Engineers are the creators of our world. They design structures, systems and materials while keeping in mind safety regulations, budgets and practicality. While their job may be complex, it is also incredibly rewarding. This work requires a significant investment, both physical and intellectual. The world that we see now was created from the imaginations of engineers. And their ability to incarnate their ideas into visible and tangible forms deserves respect and has a very high value.The United States is home to many talented engineers and quite a few engineering positions earn high salaries. Below are the top paying engineering jobs in USA.
Aerospace Engineer, Level V
A level five Aerospace Engineer earns an average salary of $119,431. This is one of those rare jobs in US that actually does require rocket science. These individuals have a bachelor’s degree in aerospace and an average of eight years of experience. They are responsible for designing, testing and developing missiles, aircrafts and spaceships. In addition, astronauts’ lives depend on the quality of their work, as do reliable operation of missiles while they are in space. So, they must be well-versed in propulsion, aerodynamics and avionics. A senior Aerospace Engineer may supervise other engineers and have high-level responsibilities for military and/or civilian projects.
Engineering Manager
Who better to manage engineers than an engineer himself? These individuals earn an average salary of $115,176 per year. Most hold at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering and will likely have nearly a decade of experience in the field. An engineering manager will oversee all aspects of engineering projects and be responsible for their implementation and qualitative performance. This includes management of the team, creation of the budget, creating the design specifications and analyzing results. They may supervise a team of at least 6 people and will have experience with business management.
Materials Engineer, Level III
A level three Materials Engineer earns a median salary of $86,773. Most will hold a bachelor’s degree and have between four and six years of experience in the field. These individuals are the ones that look at how to improve materials and invent new ones. Most will pick one specialized material to work with, such as plastic or steel. They will use their knowledge to enhance the material or create a new one to give it a unique function. This is a lucrative sub-specialty of engineering and one that shows promising growth.
Petroleum Drilling Engineer, Level I
It’s no big secret that fossil fuels run our world, and it should come as no surprise that those who design systems to extract oil and gas from the earth are paid handsomely for their services. A level one Petroleum Drilling Engineer will earn an average salary of $76,835 and hold a bachelor’s degree–preferably in petroleum engineering. These individuals create systems that extract the most petroleum in the most cost-efficient way. At the same time, they must adhere to the strict safety and environmental protection protocols set forth by local laws and regulations.
Chemical Engineer, Level II
A level two Chemical Engineer earns an average salary of $74,570. They hold a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and will have five years of experience. The primary goal of a Chemical Engineer is to figure out how to create more of a product using the least amount of raw materials and spending the least amount of money. They may use nanotechnology or they may rely on oxidation reactions to meet their goals.
Engineering is a job for inventors and people who have a good imagination. Each of the above positions in engineering requires higher education. But a bachelor’s degree and good grades for the period of studying is not to say that yesterday’s student will be a good engineer today. In order to take engineering job vacancies, which bring in high income, you need to learn many disciplines by yourself. First and foremost is having a good imagination, which always needs to be trained. Second is the quality of work, i.e. implementation and current incarnation of what was intended. And third is the love of your work. Without it, your work wouldn’t be seen and appreciated, and you won’t get any pleasure from it. So, get a good education, follow these guidelines and one of the above jobs will be yours.
