Careers in Engineering

By Willy Franzen

Looking for an entry level job or internship in engineering? Here's an overview of how to approach the search and a list of companies that might have entry level and internship opportunities that will interest you.

See companies with engineering careers or search the latest engineering jobs and internships.

I recently saw Lil Wayne live. While I’m sure he’d gladly accept all the credit for his tour being awesome, I think some credit is due to the engineers who built each theater he performed on, his stage set, and the acoustics. While not every engineer’s work supports the world’s self-acclaimed #1 rapper, engineers do solve real world problems and improve the lives of people, using their knowledge of math and science.

Photo Credit: Flickr user usacepublicaffairs

Engineering Career Guide Overview

What an Engineer Does
A Typical Day for an Engineer
Salary and Career Progression for an Engineer
Best Locations for Engineering
Pros and Cons of Being an Engineer
What You Need to Know for a Career in Engineering
Engineering Resources
Careers Related to Engineering
Companies with Jobs and Internships in Engineering

What an Engineer Does

Engineers use their knowledge of math, economics, and science to solve real world problems and improve the lives of people. To do that they design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials, and processes.

Engineering careers offer a range of more than 25 specific fields ranging from environmental engineering, which deals with the prevention and control of environmental health hazards, to civic engineering, which designs city building structures, road systems and facilities. A popular field for engineers now is “green”, an area of the job market that is on the rise.

Engineering has four main branches:

Chemical engineering – The exploitation of both engineering and chemical principles in order to carry out large scale chemical process.
Civil engineering – The design and construction of public and private works, like roads, bridges, dams, and buildings.
Electrical engineering – The design and study of various electrical and electronic systems, such as electrical circuits, generators, motors, and telecommunications.
Mechanical engineering – The design of physical or mechanical systems, such as power and energy systems, aerospace products, weapon systems, and powertrains.

A Typical Day for an Engineer

On a typical day an engineer may spend time:

Traveling to different locations
Communicating by email and phone
Reviewing any operational problems
Meeting to discuss problems
Working on designs for future projects
Mapping things out on a computer
Crunching numbers

Salary and Career Progression in Engineering

The median starting salary for applicants with a Bachelor’s Degree in this field is $53,400. It is one of the highest paid majors and on average you can expect to make between $56,000-$119,000 as an engineer. Maybe you’ll decide to go into Environmental Engineering ($63,000/yr), Chemical Engineering ($79,000/yr), Electrical Engineering ($70,000/yr), Computer Engineering ($79,000/yr) or Structural Engineering ($66,000/yr).

Best Locations for Engineers

These hot spots have the highest salaries for engineering:

Syracuse, New York
Houston, Texas
San Jose, California
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Jersey City, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Atlanta, Georgia
Boston, Massachusetts

Pros and Cons of Being an Engineer

Pros

Variety of work
Well-compensated right out of the gate
Real impact on the world around you

Cons

It can take years before you see the final product of your work
Many problems can arise that you will need to fix
You need to be constantly learning

What You Need to Know for a Career in Engineering

To be an engineer you’ll need a Bachelor’s Degree which will cover courses in math, computers, science, and engineering. And you’ll have to select a specific type of engineering to study. Beyond that you’ll need to become a certified professional engineer if you want to provide services to the public. To do this, you’ll need to pass an examination called the Fundamentals of Engineering examination. Then you will have to gain up to four years of work experience before taking a second examination, called the Principles and Practice of Engineering. And continued studying and learning credits are sometimes required on an ongoing basis for professionals.

Engineering Resources

If engineering still sounds like your cup of tea, here are a few things you should do to get started.

Required Reading

Stuff You Don’t Learn in Engineering School: Skills for Success in the Real World by Carl Selinger
The Existential Pleasures of Engineering by Samuel C. Florman
Engineering Formulas by Kurt and Reiner Gieck
Remaking the World: Adventures in Engineering by Henry Petroski

Blogs and Websites

Networking Opportunities

Careers Related to Engineering

Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Engineering

GuideSpark - GuideSpark is a Menlo Park, CA based company that offers a “robust employee communications platform” to make HR's job easier.

See the complete GuideSpark profile

Job Title	Location
Senior Software Engineer - Ruby on Rails	Menlo Park, CA
Field Marketing Coordinator / Menlo Park	Menlo Park, CA
UX Designer	Menlo Park, CA
Writer	Menlo Park, CA
College Campus Recruiter	Menlo Park, CA

See all 26 job postings

Fingerprint - Fingerprint is a San Francisco, CA based company that has “designed a way to transition this parent and kid engagement into the digital world.”

