Engineering is an extensive subject, and with so many types of engineering to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down which one is for you. To help you to decide, you should try and identify what you’re passionate about. What gets you excited, and what do you spend your free time on? All types of engineering include some form of problem-solving (and generally focus on making life easier), but what engineering-related solution gives you the biggest buzz? If you choose a subject you’re naturally interested in, you’ll find it easier to stay motivated during your course and stay involved with the subject whilst pursuing an engineering career.
Know more about Most Marketable Engineering Courses In The World, which engineering is best in world, which is the best engineering course, 5 major field of engineering that will be very important in future, mechanical engineering, most demanding engineering field in future 2025 & best engineering courses with high salary
most marketable engineering degree
Here’s a rundown of the various branches of engineering, to help you decide which one could be for you.
Aerospace/aeronautical engineering
This branch of engineering deals with the research, design, development, construction, testing, science and technology of aircraft. You could also study astronautical engineering, focusing on spacecraft and the deep conditions of space.
This type of engineering is for you if:
- You’re fascinated by the history and methodology behind flying machines, from the earliest conceptual sketches to the advancement of modern jets.
- You have a keen interest in the mechanics of flight travel.
- You’re intrigued by computer simulations and in seeing how aircraft machinery performs under extreme conditions.
Aeronautical engineering specializations
If you study aeronautical engineering, you could specialize in aerodynamics, aeroelasticity, composites analysis, avionics, propulsion and structures and materials. Find out more here.
Discover our most recent ranking of the best universities for aeronautical engineering here.
Chemical engineering
This type of engineering concerns the use of chemical and biological processes to produce useful materials or substances. It’s a multidisciplinary subject, combining natural and experimental sciences (such as chemistry and physics), along with life sciences (such as biology, microbiology and biochemistry), plus mathematics and economics.
This type of engineering is for you if:
- You have an analytical mindset.
- You’re also considering studying chemistry or another natural/life science.
- You’re interested in the chemical processes behind producing everyday items.
Chemical engineering specializations
If you choose to study chemical engineering, you may like to specialize in chemical reaction engineering, plant design, process engineering, process design or transport phenomena. You can read more about these here.
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is the professional practice of designing and developing infrastructure projects. This can be on a huge scale, such as the development of nationwide transport systems or water supply networks, or on a smaller scale, such as the development of single roads or buildings.
This type of engineering is for you if:
- You’re interested in designing and building things.
- You’re interested in mechanics, hydraulics, geotechnics (using knowledge of the Earth’s crust to solve construction problems), materials science and statistical analysis.
- You’d like to develop your design skills, particularly in computer-aided design.
Civil engineering specializations
Common specializations of civil engineering include structural engineering, architectural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering and hydraulic engineering. You can read more about these here
Computer engineering
Computer engineering concerns the design and prototyping of computing hardware and software. This subject merges electrical engineering with computer science, and you may prefer to study computer engineering alongside one of these similar subjects.
This type of engineering is for you if:
- You’re interested in an engineering career related to computers – for example as a software developer or computer engineer.
- You’re interested in mathematics, science and computers, and want to learn more about how computers operate at a physical level.
- You want to produce new products and systems based on the technological advances of computer scientists.
Computer engineering specializations
You may find that computer engineering specializations overlap with those offered in computer science degrees, for example with subjects such as computer graphics and network security. However, specialized subjects generally unique to computer engineering include microprocessor/microcontroller systems, computer architecture and VHDL (hardware description language) design.
Electrical/electronic engineering
Electrical and electronics engineering both focus on applications of electrical power. The two fields differ in that electrical engineers chiefly focus on the large-scale production and supply of electrical power, while electronics engineers focus on much smaller electronic circuits, such as those used in computers.
This type of engineering is for you if:
- You’re interested in how electrical devices and systems work.
- You want to help power the next phase of technological developments.
- You naturally want to understand how any electrical system is set up and have ideas for how it could be improved.
