How Much of Pay Raise after PE Certification?

[Dleg]

^^I like to hold mine in my hand. But so far, that's all I've gotten out of it. (satisfaction, that is)

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I'm still anticipating holding my PE-ness, but there's no word yet on whether they'll let me have it yet.

 

[cocoloco]

OK guys, lets talk REAL $$. I have no PE or EIT. However that said, I bring in 75K here in Colorado in as an electrical designer. The pay is for what I know and can do. I have been in the industry for 30 years now, have a masters license and a contractors license, I QC EVERY P.E. drawings in the shop I work in, even the owners. Become an expert in the NEC, and learn ACADMEP or REVIT, and you will earn top dollar. Lets face it 100% of electricians getting their Journey license (5 years) know more about electrical engineering than anyone just graduating from college. In electrical its all about the code. Become an expert in the NEC and the rest will follow.
All this said, the big money will always be owning your own company and not working for someone else. Been there done that

Please take no offense to this but here I am going to make a point. You say you have been in the industry for 30 years and then you brag about making 75K????? Sir, any kid graduating from college tomorrow and getting serious about learning the business and passing the EIT and PE will be making more than you in about 6 years flat. Like I said, take no offense....

 

[Dark Knight]

Please take no offense to this but here I am going to make a point. You say you have been in the industry for 30 years and then you brag about making 75K????? Sir, any kid graduating from college tomorrow and getting serious about learning the business and passing the EIT and PE will be making more than you in about 6 years. Like I said, take no offense....

Ouch. Easy boys.

 

[KenC]

I live up in the mountains here in Colorado. To the best of my knowledge down in Denver the average pay for an Electrical PE is 70K in Colorado Springs it drops to 60K. I also took a big cut going from the field (union at 140K in San Francisco LU6) to the mountains of Colorado I am the third highest paid person in my company of 27 people. But like I said, the real money is in owing your own business. Billables are around 175K to 195K per engineer/designer per year. In California I owned a Design build company, but got tired of pulling teeth in order to get paid. Its the same thing in the consulting business, our accountant is always on the phone getting clients to pay.

All this said, what are people REALLY getting paid out there? Cough up the numbers guys. Now I know if you are in NY or California you will be making way more. But I wont trade my 37 acres and horses up in the mountains for anything down in the city

 

[roadwreck]

I have been in the industry for 30 years now, have a masters license and a contractors license..

It would seem that 30 years of experience would help most people when it comes to salary.

 

[Dark Knight]

But I wont trade my 37 acres and horses up in the mountains for anything down in the city

Neither I would.

 

[DVINNY]

Passing my PE got me $200/mo. increase = $2,400 /yr.

I agree with many above that the big jump in pay happens when you switch companies. I am with my 3rd company in the ten years since graduating, and I hate to think about jumping to a fourth.

I'd prefer to stay at one place but $$ will more than likely have me jump again.

I actually like where I'm at, but they have hired several in since I've been here, and given them signing bonuses, higher pay then me, etc. etc. and I have more projects, and more responsibility.

It's a shame that companies do that.

I guess I should have demanded more when I came, but at the time was still an E.I. and figured the P.E. would give me the 'clout' to demand more $$

 

[benbo]

I just ran a quick search on monster for EE's in Denver and Aurora. A lot of the jobs that listed salary paid over 75K. As for me, I now make around 100K (after a couple raises) but I'm in California so I make more than the mountains of Colorado. Although I am in government. When I was in high-tech in 1997 I made significantly more, plus stock options. And everyone I know in aerospace with a few years experience makes 6 figures.

Contrary to what this fellow says, a lot of highly paid electrical engineers have nothing to do with the NEC. Being an engineer is often very different from being an electrical system designer or electrician. The NEC is a codebook - you can look things up in it. It is a tool, just like the software you mention. Obviously an electrician or designer who uses it every day is going to have more of it memorized. Almost nobody studies this in engineering school, because you can teach this to yourself.

