Easiest State to pass PE EXam in?

[Paul S]

Just last night I watched a show on the Ancient Aliens and the Ancient Astronaut Theory, and it turns out that a real long time ago, some aliens came to earth to mine gold, since there planet needed more gold. But the aliens decided it was too much work and cross-breed with homo-sapiens to create human slave workers, the Sumerians.

Based on this, us humans are all slaves to the gold mine.

 

[benbo]

Never said I wanted an easy path, I hardly call a BS and a PE working on an MS in a different disipline "easy".

It's not that hard. Most of us have done it.

 

[ironman]

I do agree though that I dont think the boom times are comming back and we need to start teaching our kids to be worked like dogs for marginal compensation

This. This is why you're a delusional idiot.

Working 40 to 50 hours per week for a salary that puts you in the upper middle class of America is FAR, FAR from being "worked like a dog for marginal compensation." People at or below the poverty line that are working 2 to 3 jobs just to feed themselves and/or their families meet that description, but nobody on this forum does.

Look at this chart. The median income for a 25+ year old that is employed full time and has a Master's degree is $61,273. Like everybody has told you a freakin' million times, unless you are in a boom time, or you live in a high cost of living area, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE SIX FIGURES until late in your career.

I think I'll argue with my stapler now because it's more productive.

I never said I was, im just saying the trend is going that direction, I had an older co worker do a time value of money calculation (becuase he was bored) and said that based on inflation the entry level salery of someone 30-40 years ago was MUCH higher than it is today and that trend is steadily going downwards. The costs of goods and services is going up at a much faster rate than engineering wages. I am not dilusional I know exactly what is going on, we now label what were once a regular decent salery as "boom time money" and the regular saleries are now deflated and steady decreasing compared to inflation and the cost of goods and services.

So I agree that I myself am not being "worked like a dog" but I am doing much worse than my engineering counter parts that started in the 50's and 60's and even 70's. By the time my kids are of age THEY will be worked like dogs and college will not even be practical because the degrees wont pay anything and if they do the competition will be so cut throat that it wont be worth the effort....unless things radically change RIGHT NOW.

Back in the day an engineering salery could buy you a single family home in a few years a paid for car and your wife could stay home and take care of the kids with a little extra money left over. My grandpa worked at a coal mine in the 40's through the 60's or when ever he retired and was able to have a house paid for and his wife stayed at home and raised 3 kids AND he was able to buy a PA-18 super cub and several decent rifles and go on hunting trips. I am lucky if I can put a new laminate floor in my 100 sq ft kitchen, thats just the way it is, I agree thats just life, but dont piss on my head and try to make me believe its raining, our generation is being ripped off big time and our kids will be the equivalent to endentured servants. No one will be buying air planes or the like with an engineering degree unless they have saved for it half their lives and have one foot in the grave already. I will probably be the last in my generation that will be able to undertake such things but I will have to sink my entire life into having a nice plane, for my kids things like that wont even be an option (I guess they could fly my plane when I die, if thats their thing).

I think we all agree thats just the way it is but I think some of you are happy about it. To each their own I guess.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

You can buy anything you want on any salary as long as you are intelligent with your money. I seriously doubt that any of the old timers owned their own house free and clear, plus an airplane, by the time they were 30, which is what you appear to feel entitled to.

Your example is pretty damn funny, I must admit. Your grandpa worked his ass off in a coal mine for 20 years, and in the end had a house, an airplane, and a family that was well taken care of. How is it that you feel entitled to that same lifestyle at 6 years into your, admittedly cushy, career?

 

[navyasw02]

Must be one hell of a union if a coal miner can afford a plane.

Look, I'm not disagreeing with you that times have changed and that we aren't as well off as our parents, but we're not too bad off. I make more now by myself than my parents did when I was growing up and I cant afford the house my parents bought then and still have now. Am I living paycheck to paycheck? No. I'm doing pretty damn well and I save about a quarter of my take home pay and still live within my means quite comfortably.

I'm also realistic enough that I dont expect that my standard of living in my early 30's to be the same as what my parent's in their mid 40s when I went off to school. My/our generation for some reason wants to jump out of college and have it as good as our parents without having to earn it and pay our dues. Thems the breaks.

 

[Santiagj]

Damn, I don't know anybody who owns their own private plane. Only people from these boards. I'm content with owning my own log splitter and a STIHL MS310 chainsaw. That thing is a beast. If my house were on fire the chainsaw would be 2nd on my list to get. 1st is my dog and I assume my wife will get herself out on her own.

 

[roadwreck]

If my house were on fire the chainsaw would be 2nd on my list to get. 1st is my dog and I assume my wife will get herself out on her own.

lol, I'm sure your wife would love to hear she must fend for herself b/c you are getting the dog and the chainsaw first.

