Hi All,

Looking for an advice, I am making a career change at mid 40s; I am a technician for a semiconductor company for 19 yrs and a few years back I decided to finish my EE degree, finally I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But I still have some questions that I hope you guys can share your experience and thoughts

Starting this late in the game, What field do you guys think will be better? I personally like Power (because I think it can be an outside job, more hands on and with potential of designing jobs at a later age) I am attracted to design of circuits and this probably will go well with my current company but not sure what will be the day to day duties? or maybe another branch?

Salaries in different branches of EE? As a technician I am doing good and sometimes better than some Engineers? I know I will be making a career change therefore I will probably lose some money. But I would like to have a ballpark? I can't tell my family " Hi guys, I finished my degree, but now we will be tight on money" I did not pursue the degree for money, but to be able to do other interesting things

What are you thoughts about continue with a Master or get a PE? Of course after I get a job as an Engineer.
What skills not thought in school do you guys reccomend?

I apologized in advanced for the lengthy post, but I wanted to describe in detail my questions

thanks in Advanced

Gera

 

It would help us give better answers if you would fill in your location so we know where in the world you are.

 

Power is a good direction to go. Electric cars and grid tied wind and solar are in their second generation and 3rd generation tech is being developed now for these items.

 

Thanks for your replies!

I am in Phoenix, AZ

 

Salaries in different branches of EE?

i can offer some data points: a few years back, we offered packages in the 200 - 225K range for ARM programmed in the 5-10 year range and we never landed one candidate.

in comparison, we let go of a couple 8-bit programmers (a little bit on the junior side) and it took them quite a while to get back into the game. 85 - 100K range.

Phone app programmers are making a killing now.

 

I think opportunities, both of getting into a field or making lots of money, will be in areas of less science and more arts.

For example, being able to break down a complex project into little pieces to be executed by others, being able to manage that process and being able to pull all the pieces into a final product. Being able to bridge hardware and software, analog and digital, ...

There will be fewer and fewer pure analog jobs (however the remaining ones will be extremely handsomely Compensatrd). Pure digital jobs may grow but the pay is likely to stagnant. Power is a very promising area, in automotive, ttansportstion and in electric distribution. I knew of a small firm that specializes in the life cycle management business for military in vehicle power adaptors. Basically replacing linear adaptors with DC DC convertors. It is like printing money.

So I would suggest that which field you go into doesn't matter much, as long as you switch fields fast and apply lessons learned in one field to another.

Crossed disciplinary, as the career consultants would have it.

 

I think opportunities, both of getting into a field or making lots of money, will be in areas of less science and more arts.

.

Thanks for sharing! There is a lot to learn and that is what I like. Being in the 40's feels like I wont have a lot of time to get into many different fields but I still enjoying the ride!

 

for an experienced employees, your biggest asset is likely your experience, both good but especially bad. I often tell people that my biggest selling point to a prospective client (in a different field) is that I have lots hundreds of millions of dollars in my prior jobs so they don't have to.

worked every single time.

 

As a technician I am doing good and sometimes better than some Engineers?

Be prepared to take a cut in pay. A BSEE isn't very marketable. Most companies prefer MS or PhD; many times with experience. In my last job we only phone screened PhD. In my job before that, you needed at least an MS. The only inexperienced people with BS degrees were doing internships while working on MS or PhD.

I once recommended hiring a person with a PhD in chemistry for a technical position. Before doing that, I had to ask what his salary expectation was because the technical position pay didn't approach entry level PhD pay until after 10-15 years. That was when I learned that a PhD in chemistry didn't pay have the same pay potential as a PhD in EE.

 

Be prepared to take a cut in pay. A BSEE isn't very marketable. }

I agree with you! I know I will take a pay-cut, My goal is to minimize as much as I can that pay cut. Do I know how I can do that? No - Through forums and asking questions I try to learned what skills are really used in the fields and try to increase my knowledge. But you are correct dl324 a newly PhD makes as much as Tech with >+15 years

What is your field and what was the entry salary BSEE or MSEE in your company? Dont be to be specific, I know privacy is important, yes trying to get a range. As a Tech I am getting >75K plus OT which can vary greatly!

thanks again for sharing!!

 

What is your field and what was the entry salary BSEE or MSEE in your company? Dont be to be specific, I know privacy is important, yes trying to get a range. As a Tech I am getting >75K plus OT which can vary greatly!

My company only rarely hired BSEE. EE degreed people were used for both hardware and/or software jobs; at a company that designed and manufactured microprocessors.

MSEE with no experience were hired in at the 2nd or 3rd level engineering grade.

PhD with no experience were hired in at the 4th level engineering grade. That grade is in the ballpark of what you're making as a Tech.

We had 10 engineering levels. The top two could be vice president level, depending on responsibilities.

 

That is what I thought! Thanks for all the info! I should start considering the master, There is a program in my university 4+1 and I finished with Master (I will need to qualify for it), but definitely I will want to have an Eng. Job first, a

 

Hi Esso, have you considered alternative careers that leverage your EE degree like being a patent agent? I'm not sure if those jobs would align with your pay grade based on your many years of experience, but they are options as well.

 

Hi Esso, have you considered alternative careers that leverage your EE degree like being a patent agent? I'm not sure if those jobs would align with your pay grade based on your many years of experience, but they are options as well.

Thanks for the idea, I have not look into this, maybe something i should look into it.

 

Thanks for the idea, I have not look into this, maybe something i should look into it.

Sure thing. I started another thread geared towards this line of employment: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/career-alternatives-for-ees.130290/#post-1071444. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

 

Hi All,
Salaries in different branches of EE? As a technician I am doing good and sometimes better than some Engineers?

Differences in salary between technician and engineer are very high.
But I saw technicians that earn better than engineers and do engineering work.

I am a man who has changed his career very often.
Sometimes it's hard. Many "psychopaths" laughing and waiting for my depression.
With the money at career change was very bad.
Consider that. You can do something else, not just electronics.