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re: Engineering Career Advice - Mechanical, Chemical, Petroleum
Posted on 8/15/19 at 10:58 am to tonydtigr
Posted on 8/15/19 at 10:58 am to tonydtigr
I wouldn’t use that as a method of quantitative validity. Employers are jumping at LSU, TA&M, and SMU engineering graduates.
OP I have relatives that are PE, CE, ME and nuclear engineers. PE suffers market conditions much like our favorite folks, plant baws. CE is high demand but your son willingness to relo is key. My BIL is a CE and is looking at his 3rd relo in 10 years which is difficult on his wife and kids. NE is very stressful, at least for the person I know. The 2 ME I know are generally happier with their educational decision.
OP I have relatives that are PE, CE, ME and nuclear engineers. PE suffers market conditions much like our favorite folks, plant baws. CE is high demand but your son willingness to relo is key. My BIL is a CE and is looking at his 3rd relo in 10 years which is difficult on his wife and kids. NE is very stressful, at least for the person I know. The 2 ME I know are generally happier with their educational decision.
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:05 am to go_tigres
(no message)
This post was edited on 1/7/20 at 7:18 am
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:06 am to jcliv
I went Mechanical and have done a little bit of all three through various jobs since graduation.
I also second the Computer Science/Engineering, Software Engineering route. With all the tech companies/startups jobs will be aplenty that can pay well in attractive areas to live.
I also second the Computer Science/Engineering, Software Engineering route. With all the tech companies/startups jobs will be aplenty that can pay well in attractive areas to live.
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:09 am to BlackCoffeeKid
quote:
I'm CE but recently started working at a nuke plant. My official title is "Nuclear Engineer." I 100% drop that every now and then People's reaction when I tell them where I work is priceless. (Disclaimer: It's not as cool as it would seem)
Yeah, glad I escaped that nightmare of paperwork and get to work on things again.
![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/IconLOL.gif)
There are actual NE programs, UT and UF both have decent ones.
This post was edited on 8/15/19 at 11:12 am
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:15 am to Gray12
quote:
Congratulations on your new job!
Thanks!
![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/Iconcheers.gif)
The service company life is absolutely shite, and I had a really great one as an MWD as far as quality of life goes. Long hours, isolating, volatile job security, no home life, and very poor working conditions. West and S TX, NM, and OK oil fields are the worst, but fortunately never had to go up to N Dakota.
quote:
Knew a guy who spent 6 years to be a Petroleum Engineer who worked for 5 months and got fired very recently because Halliburton was cutting frack crews in the Permian.
Most of you baws will think of North Baton Rouge as heaven if you had to spend even a few months in West Texas and North Dakota.
Man. I feel for him. That's terrible. Hope he lands on his feet.
And yeah, North Baton Rouge would've been a dream. If I had a Family Dollar and a hint of cell reception within an hour drive, I was usually a happy man just to get a taste of civilization again bc usually we were out there for 3+ weeks.
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:18 am to go_tigres
quote:
PE, CE, ME an
These acronyms are messing with me
![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/IconLOL.gif)
CE is Civil
ChemE is Chemical
PE is an license
PetE is Petroleum
acronyms are already hard to keep up with as it is
![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/Iconwah.gif)
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:18 am to phutureisyic
quote:
Electrical engineers are nowhere near on the same pay scale as Chemical Engineers. Electrical is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to engineering degrees and it's boring as shite. I've been in the oil & gas business for 20 yrs and have an ME degree along with a drafting degree.
You’re delusional. EE’s get paid more than ME’s, and have greater career growth in the Tech industry than someone with an ME living the dream in the oil and gas industry. News flash, not everyone stays in the Southeast.
All the FAANG’s hire EE’s, and I can assure EE work in the tech industry is not boring. I’d take possessing the ability to code, which is more marketable over drafting any day, that’s for sure
![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/IconLOL.gif)
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:33 am to Breauxsif
good luck not having your pumps and transformers sink into
the swamp you losers. (Civil Engineer)
the swamp you losers. (Civil Engineer)
This post was edited on 8/15/19 at 11:34 am
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:37 am to AliBahBah54
quote:
pumps
That's for the MEs, we just power them with motors. See this is why we don't let you do much outside of concrete.
![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/IconLOL.gif)
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:38 am to bigfatpimp
quote:
bigfatpimp
quote:Eastman?
st. gabriel
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:44 am to jcliv
I read somewhere yesterday that ChemE is the 3rd highest earning degree in the country.
I married a ChemE who is 10yrs younger than me. Her salary will outpace mine in the next 2 years and I work in IT
I married a ChemE who is 10yrs younger than me. Her salary will outpace mine in the next 2 years and I work in IT
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:48 am to AliBahBah54
I am a civil and work at a chem facility as a structural/civil/mechanical hybrid.