 

[Santiagj]

Okay....the chainsaw will be 3rd then.

 

[roadwreck]

Okay....the chainsaw will be 3rd then.

they don't call it the widow-maker for nothing.

 

[Chucktown PE]

FWIW, I know plenty of engineers that have really nice boats and houses. They're 15 to 20 years older than I am but they live pretty damn good lifestyles. I'm not saying that I'm happy with my current pay, which is why I'm leaving my current employer, but I see no reason why I can't achieve a quality of life as good as my parents......provided our government doesn't screw up our economy any more than they already have.

 

[willsee]

Back in the day an engineering salery could buy you a single family home in a few years a paid for car and your wife could stay home and take care of the kids with a little extra money left over. My grandpa worked at a coal mine in the 40's through the 60's or when ever he retired and was able to have a house paid for and his wife stayed at home and raised 3 kids AND he was able to buy a PA-18 super cub and several decent rifles and go on hunting trips. I am lucky if I can put a new laminate floor in my 100 sq ft kitchen, thats just the way it is, I agree thats just life, but dont piss on my head and try to make me believe its raining, our generation is being ripped off big time and our kids will be the equivalent to endentured servants.

I doubt back in the day he was paying 100+ a month for cell phone, 100+ a month for internet/cable tv/landline, and various other things either that people feel entitled to.

I make enough money right now to support a wife, mortgage payment, apartment rent (while we are trying to sell our house), car payment + insurance, 2 student loan payments, and all the other bills that go along with that. You must be doing something really wrong with your salary if you can't put laminate floor in your tiny kitchen.

Not to mention I probably make the least amount of all of my friends that I graudated with. I don't have my PE yet and I don't make a high salary for my area. I had to move from Louisville, KY to Paducah, KY (the country) just to land a job that I wanted. Also paid more than what certain MEP firms in Louisville were offering.

 

[ironman]

Must be one hell of a union if a coal miner can afford a plane.
Look, I'm not disagreeing with you that times have changed and that we aren't as well off as our parents, but we're not too bad off. I make more now by myself than my parents did when I was growing up and I cant afford the house my parents bought then and still have now. Am I living paycheck to paycheck? No. I'm doing pretty damn well and I save about a quarter of my take home pay and still live within my means quite comfortably.

I'm also realistic enough that I dont expect that my standard of living in my early 30's to be the same as what my parent's in their mid 40s when I went off to school. My/our generation for some reason wants to jump out of college and have it as good as our parents without having to earn it and pay our dues. Thems the breaks.

The dollar amount might be more but what that dollar can buy is MUCH less, I mean heck my dad step mom and my fiance and I went out to pizza and it was like50-60$ with a decent coupon. Just to have pizza (thank God my dad was buying). I am able to save around 60% of my net pay but thats a drop in the hat when you start looking at what things like a wedding cost, house repairs etc. We are thinking about getting rid of the condo and renting a small apt so we can save more, not that my small condo is all that but its like almost 40% of my net income. Even with my bills cut down to nothing its still pretty staggering to look at saving 70k for a pitts S2C and thats not including the hangar kit and air port lease plus having it inspected and taking the wings off and shipping it up.

Its going to get harder and harder for our kids to shift money around to be able to do anything truely useful other than just eat and pay bills living nearly pay check to pay check (not totally but close enough). We will see what happens in the years to come.

 

[Chucktown PE]

Again with this airplane nonsense. An airplane is a very expensive LUXURY item. If you can afford an airplane, you're doing just fine money wise. Just because I can't afford an airplane and a hangar doesn't mean I'm living the life of a pauper.

 

[ironman]

Back in the day an engineering salery could buy you a single family home in a few years a paid for car and your wife could stay home and take care of the kids with a little extra money left over. My grandpa worked at a coal mine in the 40's through the 60's or when ever he retired and was able to have a house paid for and his wife stayed at home and raised 3 kids AND he was able to buy a PA-18 super cub and several decent rifles and go on hunting trips. I am lucky if I can put a new laminate floor in my 100 sq ft kitchen, thats just the way it is, I agree thats just life, but dont piss on my head and try to make me believe its raining, our generation is being ripped off big time and our kids will be the equivalent to endentured servants.

I doubt back in the day he was paying 100+ a month for cell phone, 100+ a month for internet/cable tv/landline, and various other things either that people feel entitled to.

I make enough money right now to support a wife, mortgage payment, apartment rent (while we are trying to sell our house), car payment + insurance, 2 student loan payments, and all the other bills that go along with that. You must be doing something really wrong with your salary if you can't put laminate floor in your tiny kitchen.