See the complete Fingerprint profile

Job Title	Location
Caregiver/Personal Assistant	Red Bluff, CA
U.S. Department of the Interior, OEPC Intern	Philadelphia, PA
Clinical Research Coord I	Philadelphia, PA
6th Grade Teacher	Gilbert, AZ
6th grade teacher, Jr. High Teachers Education	Tucson, AZ

See all 11,316 job postings

Lifesize - Lifesize is an Austin, TX based company that has “set out to make video conferencing truly universal.”

See the complete Lifesize profile

Job Title	Location
IT Support for lab set up (AV experience required)	Boston, MA
Technical Project Manager (AV/IT)	Sunnyvale, CA
Office Administrator	Austin, TX
Hardware Lab Intern	Austin, TX
Office Administrator	Austin, TX

See all 85 job postings

SumAll - SumAll is a New York, NY based company that allows “you to see all your information in one place and provide you visibility into the past, present, and future.”

See the complete SumAll profile

Job Title	Location
Social Media Intern	New York, NY
Social Media Intern	New York, NY
Graphic Designer	New York, NY
Integrations Engineer	New York, NY
Front End Engineer	New York, NY

See all 4 job postings

August - August is a San Francisco, CA based company that has developed a “safe, simple, and social way to manage your home’s lock.”

See the complete August profile

Job Title	Location
Business Sales Representative (Outbound Sales for Largest Social Media Company)	Phoenix, AZ
Social Media Intern	New York, NY
Camp EdTech App Design and Programming Instructor (5th-8th) - Los Altos	Los Altos, CA
Seafood Specialist Hiring Event	Livingston, NJ
Student Internship	New York, NY

See all 33,762 job postings

Backcountry.com - Backcountry is a Park City, UT based company that gets “get people who get outside” and is all “about gear, grit, and connecting people to their passions.”

See the complete Backcountry.com profile

Job Title	Location
Logistics Analyst	Memphis, TN
Email Marketing Coordinator	Park City, UT
Gearhead -- Bike	West Valley City, UT
Merchandise Processor II - Bike	West Valley City, UT
Statistical Analyst, Marketing	Park City, UT

See all 17 job postings

Kanjoya - Kanjoya is a San Francisco, CA based company that transforms “emotional insights into remarkable customer experiences” by analyzing unstructured data in real time.

See the complete Kanjoya profile

Job Title	Location
VP of Enterprise Marketing	San Francisco, CA
Customer Success Manager	San Francisco, CA
Director of Sales	San Francisco, CA
iOS / Mobile Engineer	San Francisco, CA
Software Engineer	San Francisco, CA

See all 11 job postings

The Resumator - The Resumator is a Pittsburgh, PA based company that helps “great people build great companies” by bringing “talented professionals and compelling companies together.”

See the complete The Resumator profile

Job Title	Location
Office Administrator	New York, NY
Human Resources/ Administrative Assistant Fall Internship	New York, NY
Marketing Intern	Raleigh, NC
Software Engineer - Intern (Fall 2014)	Pittsburgh, PA
Venture Capital Computer Science - 2014 Fall Undergrad Intern	New York, NY

See all 55 job postings

Noom - Noom is an NYC based company that makes healthy living easy by using "cutting-edge technology to accurately monitor your progress and provide expert advice and analysis."

See the complete Noom profile

Job Title	Location
Design Intern	New York, NY
Digital Mental Health Intern	New York, NY
Acquisition Czar	New York, NY
Food Database Editor- Germany	New York, NY
UX Designer	New York, NY

See all 12 job postings

Spatial - Spatial is a Broomfield, CO based company that is “the leading provider of 3D components for technical application development across a broad range of industries.”

See the complete Spatial profile

Job Title	Location
Land GIS Analyst	Midland, TX
Sr. Unity Engineer (Gaming)	San Francisco, CA
Front Office Coordinator	Fairview, OK
Management and Program Analyst III	Washington, DC
Manufacturing Engineer	Lathrop, CA

See all 2,940 job postings

RelayRides - RelayRides is a San Francisco, CA based company that connects “vehicle owners whose cars would otherwise be idle with people who need a car.”

See the complete RelayRides profile

Job Title	Location
Financial Planning & Analysis Intern	San Francisco, CA
Product Manager Intern	San Francisco, CA
User Experience Design Intern	San Francisco, CA
Growth Marketing & Analytics Intern	San Francisco, CA
User Experience Design Intern	San Francisco, CA

See all 16 job postings

Disruptor Beam - Disruptor Beam is a Framingham, MA based company that is aiming “to create the most fan-centric game company in the world.”

