Wanted: A Few Good Engineers Syracuse Post-Standard (NY) (03/29/05); Reaves, Michele With demand high in Central New York for engineers, area high schools are trying to keep pace. Nineteen school districts in the counties of Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, and Cayuga are offering "Project Lead the Way" classes, which allow students to learn about various aspects of engineering such as computer programming, design, and drafting. The pre-engineering curriculum was first developed in 1997 by the nonprofit Project Lead the Way organization. Fowler High School in Syracuse features a math and science program and sponsors projects like the Science Engineering Math Communication Excellence boat race, says Gwendolyn Raeford, a science teacher at the high school and a club advisor for the National Society for Black Engineers. Students also go on field trips to Lockheed Martin and collaborate with college students majoring in engineering and science, she says. On February 24, Syracuse University's engineering school held an "Introduce Girls to Engineering" day as a part of National Engineers Week. Can Isik, senior associate dean at the university's L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, says the number of people enrolling in SU's engineering program is rising. "Even though markets go up and down, there is always a constant demand for engineering students," he says. (http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1112002509 191830.xml)
If our great nation wants more engineers, they have to start both respecting the profession and paying them as well. Engineers fall into two catagories - those who spend 4-8 years in school, and those like myself who spend 25 years coming up through the ranks. We work an average of 65 hours a week in the Valley - most make between 60-$100K a year. Considering a stock broker who works much less makes a lot more, why would one become an engineer? To top it off, low marketing pukes like Carly Fiorina lay us off on a regular basis thinking we can be replaced at a whim (HP proved that this doesn't happen). Frankly, it is no wonder we have to import so many engineers. Software Engineers have it the worst - a lot of buddies work between 80-100 hours per week. Pays pretty good - but after all is said and done, it works out to around $25 an hour. Not that great for a Master's degree. Still, I like my job and profession. I go home every day knowing I can quantify what I have done
I think in most of the time your example is accurate. I moved to consulting and charge 65 - 110 USD per hour. my best times in 2000 - 225 per hour and my low time in 2002 35 USD per hour. A good friend patented a few products and sold them to Alcatel. He became a VP in Alcatel and made couple of Mils as well. Not Diploma Mills but Millions of dollars. So just like in any business there are exceptions. My relative graduated with highest honors from UC Berkeley. He is charging $1000 USD per hour and BofA retains his services for more than 2 years now. So when I was making 70 K at Rockwell FT and working 50--60 hour week the move to East cost and start my own practice following couple of years on the road with leading big 6 consulting company was not as bad. All my benefits I buy at IEEE in reduced price, after all they have hundred of thousands of members. Just to share that been there done that. And there are good oportunities in Engineering even now. Wile some of my friends on the West coast are looking for work and it's hard.