Not to mention I probably make the least amount of all of my friends that I graudated with. I don't have my PE yet and I don't make a high salary for my area. I had to move from Louisville, KY to Paducah, KY (the country) just to land a job that I wanted. Also paid more than what certain MEP firms in Louisville were offering.

I think people use the word "entitlement" to liberally, there is a difference between an entitlement and a reasonable expectation, everything I am talking about is reasonable expectation. An entitlement means you dont work for it. If you work then you expect to be paid, its not an entitlement, and an expectation of wages that keep up with the cost of living is also not an entitlement, its not wanting to be an endentured servant. Also as technology progresses there is an expectation that certian things become the status quo and are not entitlement if you are working, however, when thoes status quo technologies exceed a certian percentage of the average guys income it becomes an extortion, which is what cell phone and cable companies are doing right now.

That is why there are limitations on patents so the original inventor can make some money on his ingenuity but that people cant keep milking it forever, at a certian point it has to just be common knowlage to the benifit of society. The problem with cell phones and cable companies is the gov has not applied utility status to them and price fixed them like they do with gas and electric so its become a huge racket. I have a prepaid cell phone but its kind of a joke that I cant just have a cell in place of a land line without spending a fortune becuase there are no government controls on cell companies as a utility.

 

[ironman]

Again with this airplane nonsense. An airplane is a very expensive LUXURY item. If you can afford an airplane, you're doing just fine money wise. Just because I can't afford an airplane and a hangar doesn't mean I'm living the life of a pauper.

The point is if I wanted to be a pauper I would not have become a PE, the point is the doors to thoes "luxurys" or a better way of putting it is "a better life" are closing. The whole point of all this is not so that I can eat and have a basic vehical, I could work at a liquor store and do that. The luxurys are the motivation to go above and beyond (which is what communist countries lack, is that incentive). If the desire/expectation for a "luxury" through above and beyond performance/degrees/etc is going to be met with scorn then why work any harder than the next guy for your twinky.

 

[Dark Knight]

opcorn: Daaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnn.

This thread took a dive with a spiral included. How did it go from the easy state to pass the PE exam to...ahhh fill the blank.

As I said... opcorn:

 

[willsee]

Again with this airplane nonsense. An airplane is a very expensive LUXURY item. If you can afford an airplane, you're doing just fine money wise. Just because I can't afford an airplane and a hangar doesn't mean I'm living the life of a pauper.

The point is if I wanted to be a pauper I would not have become a PE, the point is the doors to thoes "luxurys" or a better way of putting it is "a better life" are closing. The whole point of all this is not so that I can eat and have a basic vehical, I could work at a liquor store and do that. The luxurys are the motivation to go above and beyond (which is what communist countries lack, is that incentive). If the desire/expectation for a "luxury" through above and beyond performance/degrees/etc is going to be met with scorn then why work any harder than the next guy for your twinky.

I think you need to take a personal finance course. Again I afford many things on just my salary and it isn't even the median that wilhelm posted earlier.

 

[ironman]

opcorn: Daaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnn.
This thread took a dive with a spiral included. How did it go from the easy state to pass the PE exam to...ahhh fill the blank.

As I said... opcorn:

Making the test easier for any group is a joke, the test is not about vets rights its about technical competency, I think every one agreed with that and the conversation segwayed.

 

[ironman]

Again with this airplane nonsense. An airplane is a very expensive LUXURY item. If you can afford an airplane, you're doing just fine money wise. Just because I can't afford an airplane and a hangar doesn't mean I'm living the life of a pauper.

The point is if I wanted to be a pauper I would not have become a PE, the point is the doors to thoes "luxurys" or a better way of putting it is "a better life" are closing. The whole point of all this is not so that I can eat and have a basic vehical, I could work at a liquor store and do that. The luxurys are the motivation to go above and beyond (which is what communist countries lack, is that incentive). If the desire/expectation for a "luxury" through above and beyond performance/degrees/etc is going to be met with scorn then why work any harder than the next guy for your twinky.

I think you need to take a personal finance course. Again I afford many things on just my salary and it isn't even the median that wilhelm posted earlier.

If by personal fiance you mean living in a tent squating on city property in order to save nearly 100% of your take home in order to complete personal financial goals in a timely manner then I guess so, the thing is it should not be that way. Maybe it would get me on the news then.

I remember a quote I read in a stock/investing paper about the dangers of being overly optomistic when a stock is tanking, sometimes people will say oh well it will eventually go back up its not like they are going out of buisness and the writer of the article responed to the hypothetical statement with, yea and we all eventually die too.

 

[Insaf]

5 points is a big difference, because I know hundreds of engineers are getting failing grade for just shy of 2-3 points.