Electrical engineering specializations
You could specialize in the following areas of electrical and electronics engineering: power generation and supply, communications and media, computer systems and robotic systems. You can learn more about these here.
Types Of Engineering
There are dozens and dozens of different types of engineering, but when it comes down to the basics, engineering is about using specialized bases of knowledge to solve a problem. Since we encounter a wide variety of problems, we have an equally wide range of engineering disciplines, many of which are highly specialized, designed to solve those problems.
In broad terms, engineering can be divided into four main categories – chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. Each of these types requires different skills and engineering educations.
- Chemical Engineering
2020 median salary – $108,540
Typical required education – Bachelor’s Degree
Job growth outlook through 2030 – 9%
Infographic with the text 4 categories of engineering chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical
Chemical engineers use their knowledge of sciences – such as chemistry, biology, physics and math – to solve problems that affect the use or production of chemicals, food, drugs and more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). They often work in offices and laboratories, and nearly all of them work full-time, according to BLS.
Chemical engineers use their knowledge in the sciences as well as manufacturing to bring chemical processes developed in a laboratory to a commercial or industrial process to create products and then evaluate and improve those processes, according to the American Chemical Society.
Chemical engineers translate processes developed in the lab into practical applications for the commercial production of products and then work to maintain and improve those processes. They rely on the main foundations of engineering: math, physics, and chemistry (though biology is playing an increasing role). The primary function of chemical engineers is to design and troubleshoot processes for the production of chemicals, fuels, foods, pharmaceuticals, and biologicals, just to name a few. They are most often employed by large-scale manufacturing plants to maximize productivity and product quality while minimizing costs.
Similar occupations include biomedical or nuclear engineering and occupational and health safety specialists or technicians, according to BLS.
- Civil Engineering
2020 median salary – $88,570
Typical required education – Bachelor’s Degree
Job growth outlook through 2030 – 8%
Civil engineers solve infrastructure problems. The projects they design, build and maintain span a wide range in both the public and private sector, including bridges, roads and tunnels; dams and water and sewer systems, according to BLS. Infrastructure such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Erie Canal and the Thames Tunnel in London were all made possible because of the work of civil engineers. Those are just three on a list of dozens of civil engineering landmarks listed by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
They often split their time between an office and project sites. Similar occupations include construction manager, landscape architect and urban or regional planning, according to BLS.
- Electrical Engineering
BLS reports electrical engineers earned a median salary of $103,390 in 20202020 median salary – $103,390
Typical required education – Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
Job growth outlook through 2030 – 7%
Electrical engineers focus on the design, testing and manufacturing of electrical components, such as motors, navigation and communications systems, and power generation, according to BLS. They work in a range of industries, including research, manufacturing, telecommunications and more.
Electrical engineering is one of the industries broadest fields, which means what you can do varies widely from one sector to another. From working with circuits, making computers and other electronics used to build fiber-optic networks or vision sensors for cars, many disciplines employ electrical engineers.
Similar occupations include electrician, biomedical engineer and architectural and engineering manager, according to BLS.
- Mechanical Engineering
2020 median salary – $90,160BLS reports mechanical engineers earned a median salary of $90,160 in 2020
Typical required education – Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Job growth outlook through 2030 – 7%
Mechanical engineers design, build and develop mechanical and thermal sensing devices, such as engines, tools and machines. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest of the engineering fields, according to BLS, and they can be found a huge range of products from electric generators to batteries to refrigeration systems. Mechanical engineers analyze projects to determine how a mechanical device can be used and then design and test machines to help the project. They can also investigate equipment that has failed to determine how part of the mechanics needs to be repaired, according to BLS.
Other similar occupations include materials engineer, petroleum engineer and mechanical engineering technician, according to BLS
5 major field of engineering that will be very important in future
Engineering, over the years, has proven to be one of the most important disciplines in our daily life as it deals with actual solutions to real problems. Theoreticians think of solutions, and engineers make those solutions into realities. Engineers are inventors and also do their own theorisation as they don’t depend fully on theoreticians. Let’s look at 10 engineering fields that will continue to be in demand and will change constantly.