THe attitude here is the same I got from technicians my whole career (and I was a technician myself while going to college), and lately from skilled trades people. Every electrician thinks they are smarter than every EE, every mechanic thinks they are smarter than every ME. But you can't generalize. Some electricians do know a lot more than some EEs, and visa versa. But in general they are completely different jobs.

 

[KenC]

I just ran a quick search on monster for EE's in Denver and Aurora. A lot of the jobs that listed salary paid over 75K. As for me, I now make around 100K (after a couple raises) but I'm in California so I make more than the mountains of Colorado. Although I am in government. When I was in high-tech in 1997 I made significantly more, plus stock options. And everyone I know in aerospace with a few years experience makes 6 figures.
Contrary to what this fellow says, a lot of highly paid electrical engineers have nothing to do with the NEC. Being an engineer is often very different from being an electrical system designer or electrician. The NEC is a codebook - you can look things up in it. It is a tool, just like the software you mention. Obviously an electrician or designer who uses it every day is going to have more of it memorized. Almost nobody studies this in engineering school, because you can teach this to yourself.

I believe this is where the difference is. The only feild that REQUIRES a PE stamp to the besst of my knowledge is in the construction industry. One does not need to stamp any other drawings to my knowledge. Doing fault clacs/voltage drop and wire sizing and light fixture layout with photometrics. This is the Industry in which I am. Yes the other side of EE gets paid MUCH more than we do.

Part of the problem is back in the early 80's when they combined Electrical (power) with Electronics and called them ALL Electrical. They are as different form one another as English is from History. The real degree for a PE is ArchEng which is in only 14 universities according to ABET.

So tell me, outside of construction engineering, what good is a PE

 

[benbo]

I'll let other people argue the value of the PE, because to a certain degree, I agree with what you are saying - at least for EEs. I am not in construction, I deal with the power industry, from a government point of view. I was required to get the PE, but I'll admit I haven't stamped anything. I do think it is much more important in construction and related industries, and especially for civil engineers.

 

[DVINNY]

my office is over 11,000' asl

I'll look down and try to see ya, because when I finally passed the PE, it put me on Cloud 9.

^^^ ha ha. Get it?

 

[Dleg]

I just ran a quick search on monster for EE's in Denver and Aurora. A lot of the jobs that listed salary paid over 75K. As for me, I now make around 100K (after a couple raises) but I'm in California so I make more than the mountains of Colorado. Although I am in government. When I was in high-tech in 1997 I made significantly more, plus stock options. And everyone I know in aerospace with a few years experience makes 6 figures.
Contrary to what this fellow says, a lot of highly paid electrical engineers have nothing to do with the NEC. Being an engineer is often very different from being an electrical system designer or electrician. The NEC is a codebook - you can look things up in it. It is a tool, just like the software you mention. Obviously an electrician or designer who uses it every day is going to have more of it memorized. Almost nobody studies this in engineering school, because you can teach this to yourself.

THe attitude here is the same I got from technicians my whole career (and I was a technician myself while going to college), and lately from skilled trades people. Every electrician thinks they are smarter than every EE, every mechanic thinks they are smarter than every ME. But you can't generalize. Some electricians do know a lot more than some EEs, and visa versa. But in general they are completely different jobs.

Oops - I was wrong: THIS is your best post ever, benbo. Well spoken. Cracks me up, too: I used to get sh!# all the time from my operators in the oil field because I didn't know anything about repairing and maintaining diesel engines. They would always laugh at me and say "and you call yourself a MECHANICAL engineer?" Most of them were smart enough to just be joking. Most of them.

I also agree with much of what KenC is saying. Not that the way he first said it doesn't rub me the wrong way a little. But he's got a good point and I generally respect experience over certification. (I only got my certification this year, after 17 years of doing what I consider to be PE-level work).

Good call on trading a little salary for a nice place in the mountains, too.

