horrible 4 years of being unappreciated and mentally abused, but I learned a shit ton, even if my former employer says otherwise. I worked for a full service firm, but i was in the electrical division doing controls and some electrical and I even did the process development and mech. work. I have thought about going back (and I have been getting phone calls at least twice a month from competing firms and CDM recruiters have been looking at my linkedin profile every week for the past 4 months), but I honestly want to vomit when I look back at my career. The hours, the back stabbing, the two faced people, the politics...man, the job had me in tears by the time I left. I am really trying not to scare you from this career path, but it really is the nature of it. You are on the business side of engineering, so lots of times, engineering takes a back seat to business.

BTW, 15 EE's is pretty good size for that type of firm.

 

[SeductivePig]

LOL...I only worked in the in that industry for almost 4 years... It may have been a horrible 4 years of being unappreciated and mentally abused, but I learned a shit ton, even if my former employer says otherwise. I worked for a full service firm, but i was in the electrical division doing controls and some electrical and I even did the process development and mech. work. I have thought about going back (and I have been getting phone calls at least twice a month from competing firms and CDM recruiters have been looking at my linkedin profile every week for the past 4 months), but I honestly want to vomit when I look back at my career. The hours, the back stabbing, the two faced people, the politics...man, the job had me in tears by the time I left. I am really trying not to scare you from this career path, but it really is the nature of it. You are on the business side of engineering, so lots of times, engineering takes a back seat to business.

BTW, 15 EE's is pretty good size for that type of firm.

What's typically the exit strategy if you don't like that career though? I feel like I may test the waters for the next 4-5 years until I get my PE and then bounce if I don't like it.. I plan on learning software here and there, nothing too much though.


The number is closer to 10 probably now that I think about it.
I'm not gonna lie, modifying really long excel sheets and looking at huge ass buses with tons of feeders hasn't been that fun so far. The material at the core is interesting, but it seems like this is largely what my company does.. I'm being trained to be the arc flash study guy, which isn't that bad but I think the design side of things is more interesting..

 

[Gibson486]

What's typically the exit strategy if you don't like that career though? I feel like I may test the waters for the next 4-5 years until I get my PE and then bounce if I don't like it.. I plan on learning software here and there, nothing too much though.


The number is closer to 10 probably now that I think about it.
I'm not gonna lie, modifying really long excel sheets and looking at huge ass buses with tons of feeders hasn't been that fun so far. The material at the core is interesting, but it seems like this is largely what my company does.. I'm being trained to be the arc flash study guy, which isn't that bad but I think the design side of things is more interesting..

It's not the most exciting job in the world, but you will get out of the office a lot. That is one good thing.

You'll know if you want to do it by the end of the first year. I knew i didn't, but i had the greatest mentor in the world and I stayed because of it. It is just too bad that he eventually switched departments a year and a half later. It was also probably the dumbest mistake I made for MY career (notice i said "MY", do not let my bad experience influence your decision).

That said, my current boss did what i did (but he got his PE)...however, it took him over 10 years to get back into consumer electronics and he had to do it in small increments. So, in my instance, I was lucky I met my boss because he completely understood why I wanted to make the career change.

If after a year you do not like it, begin the transition phase then. Do NOT wait. the longer you are in it, the harder it will get to transition out. To compensate for you lack of experience, I'd recommend doing these side projects. Whether it software or hardware, just do something that shows being 1 year out doe snot make you irrelevant.

 

[DigDog]

Most people that own businesses take home less than $50k per year prior to health insurance and retirement.

You are very optimistic at making a million per year, what is the buy in for that? I'd be interested.

the crappy little place my roomie works at clears about £13k a week, (count about 40% that in expenses), with the most expensive machine in the place being a coffee maker. my former restaurant (till december) was running in the range of a million pounds a week, before that the humble chippy (thats a big fryer with a big fridge, electricity bills and council tax) was about £6500/w. i worked for a little while in a hole-in-the-wall cafe' and after expenses and my wages the weekly take was around £500 (rent coming in at £150/month).. the whole place was about 8feet by 5feet.

i can go on. back in brighton the place our boss leased would take £30-35k a week, more in the season. my mate back in croydon has a (not sure, but around £300/month) takeaway pizza joint rolling out 40-60 pizzas a day @ £13 each plus burgers, drinks, etc..

now catering sells at 240% of cost. other businesses, like services, sell for *much* more.
the clown who lived downstairs from us selling import furniture from asia was on £5k a month. the other clown from afghanistan who worked next door to the cafe' selling t-shirts (Gunit clones) from a shop too small to lay down on the floor would be on 20 sales a day, at £20-30(buying price for the shirts was ridiculous, like £4 each). he drove a X5. bad day he'd take home £200.

come on man the fucking hot dog stand sells a hundred hotdogs a day minimum for £1.20, there is no reason to be poor if you got a few grand to invest and ur not scared of failed investments. i'm looking to open a pizza place within 24 months, if everything goes right. still need about £5k.

edit:

@ Doppel.

yes, small businesses meaning "little traffic"; if you have a business selling stuff nobody wants (toys, comics, car tires, books, pottery, paper, kitchen utensils, etc..) you will do badly. if you have a business set up to earn - selling basic needs, like food, wholesales, shoes, discount clothes, and more, you will make big bux.

in the neighbourhood there were shops that thrived and shops that failed. the shops that failed - HMV, ladies' wear, kitchenwares, suits. shops that made a bundle: all-you-can-eat, tattoo parlours (four in half a mile), headshop, trainers stores, cheap clothes, pimp clothing, pizza hut and macdonalds.

location location location. what you sell, who you sell it to, and where you sell it out of. bad area of town: vegetarian restaurant, no, greasy pizza, yes.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

^says the guy who thinks we're talking about choo-choo train drivers^

 

[mcmilljb]

^says the guy who thinks we're talking about choo-choo train drivers^

Choo-choo train drivers make a lot of money too. It's not easy tooting the horn at cars and people.

 

[alkemyst]

DigDug, I believe if you saw the real accounting for those businesses it would be different than you think.

For every food cart doing well there are 100's throwing in the towel

 

[DigDog]

success is never guaranteed; i'v seen places do badly, i'v seen food shops go under, it's a matter of having business sense and a little bit of luck. i'v got a good friend who rents a place in the same town, great food but terrible location and also his food style isn't very popular (noodle bar), and he's barely getting by, killed by taxes, costs, rent, staff .. you've gotta be able to afford a failure if you want the chance to own a successful business.

one of my mates back home has gone trough such diverse businesses as laundry, tanning salon, funeral arrangements .. then one day one of his businesses started getting steady work and that's the end of the story. he's rich now.

 

[gorcorps]

success is never guaranteed; i'v seen places do badly, i'v seen food shops go under, it's a matter of having business sense and a little bit of luck. i'v got a good friend who rents a place in the same town, great food but terrible location and also his food style isn't very popular (noodle bar), and he's barely getting by, killed by taxes, costs, rent, staff .. you've gotta be able to afford a failure if you want the chance to own a successful business.

one of my mates back home has gone trough such diverse businesses as laundry, tanning salon, funeral arrangements .. then one day one of his businesses started getting steady work and that's the end of the story. he's rich now.

It's hard to take anybody seriously who can't even capitalize their own sentences.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

The real secret is using other-people's money when starting a business.

Never take on a partner without buy-out rights.