1.Chemical Engineering
In this industry, engineers are exposed to different kinds of chemicals for research and also to create new ones
It is a branch of engineering that deals with the design and operation of industrial chemical production facilities. Engineers are also involved in the process of researching and creating new chemical compounds and mix-ups. Modern chemical engineering is a big field right now as it gets into so many industries.
The numbers of manufacturing and processing fields chemical engineers can work in are huge. Such fields include: medical/pharmaceutical and healthcare, oil and gas, sustainable energy, food processing, preservation, electronics and microelectronics, advance material production, polymer, biotechnology, the military, aerospace, construction, automotive, nanotechnology and much more.
Jobs that are directly related to Chemical Engineering.
- Biotechnologist
- Chemical engineer
- Colour technologist
- Energy engineer
- Nuclear engineer
- Petroleum engineer
- Product/process development scientist
For more information, please click on the links below:
- Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) (Chemical Engineering)
- Diploma in Chemical Engineering Technology in Bioprocess
2.Civil engineering
With the growing number of the human population, civil engineering is greatly needed but there is more to it than just building houses and offices
Things are changing very fast. Human needs are changing and with a growing population, more facilities for housing will be in demand. Costs are becoming a massive challenge and income disparity is constantly growing. New ways to house humans are needed. This will be partially the responsibilities of civil engineers.
But, civil engineering isn’t only about housing and construction problems. It deals with geotechnical engineering, structure engineering, transportation and roads, environmental solutions, urban planning and so much more.
Jobs that are directly related to Civil Engineering:
- Building control surveyor
- CAD technician
- Consulting civil engineer
- Contracting civil engineer
- Design engineer
- Estimator
- Nuclear engineer
- Site engineer
- Structural engineer
- Water engineer
For more information, please click on the links below:
3.Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineers work in different fields and they work on machines
Sometimes, it is misunderstood that mechanical engineers are fancy car mechanics. That is definitely not true. Mechanical engineers are trained in a multi-disciplinary field and they are often involved in the design, development, and manufacturing of highly sophisticated machines.
A mechanical engineer can work in various fields including aerospace, manufacturing and production, automotive, control and instrumentations, nuclear energy, water purification and more.
Jobs that are directly related to Mechanical Engineering:
- Aerospace engineer
- Automotive engineer
- CAD technician
- Contracting civil engineer
- Control and instrumentation engineer
- Maintenance engineer
- Mechanical engineer
- Nuclear engineer
For more information, please click on the links below:
4.Automotive engineering
Automotive engineers are the people that determine whether your car is safe for you to drive or not
When someone purchases a car, that person is getting a product that was researched, designed, developed and contributed to the manufacturing of various components of that vehicle. Automotive engineers also develop the subsystems of vehicles and carry out testing and failure investigation and have much more duties to ensure a safe and efficient vehicle is delivered to the buyer.
Jobs that are directly related to Automotive Engineering:
- Automotive Engineering Technician.
- Automotive Design Engineer.
- Automotive Engineer.
- Automobile Designer.
- Sales Manager.
- Sales Advisor.
- Service Advisor.
- Service Manager
For more information, please click on the links below:
5.Computer engineering
Computer engineers can work in software development, user behaviour analysis and business analysis
Computer engineers have the world at their finger tips if they possess the right skills and acquire the right knowledge.
Computer engineers can work in the design, development and production of computer hardware and software. They can work in software development and analysis, business analysis, data scientists, game development, consultation business, systems development, user behaviour analysis and more.
