Emplyability/ earning potential for engineering graduates?

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me any info re the job prospects/ demand in the UK for engineering graduates- all sorts but particualry electronic or mechanical engineering?

also does anyone know anything about earning potential in either field??

Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

ily_em

17

bloomblaze

Can anyone tell me any info re the job prospects/ demand in the UK for engineering graduates- all sorts but particualry electronic or mechanical engineering?

also does anyone know anything about earning potential in either field??

It's really high, employer really need engineering graduates as there aren't that many. I think the pay is pretty good too, at lots of universities have links with engineering companies.

This could be useful: Engineering prospects

Or this: CBI sounds alarm at lack of engineering graduates

Or: Engineering graduates are in high demand

Now I wish I'd gone for Engineering, reading those. Arts subjects are much harder to get jobs with after uni :p:

Reply 2

shiny

12

Engineers are one of the most employable groups because of their versatility. Earning potential varies though depending on what you want to do. Engineering itself usually pays well and is above average. Of course, many engineering graduates end up in non-engineering careers and if you get into consulting, finance or legal work then you could attract very lucrative salaries.

Reply 3

yeahdisk

Engineering graduate = high earning potential.

Actually taking a job as an engineer with a big engineering corp = low earning potential.

Get your degree, then go work in IT, finance, technical law (patents etc.) or business consultancy. I wish I did.

Reply 4

shuvle

12

yeahdisk

Engineering graduate = high earning potential.

Actually taking a job as an engineer with a big engineering corp = low earning potential.

Get your degree, then go work in IT, finance, technical law (patents etc.) or business consultancy. I wish I did.

Do you end up working for a "big engineering corp"? I'm sitting on the fence at the moment. Unsure what to do.

Reply 5

black_mamba

14

yeahdisk

Engineering graduate = high earning potential.

Actually taking a job as an engineer with a big engineering corp = low earning potential.

Not if you plan on going into managment or becoming a more specialised engineer, or just happen to strike it lucky with a generous company. I work for a big engineering corp and the top salary for graduates after 4 years (if they do very well) is about £50k. :smile:

Reply 6

username51312

15

black_mamba

Not if you plan on going into managment or becoming a more specialised engineer, or just happen to strike it lucky with a generous company. I work for a big engineering corp and the top salary for graduates after 4 years (if they do very well) is about £50k. :smile:

50k is that for an engineer or for manager?

Reply 7

cmspargo

bloomblaze

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me any info re the job prospects/ demand in the UK for engineering graduates- all sorts but particualry electronic or mechanical engineering?

also does anyone know anything about earning potential in either field??

Thanks in advance.

There is a real shortage of engineers, mech, electrical and electronic, (due to hardly anyone being interested in engineering, knowing what an engineer does and how he differs from a technician [bearing in mind 'fake' engineers, who dont even know ohms law or Pythagoras' Theorem]), those with a BEng can expect to start on around 22k and those with a MEng around 24k, once chartered, anything upto 100k i assume would be possible, but with an average of around 50k for experienced chartered engineers. Thereis a serious demand for power engineers (transmission and distribution) due to alot of work starting on the transmission network in the UK within the next couple of years, this is an excellent field to join, and I believe that the average salary for power engineers is greater than any other.

Yeah power engineering is very lucrative now. I remember one of my uni's old lecturers was in during a tutorial and was hugging the new lecturer and telling us all how much money he was making as a power engineer (quarter of a million per year) and then telling us all to stick in because we'll be high in demand when we graduate if we have good grades.

Reply 9

cmspargo

Yeah, Power engineering is big money these days, and it is increasing.

Reply 10

black_mamba

14

UAG

50k is that for an engineer or for manager?

An engineer, but one that manages a large project as well as does 'pure' engineering work too, so it's a mixture of both roles really. But you wouldn't be classified as a manager, if that means anything, but rather a senior engineer. :smile:

Reply 11

username51312

15

black_mamba

An engineer, but one that manages a large project as well as does 'pure' engineering work too, so it's a mixture of both roles really. But you wouldn't be classified as a manager, if that means anything, but rather a senior engineer. :smile:

does your company has anything to do with oil or gas?
because i have been looking at some graduate programs for non oil related companies (as i dont fancy moving far north) and none of them promise over 35k after the program
do you hsve any tips on how to find a company with good carrer prospects? :smile:

Reply 12

shiny

12

UAG

do you hsve any tips on how to find a company with good carrer prospects? :smile:

Look for companies which have a formal scheme for helping you get chartered status (although this is becoming less common these days as some companies find the bureaucracy challenging). Also, big companies which rotate graduate trainees across different departments is useful to gain experience across different areas. Companies which encourage early leadership, i.e. you get to manage (sub-)projects early to gain experience. Basically any company that has a strong ethic in terms of investing in their people.

Emplyability/ earning potential for engineering graduates?

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