After 12th, engineering is the most opted course these days. No doubt that the career opportunities are excellent in this field. This perhaps is the most valid reason why students most often opt for B.tech degrees after their schooling.
Table of content
1. Why Engineering?
2. Types of Engineering degrees.
2.1. Computer Engineering
2.2. Electrical Engineering
2.3. Mechanical Engineering
2.4. Information security
2.5. Machine learning and Artificial Engineering
2.6. Civil Engineering
2.7. Chemical Engineering
2.8. Biochemical Engineering
2.9. Aerospace Engineering
2.10. Petroleum Engineering
2.11. Robotics Engineering
2.12. Environmental Engineering
2.13. Marine Engineering
2.14. Biomedical Engineering
2.15. Telecommunication Engineering
3. Career opportunities after an engineering degree
4. Jobs after Engineering
5. Top Engineering degrees in terms of jobs
6. Right Engineering degree for you.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
Engineering is not just about having a degree. It is much more than that. An engineering degree can change the way of your thinking. Trust me that as an engineer, you will encounter a lot of opportunities and fields to explore. Over the years, the number of students opting for engineering degrees has drastically increased. The reason perhaps is the wide job range and excellent salary after your degree. Engineering courses are continued to be one of the popular courses among the students.
1. Why should you choose Engineering?
Engineering degrees are pretty hyped these days. But are they worth the hype? Let’s find out.
After 12th, people usually are left with few broad career options, including engineering, medicine, finance, arts etc. So what do students look for in a degree? Well, they want job satisfaction, vast career opportunities and of course, a short study period. Engineering degrees provide all these to the students, and hence, the degree is so hyped in recent times.
Six reasons why should you choose engineering over any other degree course:
- Substantial career opportunities- Engineering degrees offer you various career options to choose from. For example, you can be an electrical engineer, programmer, biotech engineer, civil engineer etc. Every field has excellent job opportunities with outstanding salaries.
- Job guarantee- It is pretty evident that everyone wants a career that offers a guaranteed job. Although we can never be 100% sure, still, engineering courses offer the highest success rate. Students often get placed in the top MNCs after their engineering degrees.
- Intellectual development- Engineering degrees are often suitable for the brain too. Believe it or not, an engineering degree can help you think logically about different situations.
- Prestige and professional environment- Engineers can expect a high amount of prestige with their degrees because they are the ones leading to the developed nations. Therefore, you will find the most professional environment as an engineer, and you will be treated with respect everywhere. What else do you want with a course?
- Financial security- You can be assured of your finances because you will be paid the highest starting salary compared to any other discipline.
- Technological discovery- An engineering degree can help you answer the most un-answered questions across the globe.
2. What are the different types of engineering degrees?
Engineering is a broad degree. You’ll find plenty of courses that come under an engineering degree. Let’s explore the most relevant engineering degrees of 2022:
2.1. Computer Engineering
Computer science and engineering (CSE) is the topmost engineering discipline and is indeed the most practical course. It involves the understanding of programming languages and computational processes.
Type of course | Name of the degree | Duration |
Diploma course | - | 3 years |
UG course | Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) | 4 years |
PG course | Master of Technology (M.Tech) | 2 years |
You can enroll in a diploma course after class 10th, but for all other courses, you must qualify class 12th. After your engineering degree in computer engineering or computer science, you can expect yourself to get placed in some reputed firms, including TCS, Microsoft, HCL, Wipro, Accenture, Google, Amazon, IBM, Adobe, and Sun Microsystems. Talking about the salary, the average salary of a computer engineer can range from $52,042 to $117,022 per annum.
2.2. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is one of the renowned branches of engineering. It involves the study of electricity, electromagnetism and electronics. After completing your engineering in an electrical field, you can choose to become a micro-electrical engineer, electrical engineer, instrumentation engineer, telecommunications engineer, and electrical design engineer.
Companies that hire an electrical engineer include Reliance Industries, Google, Apple, BMW group, International Business machines Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation. As an electrical engineer, one can quickly expect a salary of $100,000 per year. The average salary is around $90,443 per annum.
2.3. Mechanical Engineering
According to a study, employment for mechanical engineers has drastically increased in the past ten years. As a mechanical engineer, you can expect jobs in top companies such as TATA Group, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and Godrej Group.
The average salary of a mechanical engineer can easily be $99,000 per annum.
2.4. Information security
Information security engineers have a technical role inside an organization, and they implement network security protocols to protect sensitive information from different sorts of thefts. The field utilizes IT and information security skills and can provide a very crucial role in any organization.
For a cybersecurity job, people can quickly expect a salary as high as $500,000 per annum and the average salary ranges from $140,000 to $300,000 per year.
2.5. Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence Engineering
An engineering degree in AI & ML provides the students with excellent courses dedicated to the field of Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning. The course is 4 years long and exposes the students to different technologies. Thus, they can create applications to provide solutions to various problems the world is facing.