Jobs that are related to a Computer Engineering degree:
- Computer systems engineer
- Embedded systems engineer, firmware engineer
- Hardware engineer
- Software engineer, graduate software engineer
- Systems developer
- Design engineer, junior design engineer
- Telecommunications and network engineer
For more information, please click on the links below:
6.Software engineering
Computers are becoming more and more advance, according to Moore’s law, so software engineers are a great demand in the workplace
Every machine has two major parts: the hardware – which is the physical aspect of the machine, and the software – which is the set of signals, data, and algorithms that govern the interaction between all the different components of the machine. Software is usually associated with computers, but it is actually linked to anything that is considered computerised or carry out logical processes.
Computers are changing very fast. If Moore’s law holds, computer power doubles every 18 months. Which means the more powerful the computer becomes; more sophisticated software and application will be required.
Jobs that are directly related to Software Engineering:
- Applications developer
- Cyber security analyst
- Game developer
- Information systems manager
- IT consultant
- Multimedia programmer
- Web developer
- Web designer
- Software engineer
For more information, please click on the links below:
7.Petroleum engineering
A petroleum engineer is responsible for processing and recovering crude oil while reducing the cost and its impact to the environment
It is part of every stage in the production of the oil and gas industry. Part of the responsibilities of a petroleum engineer is to maximize the recovery and processing of crude oil while minimizing cost and maintaining less negative impact on the environment.
A petroleum engineer can be a petroleum geologist, reservoir engineer, production engineer, drilling engineer and other.
Direct job description for Petroleum Engineering:
- Completions engineers
- Drilling engineers
- Natural gas engineers
- Oil drilling engineers
- Oil exploration engineers
- Oil well engineers
- Production engineers
- Reservoir engineers
For more information, please click on the links below:
8.Mechatronics engineering
If you are into robots and Artificial Intelligence then Mechatronic Engineering could be the course for you
For those of us who don’t know what mechatronic engineering is, it’s the design and development of automated machines. It is the combination of mechanical, electronics, and software engineering disciplines to create complex machines. It is different from the three disciplines that are intertwined within this field and also very different from automation engineering.
Mechatronic engineers are responsible for developing deep understanding of these complicated machines in ways very little people can.
Mechatronic engineers can work in artificial intelligence, aviation, computer engineering, control systems data communication systems, energy fields, space and astronautics, modelling and simulations, and many more fields.
Direct Jobs for Mechatronic Engineering Degree:
- Robotics engineer/technician
- Automation engineer
- Control system design/troubleshooting engineer
- Electronics design engineer
- Mechanical design engineer
- Data scientist/big data analyst
- Instrumentation engineer
- Software engineer
For more information, please click on the links below:
9. Electrical and electronic engineering
Working in this field, you are exposed to different kinds of signals and you’ll need to know how to control and manipulate them
If there is a piece of electronic, it needs electrical signals to work. Electronics convert analogue signals to digital signals for better manipulation and control by software. These engineers can work anywhere. Areas of employment include: aerospace, broadcasting, electrical, electronics, IT, networking, nuclear, satellite communication, and much more.
Direct jobs for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree
- Acoustic consultant
- Aerospace engineer
- Broadcast engineer
- CAD technician
- Control and instrumentation engineer
- Design engineer
- Electrical engineer
- Electronics engineer
- IT consultant
- Network engineer
- Nuclear engineer
- Sound engineer
- Special effects technician
- Systems analyst
For more information, please click on the links below:
- Course fees of electrical/electronic engineering degree programmes in Malaysia 2013
- Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering
10. Telecommunication engineering
Graduates from this course are able to work in any sector since telecommunications are an important aspect in our daily lives
When someone makes a phone call using a mobile device or sends a text message, the call or the text bounces over to the communication towers, then possibly satellites, or through massive underground cable network and reaches the phone pairing on the other side, wherever it might be – at the speed of light.
Telecommunication engineers are responsible for the largest portion of that process of data communication.
Telecommunication engineers can work in almost any industry – as long as telecommunication is concerned, including aviation, aeronautics, space, telecommunications, data communication and analysis, manufacturing, technical solutions and much more.
