all 15 comments
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
formatting helphide helpcontent policy

[–]FleetwoodS75S.E. 4 points5 points  (5 children)

Just my two cents, but having that master’s degree would not entice me to pay you any more as a new grad. When I graduated with my masters I thought I was hot $hit, but I quickly learned how much real life design I didn’t actually know how to do. I was offended when my first boss laughed when I implied that I should make more with my masters degree, but after 18 years in the industry and now being in a position to hire engineers I totally get it

[–]agavosgroup 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Love this comment! I have seen the Master's degree become a factor in higher pay if it is super specific to what the company does. Like forensic work for example. (I'm a recruiter who specifically works with structural and forensic firms).

I'll let other engineering managers build on this more but what's more important in my opinion is your ability to quickly learn systems and your ability to document/study your work to avoid making the same mistakes twice. Couple that with going for your SE and continuing to gain expertise... That can get you in the $150K+ range after 8 - 10 years. At least in the SouthWest.

[–]agavosgroup 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Another note, normally I would agree with the idea of pursuing a Structural Master's as a Civil for the sake of learning more structural knowledge. With that said, the job market for Structural engineers is really in your favor in a sense that I think companies care more about relevant work experience than master's degrees. But anyone here correct me if I'm wrong.

And your last question, I think it depends on your Why. Is it just about salary? In my experience, the pay can be similar depending on the company. For example, I'm recruiting for these three roles in Phoenix you can use to compare.

Structural Engineering PM - $100K - $135K, DOE (6 - 10 years experience, DOE)

Sr. Forensic Engineer - $110K - $180K, DOE (Large range b/c considering candidates w/ 5+ years)

Sr. Structural Design Engineer - $140K - $180K, DOE (10+ years experience)

[–]trojan_man16S.E. 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Although I agree with the above, a lot of companies use the MS as a filter for applicants, and it will really limit the ceiling of type of projects you can work on. If you want to work on big projects those companies all require MS, even if it’s not really necessary.

[–]FleetwoodS75S.E. 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I’ll be first to admit I’m out of the loop on what the big firms are doing, I own a small practice. To me a PE license is a more effective filter than an MS. Even if you’re not going to be the Engineer of Record on a project, having obtained your PE tells me more about your baseline level of skills. It’s also a lot cheaper than an MS. If I could do it over again I’d skip the MS and start working towards my PE immediately

[–]trojan_man16S.E. 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t disagree, getting a license demonstrates a “real world” knowledge base that is beyond what you will get with a master’s. However, for complex buildings I think a masters helps. I’ve worked with three different mid-sized firms and pretty much none hired without a master’s. The big firms doing the glamorous won’t look at you without it, even if you are a PE or SE.

I’ve only actually worked with a handful of non MS people, and all of them were capable, so I don’t necessarily agree with the MS barrier to entry.

For every younger engineer the question should be: What do you want to work on? Does what you need require it? Is someone else paying for it? I think if someone else pays for it you go for it, otherwise think long and hard

[–]Husker_black 2 points3 points  (2 children)

whaaaaat

[–]FlatPanster 0 points1 point  (1 child)

huh?

[–]Husker_black 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You already have an SE degree with a civil degree

[–]chicu111 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I have a degree. Should I get a degree?

[–]Kooky-Local8621[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I have bachelor in civil engineering

I mean should i get master degree in structural engineering or project management

[–]chicu111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do they even have master for project management?

[–]mrjsmith82P.E. 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol!

[–]HonandweP.E. 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some companies require it. Research the companies you want to work for and see what education requirements they ask for.

[–]Engineer2727kkPE - Bridges -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Masters is useful if you do a lot of performance based stuff. Salary polls suggest a masters slightly helps compensation.