As a machine learning engineer, you are required to work on the datasets. Hence, you must have excellent data management skills. Essential skills to be a machine learning engineer include C++, python etc.
2.6. Civil Engineering
As a civil engineer, the person is responsible for designing transportation projects and infrastructure projects. For example, civil engineers are responsible for building roads, airports buildings, bridges, dams, etc.
A civil can fetch you a decent earning, and you can quickly expect $93,000 as an average salary per annum. Undoubtedly, civil engineering can help you earn a good living, but it often requires getting a good project to be rich in this field. Some of the good companies that can hire a civil engineer include Bechtel, Kiewit Corporation, StructutreTone and AECOM.
2.7. Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers deal with the study of chemical plants and their operations. In addition, they help to develop the commercial processes for converting the raw materials to some functional form. No doubt that chemical engineering is a convenient degree and can help you work in a wide range of environments.
Chemical engineers often work in chemistry, physics, engineering and, mathematics departments. In the United States, a chemical engineer’s average salary is around $82,000 per annum.
2.8. Biochemical Engineering
It is indeed a branch of chemical engineering and involves the application of technological advancements to biological materials. As a biochemical engineer, you are required to apply the scientific principles for the study of biochemical processes inside living beings.
The highest salary of a biochemical engineer can be up to $130,000 per year. However, the average salary can range from $76,000 to $107,000 per year.
2.9. Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering is primarily concerned with designing, developing, testing and producing aircraft and spacecraft systems. The field focuses on the technology behind the flight within the earth’s atmosphere.
Aerospace engineers have fantastic career opportunities and can make around $118,000 per year on average. Top companies for aerospace engineering graduates include Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
2.10. Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum engineering includes the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, including natural gas and oil. No doubt that petroleum engineers can make a considerable sum of money with an average salary of $150,000 per annum.
Technically, a petroleum engineer is responsible for maintaining the world’s gas and oil supplies. With the use of cutting-edge technologies, a petroleum engineer is required to find new ways to drill and discover oil.
2.11. Robotics Engineering
Robotics is indeed one of the exciting fields these days. It focuses on developing and maintaining robots. Therefore, robotics engineering is definitely one of the high-end professions among the youth.
You can even pursue electrical engineering to have your career in robotics. The average salary of a robotic engineer is around $91,700 per year. The best colleges to study robotics engineering are the California University of Pennsylvania, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Carnegie Mellon University.
2.12. Environmental Engineering
If you are one of the environment enthusiasts, then environmental engineering is indeed for you. It deals with environmental concerns. The engineers are focused on developing renewable sources of energy to solve the problems of pollution.
The best countries to study environmental engineering are the United Kingdom, China, Germany, Australia, France and Denmark.
2.13. Marine Engineering
Marine engineering is related to the construction and maintenance of navigation equipment and seagoing vessels. However, its primary focus is on the development of internal systems of ships, submarines and boats.
The average salary of a marine engineer is around $76,500 per year and hence, is a promising career if it lies parallel with your interest. However, the highest salary can be as high as $144,000 per annum.
2.14. Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering includes the application of engineering methods to solve biological and medical problems. The field is booming and can be an excellent career option in the coming few years.
The average salary of a biomedical engineer is around $92,000 per year.
2.15. Telecommunication Engineering
Telecommunication engineers deal with providing data transmission services, and the study is usually centred around the computer and electrical engineering. The field is developing and hence, can provide excellent growth opportunities. The average salary for a telecommunication engineer is roughly $95,000 per annum.
3. What are the career opportunities after your engineering degree?
Engineering being the most popular course among the youth leaves you with a lot of career possibilities. Unlike most other degree programs, where you are restricted to a particular thing, engineering degrees help you explore comprehensive options.
- Job opportunities- Job opportunities are indeed one of the favorite options after the engineering degree. Most people prefer to continue with their jobs after their degree, and it is an excellent option as well. You can get high-paid jobs as soon as you are done with your course.
- Management- To study management is another favorite career option for engineering graduates. To enter into management courses, you can choose to pursue MBA after your engineering program. Thus, you can get a high-paying job with a job profile involving more responsibility.
- Higher studies- You can choose to master your skills through M.tech courses once you are done with the B.tech courses. It will help to build a thorough understanding of your subject.
- Entrepreneurship- I believe that engineers are the most innovative. They have the capability to think out of the box. After your engineering degree, this put of the box thinking can lead you to be a successful entrepreneur. You might encounter different real-life problems that you can consider while having a startup idea during your course.
4. Job opportunities after engineering.
Let’s discuss different companies that offer jobs to graduates from different engineering programs:
Amazon- Amazon is the largest e-commerce company, and it has a lot of job opportunities for freshers. Moreover, since the year 2020, Amazon has seen a massive jump in its economy and hence, computer science graduates can easily get placed in Amazon if they are suitable enough.
