Careers in Engineering

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Looking for an entry level job or internship in engineering? This is an overview of how to approach the search and a list of companies that might have relevant entry level and internship opportunities.

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.

Engineering Careers

Photo Credit: Flickr user usacepublicaffairs

Engineering Career Guide Overview

  1. What an Engineer Does
  2. A Typical Day for an Engineer
  3. Salary and Career Progression for an Engineer
  4. Best Locations for Engineering
  5. Pros and Cons of Being an Engineer
  6. What You Need to Know for a Career in Engineering
  7. Engineering Resources
  8. Careers Related to Engineering
  9. 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

Blogs and Websites

Networking Opportunities

Careers Related to Engineering

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Engineer 3, Software Development & Engineering - 2049
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Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Engineering

Detour Logo

Detour - Detour is a San Francisco, CA based company that set out to offer “immersive, location-aware audio walks” and completely knocked it out of the park.

See the complete Detour profile


Utilidata Logo

Utilidata - Utilidata is a Providence, RI based company that helps electric utilities be more efficient "through the use of new data extraction and digital processing techniques."

See the complete Utilidata profile


Lua Logo

Lua - Lua is an NYC based company focused on “empowering mobile workforces by giving them access to the people and information they need to get the job done."

See the complete Lua profile


CompStak Logo

CompStak - CompStak is based in NYC and creating "transparency in commercial real estate by gathering information that is hard to find, difficult to compile or otherwise unavailable.”

See the complete CompStak profile


Victorious Logo

Victorious - Victorious is a Santa Monica, CA based startup that is “motivated by the challenge of powering and uniting the world’s most creative communities.”

See the complete Victorious profile


Sprout Social Logo

Sprout Social - Sprout Social is a Chicago, IL based company that offers “a management and egnagement platform for social business.”

See the complete Sprout Social profile


Tripping Logo

Tripping - Tripping is a San Francisco, CA based company that has build “the world’s largest search engine for vacation and short-term rentals.”

See the complete Tripping profile


BioLite Logo

BioLite - BioLite is a Brooklyn based company that develops "products that make cooking with wood as clean safe and easy as modern fuels while also providing electricity.”

See the complete BioLite profile


Vayable Logo

Vayable - Vayable is based in SF/NYC and offers “a home for anyone looking to experience honest, local culture through experiences created and hosted by passionate local Insiders.”

See the complete Vayable profile


GuideSpark Logo

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


Fingerprint Logo

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


Lifesize Logo

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

See the complete Lifesize profile


SumAll Logo

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


August Logo

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


Backcountry Logo

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


Kanjoya Logo

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


The Resumator Logo

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


Noom Logo

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


Spatial Logo

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


RelayRides Logo

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


Disruptor Beam Logo

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


ZenPayroll Logo

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

See the complete ZenPayroll profile


Cater2.me Logo

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


Advanced Telemetry Systems Logo

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


ProQuest Logo

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


UpOut Logo

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


Course Hero Logo

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


AlphaSights Logo

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


TuneIn Logo

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


Xamarin Logo

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


Luminate Logo

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


Betaworks Logo

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

See the complete Betaworks profile


71lbs Logo

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


Forensicon Logo

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

See the complete Forensicon profile


Zepp Labs Logo

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


Triggit Logo

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


inDinero Logo

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


Callaway Logo

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


Liferay Logo

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


K2M Logo

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


Clever Logo

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


Houzz Logo

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

See the complete Houzz profile


Clover Logo

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


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


Flipboard Logo

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


LogRhythm Logo

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

See the complete LogRhythm profile


REVOLVE Logo

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


GoPro Logo

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


Extole Logo

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


AllTrails Logo

AllTrails - AllTrails is a San Francisco, CA based startup that provides outdoor enthusiast "with the information and tools to discover top destinations near them.”

See the complete AllTrails profile


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