See the complete Disruptor Beam profile

Job Title	Location
Front-end Engineer - Mobile/Tablet	Boston, MA
Gameplay/Server Engineer	Boston, MA
Support Manager	Boston, MA
Game System Designer - Star Trek	Boston, MA
Full-Stack Web Developer	Boston, MA

See all 5 job postings

ZenPayroll - ZenPayroll is a San Francisco, CA based company that has created “the easiest way to pay your employees.”

See the complete ZenPayroll profile

Job Title	Location
Account Executive	San Francisco, CA
Intern (Engineering)	San Francisco, CA
Business Recruiter	San Francisco, CA
Recruiting Coordinator	San Francisco, CA
Product Manager	San Francisco, CA

See all 17 job postings

Cater2.me - Cater2.me is a San Francisco, CA based company that “was founded with the goal of connecting inspired kitchens with the masses.”

See the complete Cater2.me profile

No current job openings.

Advanced Telemetry Systems - Advanced Telemetry Systems is an Isanti, MN based company that provides "researchers and managers in ecology and biology with animal tracking and monitoring products."

See the complete Advanced Telemetry Systems profile

Job Title	Location
RN Critical Care Internship Program	Tampa, FL
Electrical Engineer, EMS Network Applications	Vancouver, WA
RN Critical Care Internship Program	Tampa, FL
RN Critical Care Internship Program	Tampa, FL
Micu Dispatcher	Hackensack, NJ

See all 495 job postings

ProQuest - ProQuest is an Ann Arbor, MI based company that “is committed to empowering researchers and librarians around the world.”

See the complete ProQuest profile

Job Title	Location
Biology Researcher I	Virginia
Biology Researcher I	Alexandria, VA
Open Source Researcher	Herndon, VA
Principal System Administrator	Seattle, WA
e-book cataloging Internship	Ann Arbor, MI

See all 77 job postings

UpOut - UpOut is a San Francisco, CA based company that “is changing how locals discover unique events in their city.”

See the complete UpOut profile

Job Title	Location
Community Manager, Operations & Customer Loyalty INTERN - SF	San Francisco, CA
Community Manager, Operations & Customer Loyalty - SF	San Francisco, CA
Merchant Relations (Paid Training to Full Time)	San Francisco, CA
Customer Happiness & Support - SF	San Francisco, CA
Full Stack Engineer at Fast Growing Backed Startup	San Francisco, CA

See all 8 job postings

Course Hero - Course Hero is a Redwood City, CA based company that “provides a suite of digital educational resources that help you learn as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

See the complete Course Hero profile

Job Title	Location
Super Hero Wanted: Network Administrator	Rochester, NY
Course Hero Internship and Professional Development Program Overview	Buffalo, NY
Community Hockey Intern	Tampa, FL
Motion Graphics Internship	Tampa, FL
Tactical Marketing Intern	Golden, CO

See all 38 job postings

AlphaSights - AlphaSights is a New York, NY based company that provides “today’s investors, deal-makers and corporate strategists with access to the knowledge they need to succeed.”

See the complete AlphaSights profile

Job Title	Location
Entry Level Analyst	New York, NY
Associate	New York, NY
Analyst	New York, NY
Web designer	New York, NY
DevOps Engineer	New York, NY

See all 4 job postings

TuneIn - TuneIn is a Palo Alto, CA based company that “enables people to discover, follow, and listen to what’s most important to them — from sports, to news, to music, to talk.”

See the complete TuneIn profile

Job Title	Location
National Account Executive	New York, NY
Radio Announcers Part-time	New York, NY
TechOps Lead, Infrastructure	Palo Alto, CA
Media Supervisor, Digital – LA	Los Angeles, CA
National Account Executive	New York, NY

See all 33 job postings

Xamarin - Xamarin is a San Francisco, CA based company allows developers to write “apps entirely in C#, sharing the same code on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac.”

See the complete Xamarin profile

Job Title	Location
Technical Product Manager	Washington, DC
Web Operations Engineer	New Jersey
Junior Software Engineer	New Jersey
Sr. Mobile Developer	Redwood City, CA
Mid-Senior .NET or Xamarin Developer	Atlanta, GA

See all 297 job postings

Luminate - A lot of companies have put ads alongside images, but Luminate is a Mountain View, CA based company that is putting them in the actual images.