I am work with upper management daily, if your kid is looking at working in LA, I would rank it as follows
1) chemE
2) mech
3) EE
4) CE
5) PetE
6) Industrial
7) Nuclear
Chem e has the easiest path to management. But I will say now a days, it is more about your production. What do you personally bring to the table and much less about the degree.
I am civil and work circles around 95% of mechanicals when it comes to tanks, piping and especially rotating.
I was older when I graduated and had 82 credit hours at LSU in chemE before I dropped out and went back for civil. Graduated in '14 @ 31 and in less than 5 years I was running a branch at a large specialty civil engineering and construction firm as the senior PM and was offered the director of construction position over the whole gulf coast. I turned it down and took a job at a chemical plant as I didn't want to travel and will be an engineering supervisor over chemE, ME, EE guys within next 2.5 years.
I say all that to make you understand, it's about the person and their drive rather than the degree. But certainly ChemE has the easiest path to management followed by ME.![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/Iconcheers.gif)
I am work with upper management daily, if your kid is looking at working in LA, I would rank it as follows
1) chemE
2) mech
3) EE
4) CE
5) PetE
6) Industrial
7) Nuclear
Chem e has the easiest path to management. But I will say now a days, it is more about your production. What do you personally bring to the table and much less about the degree.
I am civil and work circles around 95% of mechanicals when it comes to tanks, piping and especially rotating.
I was older when I graduated and had 82 credit hours at LSU in chemE before I dropped out and went back for civil. Graduated in '14 @ 31 and in less than 5 years I was running a branch at a large specialty civil engineering and construction firm as the senior PM and was offered the director of construction position over the whole gulf coast. I turned it down and took a job at a chemical plant as I didn't want to travel and will be an engineering supervisor over chemE, ME, EE guys within next 2.5 years.
I say all that to make you understand, it's about the person and their drive rather than the degree. But certainly ChemE has the easiest path to management followed by ME.
![](https://images.tigerdroppings.com/Images/Icons/Iconcheers.gif)
This post was edited on 8/15/19 at 11:58 am
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:49 am to jcliv
Chemical makes the most monies
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:52 am to mylsuhat
quote:
PetE is a great career but you can get a job as a PetE with a degree in the other two
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:53 am to tonydtigr
quote:us news rankings are poo poo
LSU is in a three way tie for 106th best in the country according to US News.LINK
Posted on 8/15/19 at 11:56 am to jbgleason
quote:
but LSU has one of the best Engineering programs in the country.
Maybe 5th best in the SEC...
Posted on 8/15/19 at 12:00 pm to jcliv
ChemE here who’s been working at a plant for about 5 years now. Here’s my take:
ChemE and MechE are fairly interchangeable at a plant level. Generally, the entry level position for a ChemE is gonna be something Production/Manufacturing related while a MechE will be something like Reliability/Design, but even that’s not a hard and fast rule. Once you get some experience as either, you can really do just about anything you want on a plant level and into management. Our upper management is littered with both (almost exclusively MechE and ChemE, actually). Hell, the guy that owns the VC firm that owns us is a PhD ChemE.
The only other one I’d probably recommend is EE/CompSci. The future is computers and automation, so these are probably the most future-proof choices.
E: the caveat that has been brought up already is that most chemical plant jobs (which will be the most plentiful if he chooses ChemE/MechE) are at typically undesirable locations. I got lucky and my plant is located in Pensacola, but a lot of plants are located in the middle of nowhere. Just FYI
ChemE and MechE are fairly interchangeable at a plant level. Generally, the entry level position for a ChemE is gonna be something Production/Manufacturing related while a MechE will be something like Reliability/Design, but even that’s not a hard and fast rule. Once you get some experience as either, you can really do just about anything you want on a plant level and into management. Our upper management is littered with both (almost exclusively MechE and ChemE, actually). Hell, the guy that owns the VC firm that owns us is a PhD ChemE.
The only other one I’d probably recommend is EE/CompSci. The future is computers and automation, so these are probably the most future-proof choices.
E: the caveat that has been brought up already is that most chemical plant jobs (which will be the most plentiful if he chooses ChemE/MechE) are at typically undesirable locations. I got lucky and my plant is located in Pensacola, but a lot of plants are located in the middle of nowhere. Just FYI
This post was edited on 8/15/19 at 12:04 pm
Posted on 8/15/19 at 12:03 pm to Obtuse1
quote:
Maybe 5th best in the SEC...
Maybe 6th, fighting with Missouri and Kentucky.
A&M, Florida, Vandy, UT, and Auburn are better.
PetE wise, it's pretty much just you and A&M.
This post was edited on 8/15/19 at 12:07 pm
Posted on 8/15/19 at 12:03 pm to lsu777
quote:
as the senior PM and was offered the director of construction position over the whole gulf coast. I turned it down and took a job at a chemical plant
Good decision. Much like the medical school/dentist joke, those that can't get hired by operators go into PM.
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