The prospects for each field may vary depending on the expertise and skills an individual holds and the market is thirsty for expertise and highly skilled individuals.
best engineering courses with high salary
In general, engineer salary averages are higher than the salary averages of many other professions. This is due, in part, because engineer jobs require a good deal of technical skills and these skills are in high demand as our industries become increasingly reliant on technology.
Upon closer inspection, the salaries for engineering jobs do vary. While today’s mechanical engineering salary average is $87,370 a year, mining and ecology engineers make roughly $92,250 per year and engineering managers have an annual salary of approximately $140,760.3
In terms of median pay and growth potential, these are the 10 highest paying engineering jobs to consider.
1. Environmental Engineer
Working frequently in the construction industry, environmental engineers use engineering skills, earth science, biology and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental issues. Because of the nature of the work, they may spend time on job sites, making this a great career track for those who don’t want to be tied down to a desk job.4 The median pay is reported at $87,620.2.2
2. Biomedical Engineer
Often working in a medical or clinical context, biomedical engineers utilize the principles of engineering to advance medical science by developing tools for medical professionals to better diagnose and treat their patients. Biomedical engineers can expect a median pay of $92,620.5
With a graduate biomedical engineering program ranked in the nation’s top 20 by U.S. News & World Report, Case Western Reserve’s Department of Biomedical Engineering has a reputation for innovation and excellence. Take an inside look at how Case School of Engineering faculty and students are making astounding medical breakthroughs.
3. Systems Engineer
Systems engineers manage the technical infrastructure of a company, maintaining all of the hardware and software required to keep the business moving forward. If you have strong communication skills and an ability to translate technical information to nontechnical teams, consider this career path, which has an estimated average annual salary of $97,902.6
4. Electrical Engineer
Electrical engineers work in a variety of industries, developing electrical and electronic components such as electric motors, radar or navigation systems. They might also be involved in developing broadcasting or communications systems. Median pay in 2020 was reported at $103,390 per year.7
5. Chemical Engineer
With a median pay of $108,540, chemical engineers use hard science in the production of compounds used every day in fuel, food, pharmaceuticals and more.8 Chemical engineering is a great career track for engineers with a background in biology, chemistry or physics who enjoy working on a team to solve big problems.9
6. Big Data Engineer
The rise of big data has provided significant business opportunities, but complex data sets have no meaning if they’re not structured in a comprehensible manner. Enter the big data engineer, tasked with creating the hardware and system architecture that enables others to interpret and utilize data. With a median annual salary of $114,561, big data means big opportunities for engineers.10
7. Nuclear Engineer
Nuclear engineers research, design and develop the tools and instruments needed to utilize nuclear energy.11 They’re responsible for safely directing the operations of nuclear energy facilities and must be comfortable with a high degree of complexity. In 2020, median pay was reported at $116,140, landing nuclear engineers in the top five highest paying engineering jobs.12
8. Aerospace Engineer
Electrical engineers work in a variety of industries, developing electrical and electronic components such as electric motors, radar or navigation systems. They might also be involved in developing broadcasting or communications systems. Median pay in 2017 was reported at $97,970 per year.13
This is one career where you get to say “actually, it is rocket science.” Aerospace engineers design and build aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and satellites. Design skills are a must, as well as sharp analytical skills and problem sensitivity.13 Median pay in 2020 was reported at $118,610.14
9. Computer Hardware Engineer
With a median pay of $119,560, this highly technical field involves designing and developing computer systems and components such as processors, circuit boards and memory devices.15 Computer hardware engineering is an excellent field for analytical problem solvers with an interest in mathematics or physics.16
10. Petroleum Engineer
Petroleum engineers develop methods for extracting petroleum and natural gas from the ground, and then use those materials to create energy efficiently and cleanly. With a median salary of $137,300, petroleum engineer is one of the highest paying engineering jobs of 2022.
The field is also projected to grow much faster than the average career over the next five to 10 years.
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