See the complete Luminate profile

Job Title	Location
Chief External Affairs Officer	Washington, DC
Digital Campaigns Producer	Washington, DC
Campaign Specialist, Digital Marketing and Fundraising	New York, NY
Data Analyst Internship	Mountain View, CA
Sales Intern	Mountain View, CA

See all 80 job postings

Betaworks - Betaworks is an NYC company that works "to create beneficial and transformative products for the socially connected world.”

See the complete Betaworks profile

Job Title	Location
Account Executive	New York, NY
Dots - Game Designer	New York, NY
Finance Operations Assistant	New York, NY
Finance and Operations Manager	New York, NY
Sales Director	New York, NY

See all 16 job postings

71lbs - 71lbs is a Fort Lauderdale, FL based startup “with a ‘set-and-forget’ system that allows our customers to easily and automatically collect late-shipment refunds."

See the complete 71lbs profile

Job Title	Location
Attendant, Terminal	Cincinnati, OH
Painter - 2nd Shift	Berlin, WI

See all 2 job postings

Forensicon - Forensicon is a Chicago, IL based “firm specializing in computer forensics analysis and consulting."

See the complete Forensicon profile

Job Title	Location
Computer Forensics Programming Internship	Chicago, IL
Marketing & Graphic Design Internship	Chicago, IL
Case Law Intern	Chicago, IL
Computer Forensics Internship Summer 2014	Chicago, IL
Office Manager	Chicago, IL

See all 7 job postings

Zepp Labs - Zepp Labs is a Los Gatos, CA based company that “empowers athletes and coaches with meaningful performance information to help them immediately improve their game.”

See the complete Zepp Labs profile

Job Title	Location
National Sales Manager - Sports Specialty Channel - US	Los Gatos, CA
National Sales Representative - Sports Specialty Channel	Los Gatos, CA
Senior UI Designer	Los Gatos, CA
Senior QA Engineer	Los Gatos, CA
Senior Front-End Engineer / UI Developer	Los Gatos, CA

See all 8 job postings

Triggit - Triggit is a San Fran based company that “enables advertisers and agencies to build, run, measure, and optimize retargeting-driven display campaigns from a single platform.”

See the complete Triggit profile

Job Title	Location
VP of Marketing	San Francisco, CA
Account Intern	San Francisco, CA
Account Manager	San Francisco, CA
Jr. Brazilian Account Analyst (English Speaking)/ Analista Digital (Inglês fluente)	United States
Product Manager	San Francisco, CA

See all 25 job postings

inDinero - inDinero is a San Francisco, CA based company that will "take care of your accounting, file your corporate tax returns, and manage your payroll.”

See the complete inDinero profile

Job Title	Location
Account Executive -- No Cold Calling!	San Francisco, CA
Client Services Consultant	San Francisco, CA
Sales Assistant Intern	San Francisco, CA
Sales Consultant *Superstar	San Francisco, CA

See all 4 job postings

Callaway - Callaway is a Carlsbad, CA based golf company that aims to "deliver the best performing products the game has ever known."

See the complete Callaway profile

Job Title	Location
Community Support Supervisor (Exp in Mental Health required)	Mexico, MO
Sr. Flash Engineer	San Francisco, CA
Sr. Unity Engineer (Gaming)	San Francisco, CA
.NET Server-side Engineer, Gaming	San Francisco, CA
Scala Software Engineer	San Francisco, CA

See all 111 job postings

Liferay - Liferay is a Diamond Bar, CA based company that helps clients “build modern websites and portals to engage customers, partners, and employees.”

See the complete Liferay profile

Job Title	Location
Java / Open Source Developers	Minnetonka, MN
Liferay Portal Consultant +	New York, NY
Senior UI Developer	Plano, TX
Business Analyst	Cedar Rapids, IA
Java Liferay Developer	Monterey, CA

See all 488 job postings

K2M - K2M is based in Leesburg, VA and develops “technological innovations which enable surgeons to more effectively treat the world’s most complex spinal disorders.”

See the complete K2M profile

Job Title	Location
Database Marketing Assistant	Leesburg, VA
SolidWorks Designer	Leesburg, VA
Credit and Collections Associate	Leesburg, VA
Design Checker	Leesburg, VA
Spine Sales Consultant	United States

See all 16 job postings

Clever - Clever is a San Francisco, CA whose software syncs "with your school’s student information system to provide an amazing experience for teachers and students.”