- Deloitte- Deloitte runs a massive network of economic forums, and the IT graduates can get placed here with exceptionally high salaries.
- TCS- Tata Consultancy Company is an excellent choice for computer science graduates to start their careers with. The company is known for its stability and job security.
- Google- Who hasn’t heard of Google? Everybody uses it every day. Google is indeed a dream company for any professional engineer in the entire world.
- Godrej- Godrej is a dream company for any mechanical engineer out there. They can very easily find job opportunities in the electronics and electrical division.
- Mahindra & Mahindra- It works in the Information Technology, farm equipment and automotive businesses. Mahindra & Mahindra is an ideal job opportunity for mechanical engineers.
5. High-paying engineering degrees.
After understanding the various engineering degrees to choose from, let us discuss the top 5 high paid degrees:
Computer Engineering and Software Development
A computer engineer is always in much demand in this era. Computers and software have made our lives a lot easier. Do you own a mobile phone? Do you own a laptop? Do you use various apps in your day-to-day life? Well, all these require the understanding of programming languages in depth. Hence, CSE offers students a wide range of job opportunities.
As a software developer, you can easily get placed in the top tech companies, including Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and the salary can go as high as $140,000 per annum.
Information Technology
Information technology involves building different communication networks for any company to safeguard their data and information. Therefore, the demand for an IT engineer is rising exponentially, and hence, it opens up the gates for the newcomers looking for a job in this sector. The average pay for an IT engineer can range from $90,000 t0 $109,000 per annum.
As an IT specialist, you can choose to work as a computer support specialist, Computer network architect, information security analyst, computer systems analyst and database administrator.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Machine learning engineers have actually a combined role of a software engineer and the data scientist. As a result, a machine learning engineer can expect to get placed in the top companies, including Accenture, Amazon, TCs, Microsoft, Wipro, Cognizant.
As a machine learning engineer, you can quickly expect a salary as high as $187,531 per annum. If you are willing to work in New York and San Francisco, you can earn even higher.
Mechanical Engineering
As a mechanical engineer, you are required to design, develop, construct and test the mechanical and thermal devices. These devices include engines, machines and tools. Therefore, a degree in mechanical engineering can provide you with an excellent career in various fields. Such as aerospace and manufacturing.
A mechanical engineer can easily earn up to $1,20,000 per year, and the average salary for a mechanical engineer is $88,000 per annum.
Data Science
Data science has been in huge demand in current scenarios. As a data engineer, you will be required to collect the relevant data and transform it. The average of a data engineer is $100,500 per year. The reason for the massive demand for data science engineers is the realization that big data holds power. The data can quickly drive the decisions of any innovative business.
As a data science engineer, you can expect jobs in Uber, Lyft, Pinterest. Facebook and Dropbox.
6. How to find the right engineering course for you?
Engineering is not something very narrow. On the contrary, the field is vast. Hence, it becomes challenging to pick the right course for you. So, how do you find which course suits you the most? Well, try to find your passion for the course. There are plenty of engineering degrees listed above, and you cannot obviously pursue all of these.
Ask yourself a question that which field excites you the most? For example, do you have problem-solving skills? Are you interested in computer programming? Do you like to work on machinery?
I’ve seen many people who cannot even find out what they are passionate about. Yet, many people can even do anything they are provided with.
In such a scenario, you can look for the job opportunities and the salary perspective associated with different degrees. It is pretty evident that not all engineering courses can land you in an excellent company to work in.
For instance, in today's time, there is considerable growth in the software industry. As a result, it increases the demand for software engineers much more compared to any other engineer out there. So, if you're a person looking for an excellent job opportunity right after your graduation, computer engineering and software development is the right course for you.
If you are more interested in research fields, you can opt for Biotechnology engineering and nanotechnology. Both these courses will help you understand various aspects of living beings. You can even develop new vaccines for the deadly diseases out there. But, indeed, it requires patience and dedication.
7. Frequently Asked questions
Q. Which engineering degree is best for you?
A. Choosing the right course is not at all problematic. Just try to focus on your interests, and you'll get the answer.
Q. Does engineering offer good job opportunities?
A. Engineering courses are in high demand these days. And the reason is the job opportunities associated with them. You can get placed in excellent companies out there if you are focused enough.
Q. Can I get a job right after my Bachelor in Engineering degree?
A. Yes, you can definitely get a job after your graduation if you are dedicated enough. If you're not planning to study further, try to be prepared for the interviews during your engineering degree, and you'll get the right job.
Q. Which companies hire engineers?
A. You can easily get placed in Google, Apple, Microsoft, Intel, IBM right after your engineering degree.
Q. Do all engineering courses offer similar job opportunities?
A. Not really. Every course is different, and the jobs associated with these are also different. So you need to pick the right course according to your interest and requirement to get the right job opportunities.
Q. What are the top universities that offer high-quality education for engineering degrees?
A. Some of the best colleges for engineering programs include Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, University of California, Imperial College London, National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University etc.