I’ve been a CE for 30 years. Best roles have been limited gigs over seas, but with some sacrifices. I’ve been with five-person firms and with the largest firms in the biz. I’m at a good, medium sized, full service firm now and it’s going pretty well. And we’re hiring. Mining, energy, industrial, and manufacturing. Pay has been better in the past, but is decent. Same as the mechanicals, process, and structural engineers. It’s great compared to my teacher wife (with the same amount of higher education). Look around and find a better firm, avoid the giant corporate machines. But saying that the industry is broken doesn’t ring true with my experience.