Software Engineers Career Advancement & Salary

Software Engineers Career Advancement & Salary

The job market for Software Engineers is incredibly broad. There are software components involved in virtually every modern development you can think of. Computers control everything from aircraft to medical imaging devices, and these systems are conceived and executed by Software Engineers.

Since it’s such a big part of our daily lives, most people think immediately of software running on the Internet when they envision a career in this arena. While there are a plethora of rewarding jobs developing software for use on the Internet, it’s a good thing to know that there are also rewarding jobs in areas like computer simulations, artificial intelligence, real-time systems, aerospace, and embedded systems.

According to an October 18th, 2012 report on GlassDoor.com, Software Engineers at top companies average $92,648 annually. Google topped the compensation charts, paying their Software Engineers an average of $128,336.

The US Government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports earnings on multiple software development jobs, none specifically labeled as Software Engineers. However, the average annual earnings reported for several different Software Engineering-related career fields corroborate the salary figures reported by GlassDoor.

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Jobs for Civil Engineers

Jobs for Civil Engineers

Civil Engineers focus on six basic infrastructure systems. The structural engineer focuses on design and analysis of buildings and bridges. The geotechnical engineer designs and builds tunnels, pipelines, embankments, and foundations. The environmental engineer analyzes and solves problems involving air and water quality and management of waste and hazardous materials.

Water resources engineers seek ways to improve water sources through hydrology, meteorology, and fluid dynamics. Construction engineers manage projects for erecting buildings, digging tunnels, and laying roads. Transportation engineers design, construct and maintain highways, railways, airfields and ports. Graduates work for nongovernmental organizations, private companies, government agencies, public or private institutions, national research laboratories, or educational institutions. As for research, while masters-degree graduates can be involved through projects or assignments, it is primarily only those at the Ph.D. level who perform research in this field.

Bureau of Labor Statistics for Occupational Employment and Wages (BLS) show civil engineers as those who perform planning, designing of building structures and facilities, and overseeing their construction and maintenance. These structures include water and sewage systems, roads and railroads, airports and harbors, bridges and tunnels, channels and dams, irrigation projects and pipelines, and power plants. The Bureau's data include engineers for geo-technical, architectural, structural, traffic and ocean expertise. Hydrologists are not included.

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Marine Engineering degree

Marine Engineering degree

Marine engineering graduates have a number of career options. They may choose to work as naval combat or propulsion engineers or marine equipment specialists. Becoming a marine systems, marine structural, or ship’s engineer is also a possibility. Others may find the job duties of a marine equipment specialist or hydrographic surveyor more to their liking.

Many companies hiring freshly graduated marine engineers provide hands-on training using new employees’ academic knowledge as a foundation. In general, undergraduate students are expected to take advantage of marine engineering-related work-study jobs and internships to improve their likelihood of being hired post-graduation.

Individuals with a masters or PhD in Marine Engineering usually aim for jobs in government or academia. Working for private design, engineering and architectural firms is also a popular choice. Potential jobs for those holding advanced Marine Engineering degrees include:

• Engineering Professor
• Submarine Engineer
• Shipyard Project Engineer
• Marine Operations Manager

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Earning Your Vehicle Engineering Degree

Earning Your Vehicle Engineering Degree

Very few U.S. universities offer official degrees in vehicle engineering, and thus most practitioners in the field elect to study mechanical engineering. A Bachelor’s Degree is required as a minimum qualification for securing employment in the field. Many mechanical engineering programs integrate courses in automotive electronics and power systems into their curriculum. Students aspiring for the academic certification should demonstrate a strong interest and capacity in math and science courses such as calculus, physics, and more importantly computer science, as most vehicles and systems are based on digital platforms. Students who embark upon advanced education at the graduate level have the skills and training to thrive in the global marketplace. Professionals with Master’s degrees and/or Ph.D.’s have focused their efforts on hybrid electric automotive technology and systems cases. Furthermore, they have the ability to assume senior executive positions within their firms, while others branch out to begin their own ventures. Engineers with this level of academic and professional experience also teach college students. Other skills that have proven to serve aspiring candidates well include strong problem solving skills, superb written and oral communication capacities, multitasking, budget management, team-building and social skills, as well as independent judgment.

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Nuclear Engineering Degrees

Nuclear engineering is the most integrated of the engineering disciplines. The many components of nuclear systems (medical imaging, nuclear fission reactors, ultrasensitive contraband detectors, and fusion reactors) must all be understood as well as how they relate to one another. Nuclear engineers must be experts in their primary field, as well as knowledgeable in other fields such as electronics, thermodynamics, physics, and materials science. The fundamentals of one science are often the same tools used in solving problems in the other disciplines.

An undergraduate degree in nuclear science and engineering develops the fundamentals of nuclear processes—their production, interactions, and radiation measurements. These studies bring the student all the way to the design phase of nuclear-based systems, stressing social, health, and energy and security impacts.

Studies also incorporate computer methods, thermal-fluid engineering, and electronics—critical tools for a nuclear engineering career.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering prepares students for careers in the application and engineering of low-energy nuclear physics. This includes design, analysis, and operation of radiation systems and their applications, such as fission reactors and accelerators, and biomedical uses. Students are also prepared for graduate study in a wide range of engineering and physical sciences.

A five-year program offers an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering simultaneously.

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Masters of Chemical Engineering

Masters of Chemical Engineering 

Beyond receiving a B.S. in chemical engineering, students can pursue other graduate degrees. The master's degree (M.Sc.) for chemical engineering is the next level, and generally requires 5 quarters of study. Typically, a university will allow no more than 3 years for the completion of this degree, and a grade point average of 3.00 is required.

Doctor of philosophy (PhD) studies prepare graduates to take active parts in the ever-changing field of chemical engineering. A PhD can access all levels of industrial and research organizations such as national laboratories or university teaching.

There are too many lab and field study requirements to make online study suitable for a conventional B.S. in chemical engineering, but it is possible to earn a master of science degree in chemical engineering (MSCHE) online, through some sources. These opportunities are designed for outstanding students who already have engineering degrees. Qualifications and prerequisites are stringent.

Through chemical processes, chemical engineers find new and creative ways of making those things that improve our lives. Their work ranges from developing better skin-care products to finding materials that are more fire-resistant. Chemical engineers can be part of an innovative team at a manufacturing facility or working in cutting-edge research.
As a chemical engineer, you might be a quality control specialist for a corporation that manufactures cleaning products or jet airplanes. You might be discovering less destructive and more sustainable ways to extract and use natural resources. You might be designing or discovering the latest sensation in the eye care industry, better aerosol propellants, more durable paints, and ways to preserve foods and medicines longer. The sky is not the limit; it is just another avenue for what you might discover.

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Structural Engineering Degree

Structural Engineering focuses on the support integrity of large developments such as buildings, bridges and stadiums. Structural engineers are responsible for some of the most import constructions in history, including Washington Roebling who built the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and Gustave Eiffel who completed The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Structural engineers traditionally collaborate with a team of professionals including architects, urban planners and civil engineers, among others, to realize the completion of a project.

Federal and local governments as well as private enterprises contract these practitioners for work throughout the world, whereby they are entrusted to ensure public safety by meeting building codes and standards. For buildings, these professionals achieve this by developing the components such as roof framing columns and foundations. In bridges, they develop the piers, deck and/or stringers. In addition, they select the most appropriate materials including wood, concrete, steel and/or aluminum, thereby protecting the structure and surrounding communities in the case of natural disasters, weather, collisions or explosions. To determine the best materials, structural engineers rely on digital hardware and software applications for modeling and analysis.

If you want to pursue a career in structural engineering, use the list of schools below to learn more about programs that can help you get started!

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Software Engineering Degrees

Most people are familiar with older, more traditional engineering fields such as mechanical, civil, or electrical. Software Engineering is a relatively new discipline, but in today’s increasingly interconnected world, it is becoming more and more important. Software Engineering differs from Computer Science or Web Design in that you are formulating how the overall software system functions, and how it works within its intended hardware environment.

Software Engineers are responsible for every phase of a development project, not just for writing the computer code. Upon the initiation of a project, they make sure requirements are documented and validated. This assures the entire project is working toward the correct goal. They then move on to system design, often overseeing the creation of software prototypes to present to clients for additional validation.

Once the design is solid, Software Engineers manage the overall development effort to make sure the pieces are coming together as planned. Finally, they create and oversee test cases which assure system functionality is complete and traceable to the requirements generated at the time of project initiation. Software Engineering is the discipline that makes sure computer systems are developed methodically and result in building the right product with quality built in from the beginning.

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