got PE license, time for a raise?

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qiudogcool

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I recently got PE license in Electrical and my boss knew about it. I am a communications engineer for a small consulting firm. I have 4 years of experience and a masters' degree. I am a woman. What is a fair market value? I get paid about high 60s now. I want to ask for a raise. I am paid hourly, and do get paid for OT. I am just curious about what number I should ask for. I live in Utah.

 
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You haven't told us where you live. Out in California where I am, high 60's seems very low, especially with your qualifications. Granted it's more expensive to live out here.

 
The other question to be asked is whether your PE license is benefiting the firm. Will you be reviewing and stamping plans now? Or does it allow your company to offer consulting services it couldn't before?

The PE is a mark of increasing technical competency, and the ability to carry more responsibility. Whether that means you will be taking on more responsibility is not necessarily as clear-cut.

 
Exactly Lomarandil

1. Does your company care that you are licensed. How does it benefit THEM?

2. Say it does benefit them then you:

a. research what you should be making

b. take on additional responsiblity then you were before to justify earning the additional money

Good luck. In my experience most people don't get the money that the market says they should be staying at their same company upon getting licensed. Usually there isn't another position to go into to justify the higher salary or you are still viewed as "whatever you were initially hired to do" and so management can't wrap their head around giving you more money.

 
Are you stricly doing COM stuff or systems stuff? like infrastructure and etc....Maybe they are holding you on 4 years exp. Does anyone in the company has PE and more experience? Maybe you should as for a bump for passing PE..

p/s what sort of COM stuff you do?

 
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Are you stricly doing COM stuff or systems stuff? like infrastructure and etc....Maybe they are holding you on 4 years exp. Does anyone in the company has PE and more experience? Maybe you should as for a bump for passing PE..

p/s what sort of COM stuff you do?


I do Com stuff mainly for utilities.

My boss said they would consider the raise and job title change early next year because they can't change the billing to the customer now.

 
I just got a 9.5% raise and a job title change to senior. I want to look for other jobs. Is it hard to change specialty? I sent some resumes out, but haven't heard back anything.

 
That's a pretty good raise in my opinion and also, in my field, I wouldn't expect to become a "senior" engineer until at least 20 years exp. Mind if I ask why you're looking elsewhere? Are you unsatisfied with the raise/promotion or is it other reasons?

 
I got 10% and a title promotion. These were both items I negotiated prior to taking my current job though. I would suggest applying for a few jobs, even if you aren't sure about leaving. There is no better way to see how much you are worth than to see how much someone will pay you.

 
That's a pretty good raise in my opinion and also, in my field, I wouldn't expect to become a "senior" engineer until at least 20 years exp. Mind if I ask why you're looking elsewhere? Are you unsatisfied with the raise/promotion or is it other reasons?
I think it depends on your organization and tiers. Many companies go by Engineer I, II, III, ... Etc and then Senior Engineer I, II, III, etc, then Staff Engineer I, II, III. And if you're really bad ass, by the time you are set to retire they list you as a Fellow just to milk you for a few more years.

Waiting until year 20 to get to senior engineer just sounds depressing to me though.

 
I think I am underpaid. And I prefer a salary job when I don't need to punch time cards. 

 
I've worked for 2 consulting firms and I am now working for a utility company.  All 3 jobs I have had to fill out timesheets.  They are considered salary positions but it's still hourly pay.  

 
Your salary should ideally be in 80s in case you are in California and 70s outside the state. 

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