 

[benbo]

Oops - I was wrong: THIS is your best post ever, benbo. Well spoken. Cracks me up, too: I used to get sh!# all the time from my operators in the oil field because I didn't know anything about repairing and maintaining diesel engines. They would always laugh at me and say "and you call yourself a MECHANICAL engineer?" Most of them were smart enough to just be joking. Most of them.
I also agree with much of what KenC is saying. Not that the way he first said it doesn't rub me the wrong way a little. But he's got a good point and I generally respect experience over certification. (I only got my certification this year, after 17 years of doing what I consider to be PE-level work).

Good call on trading a little salary for a nice place in the mountains, too.

Thanks Dleg. You're right - often people make good points but they come across the wrong way in emails and on the internet. I uderstand what KenC is getting at. And opinions on the PE exam run strong on this message board, especially since most of us but our hearts and soul into it. I've said my peace on the issue in past threads, I'll let other's debate that from now on.

As far as the other thread about Tom - well, he is the gift that keeps on giving around here.

 

[Dleg]

Yeah, I will leave the "what good is a PE" comment alone too, having also jumped into that battle before. It's impossible to sway people's opinions, especially people who do not have a PE and think it should not matter. I've been in that position before, but the truth is I am far better off with my PE license then I was before. Even though I have yet to stamp anything or even get a pay raise.

Tom - sometimes I think they should let that guy back in just for entertainment's sake.

 

[PE-ness]

^^It's called PE-ness envy. Very common.

 

[KenC]

I never said I did not believe in the PE, just in the way that it is administered. I will be sitting for it next year, my points are more toward the antiquated rules governing it. If the test is so consuming, why the disparity between ABET and non ABET schools in allowing admittance to the exam. You either pass or you dont. That said I restate my point. By law the only industry that a PE MUST stamp and sign is building construction, therefore if the main entrance is schooling, it should be limited to an archeng degree. Like I said before, a degree in glass engineering from an ABET school is crazy but the rules allow it. It is just as crazy to allow any PE in most not all states to sign any drawing. Their own rules invalidate and weaken the value of a PE to where it is almost a joke. There isn't an electrical PE I know (after over 30 years I know a lot) that wont defer to a master electrician every time.

 

[Guest]

By law the only industry that a PE MUST stamp and sign is building construction

Incorrect sir.

There are other industries that DO require PE stamps. My industry - environmental remediation, for instance requires a PE stamp. Moreover, it is not your industry that requires the stamp it is ENGINEERING that requires the stamp.

Recommendation:

You better learn more about engineering before professing you KNOW a lot after 30 yrs. For instance, the definition of engineering might be good for starters.

JR

 

[Dleg]

I'm listening. Not entirely convinced, but listening.

correction - it's not just "buildings" but all other civil works that require PE certifications as well, including roads, bridges, traffic control systems, water and sewer systems, etc. I'd say those are pretty important subjects in terms of public health and safety. So, I'd add "civil" engineering to your list of only one worthwhile degree above, an all the subsets of civil, as well.

But having worked in other fields where licensing isn't even considered, I have a broader view than some here, and overall I agree. The value of a PE is pretty much zero outside the civil and building industry.

But after thinking about this quite a bit over the past few months of debate (you should read the threads in the general engineering forum), I am more convinced than ever that all engineers need to band together to protect themselves, and I can't think of a better way to do that than through the PE licensing system. Although, it certainly needs improvement to be able to provide value for the "exempted" industries. Nevertheless, as long as there is such a large proportion of engineers who refuse to entertain the subject of licensing, we will continue to be a split profession, and will continue to get paid second-rate wages compared to other professions who look out for themselves better, like attorneys and doctors. I'm not in favor of labor unions, but I think engineers as a whole need to at least adopt the "solidarity" qualities of unions if we ever expect to do better, as a whole.

 

[KenC]

I consider "civil" to be part of the construction industry. I also believe that all PE's at leat electrical must pass the masters (I do not know if other trades have masers exams) test as well as work with the tools on for at least 2 years. I work with several people from other countries and the all have told me that in their countries they must work with the tools on before sitting for the PE