See the complete Clever profile

Job Title	Location
Sales Representative	Fredericksburg, VA
Management Development Program, Claims Management Training	Fredericksburg, VA
Director, LCS	Jersey City, NJ
Management Development Program, Sales Management Training	Fredericksburg, VA
Product Modeling Analyst II	Chevy Chase, MD

See all 835 job postings

Houzz - Houzz is a Palo Alto, CA based company that offers “a collaborative platform for home remodeling and design."

See the complete Houzz profile

Job Title	Location
Social Media Marketing and Public Relations Internship	Beverly Hills, CA
Interior Design Intern	Beverly Hills, CA
Kitchen & Bath Sales Designer	Rockville, MD
Interior Design Assistant (must be proficient in AutoCad & Photoshop)	Malibu, CA
Office Coordinator	Irvine, CA

See all 45 job postings

Clover - Clover is a Mountain View, CA based company that replaces the “cash register, payment terminal, receipt printer, and barcode scanner with an all-in-one solution.”

See the complete Clover profile

Job Title	Location
Warehouse Associate-Entry Level	Oglesby, IL
Sr Software Engineer	Santa Monica, CA
Senior Programmer HL7 cloverleaf	Silver Spring, MD
Developer (Mid-Level)/Developer and Tester II	McLean, VA
Developer/Tester	McLean, VA

See all 351 job postings

$Motion Math Logo$

Motion Math - Motion Math is a San Francisco, CA based company that creates “awesomely fun, rigorously educational learning games."

See the complete Motion Math profile

Job Title	Location
SOFTWARE ARCHITECT - Medical Devices	New Hampshire
3D Application Programmer	Boulder, CO
DETAIL MACHINIST II	Tulsa, OK
Production Artist – Framing	Columbus, OH
Process Consultant II	Green Bay, WI

See all 1,643 job postings

Flipboard - Flipboard is a Palo Alto, CA based company that offers a “single place to discover, collect and share the news you care about.”

See the complete Flipboard profile

Job Title	Location
Accounting Manager	Palo Alto, CA
Managing Editor	Boston, MA
Software Development Engineer In Test	Redmond, WA
Software Development Engineer In Test ll	Redmond, WA
Software Development Engineer In Test	Redmond, WA

See all 15 job postings

LogRhythm - Boulder, CO based LogRhythm is “the largest and fastest growing independent security intelligence company in the world.”

See the complete LogRhythm profile

Job Title	Location
Marketing Analytics & Sytems Intern	Boulder, CO
Marketing Analytics & Sytems Intern	Boulder, CO
Marketing Analytics & Systems Intern	Boulder, CO
Technical Writer	Boulder, CO
Technical Writer	Boulder, CO

See all 83 job postings

REVOLVE - REVOLVE is based in Cerritos, CA and is the “virtual home for an unrivaled collection of the world’s most coveted brands.”

See the complete REVOLVE profile

Job Title	Location
Front Office Coordinator	Fairview, OK
Education Consultant	San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Tax Advisor	Fairview, OK
Savvy and Creative Publicist	Los Angeles, CA
Industrial Electrician	Grafton, OH

See all 887 job postings

GoPro - GoPro is a San Mateo, CA based company that has built a huge business by offering “the world’s most versatile camera.”

See the complete GoPro profile

Job Title	Location
Executive Assistant	San Mateo, CA
ROCK THE PLANET! Internship ( Video Resume Required)	Kew Gardens, NY
Assistant Editor - Graphic Specialization (Contract)	San Mateo, CA
Photographer/Editor	Fayetteville, AR
Shooter/Producer	New York, NY

See all 113 job postings

Extole - Extole is a San Francisco, CA based company that specializes in helping “brands acquire new customers at scale by rewarding existing customers.”

See the complete Extole profile

Job Title	Location
Client Services	Charlotte, NC
Account Executive (SF)	San Francisco, CA
Business Development Representative	San Francisco, CA
Software Development Engineer in Test	Seattle, WA
DevOps Engineer	Seattle, WA

See all 9 job postings

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Careers in Engineering

Engineering Career Guide Overview

What an Engineer Does

A Typical Day for an Engineer

Salary and Career Progression in Engineering

Best Locations for Engineers

Pros and Cons of Being an Engineer

Pros

Cons

What You Need to Know for a Career in Engineering

Engineering Resources

Required Reading

Blogs and Websites

Networking Opportunities

Careers Related to Engineering

Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Engineering

See more companies with entry level jobs and internships in engineering: