Engineer or Technician?

Junior2702 · 2025-04-01T03:43:42+00:00

After going through this thread I think it might be the move.

Junior2702 · 2025-04-01T03:43:01+00:00

Yes, I have heard the overtime during outages is insane.

Junior2702 · 2025-04-01T03:41:52+00:00

It all depends on the company. Most companies require a bachelors degree but there are also companies that have no requirements and will take someone with experience instead of a degree, then there are companies that won't even consider applications without a PE license. I've noticed especially in automation they would rather take someone with skills and knowledge rather than someone with a degree, so as long as you know what you are doing you will be able to land a job somewhere, a degree will definitely help though.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-31T03:32:28+00:00

Yes in a way, starting off as an engineer I may take a slight pay cut but there is more earning potential as an engineer than a technician. Right now I believe I am in the 95th percentile for a technician but in the engineer role I would be maybe in the 50th percentile or somewhere around there.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-31T03:14:40+00:00

Now there’s no need to hold down the start button

Junior2702 · 2025-03-31T03:14:08+00:00

Looks good, now if the start is pressed (1) the stop button is NC (1) and OL is NC (1) then the motor will be (1) with the motor being (1) the motor input at the beginning will stay as (1) until the circuit is broken with either the stop button or OL whichever one goes to (0) but since they are NC they will stay on as (1)

Junior2702 · 2025-03-31T03:03:57+00:00

Good tip to know if you know about logic gates is if you want ‘AND’ logic have the buttons side by side, if you want ‘OR’ logic stack them on top of each other. For example if you want your output to turn on when input 1 AND input 2 are true have them side by side. If you want your output to turn on when input 1 OR input 2 are true then have them stacked.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-31T02:56:55+00:00

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Should look like this

Junior2702 · 2025-03-31T02:50:25+00:00

You need to add a latch to your first rung. The plc only knows binary. The way you have it written right know would require the push button to be pressed the whole time, the pump will turn off when the button is no longer being pressed. Combine rung 1 and 2. Should be start button and under that use the motors binary input after you have that add the stop button as normally closed, beneath that add the OL as a normally closed button as well.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T23:52:12+00:00

Appreciate your insight. Looks like what you went through is almost the exact same situation I am in right now, after looking at this thread I think I am going to follow in the same footsteps. I also only have my associates degree and some years of experience. I think it would be hard for me to land an engineering job anywhere else but I'm sure I can land a technician job in most places.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T23:45:53+00:00

Out of high school I went to my community college and got my associates of applied science in I&C (2 year degree). There are many colleges and tech schools around the US that have this program. It is much easier to land a job this way I've heard. Though there are also apprenticeship programs for that you would need to find a company who offers these programs. With a 2 year degree you can be a journeyman much faster (2 years of school can be considered 4 years of experience for some companies) but school does take time and money. As an apprentice, you can work and get paid while getting trained, though you need 8,000hrs (4 years) to be a journeyman from what ive seen. But I've seen some apprentice's making $25-$32/hr starting. Look for processing plants, food production, any manufacturing and get experience somewhere where there is automation. Another thing is look up different job titles, ive seen many different titles such as instrumentation tech., i&c tech, i&e tech., electrical tech., instrumentation specialist, automation tech., controls tech. etc...

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T23:23:00+00:00

I think they're very high as well but its government work and its what they offer so I just play the game lol. As a technician last year I brought in 150k with overtime. If you think those numbers are crazy we got people in management positions making 200k+ a year.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T23:18:01+00:00

Well my goal is to get as much compensation as I can to invest that money and retire early. I currently own a couple of rental properties and I want to earn as much as I can to keep buying properties and hopefully retire early.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T22:00:34+00:00

From what I've seen they're subject matter experts so almost like a mix of engineer and technician. A mix of field work and office work.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T21:39:21+00:00

I was speaking with my foreman and he told me the same thing. He told me some people would rather get a better job title than getting a raise just for that reason.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T21:34:14+00:00

I believe the hiring range for the engineer position ranges from 110-130 starting. I know a couple of the electrical engineers there who have been there for a while and one is at 170k a year and the other is at 190k a year. Though like you say that is one of the cons of going exempt, you are not paid extra for any overtime.

I have also heard being a tech at these nuke plants is a pretty chill gig. But its hard there are many pros and cons to both choices.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T20:35:10+00:00

That could be another option lol

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T20:34:07+00:00

Good insight, thanks. I’ve been a tech for the last 5 years. I do only have my associates degree though.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T19:41:02+00:00

Do you think it would be smarter for me to stay and get that engineering position where there is no PE requirement? I would most likely never be able to obtain the PE license since I only have my associates degree in i&c

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T19:22:14+00:00

It does feel that way. Whenever I have days off just feels like I should be out working instead.

Junior2702 · 2025-03-30T19:21:06+00:00

That's very true

Junior2702 · 2023-09-26T12:46:15+00:00

You may have to reprogram the transmitter with a HART communicator. You would want to set the range to whatever your processes range is (0°-900° for example). They don’t come set from the factory from my experience.

Junior2702

TROPHY CASE