Top paying engineering jobs

Though a bachelor of science degree is the standard engineering qualification, for certain positions some employers will require a master’s degree or, occasionally, a doctorate for top paying engineering jobs. In all 50 states, engineers in any discipline generally must pass a licensure exam if they offer services directly to the public.

Engineers often make the best managers of engineers; that’s why many organizations have created the role of engineering manager. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of engineering talent, these managers oversee many engineering projects and processes, from creating design specs to managing people and budgets, and measuring and evaluating results. Engineering managers typically have talent and experience in general business management and in the engineering disciplines practiced within their organizations. An engineering manager might supervise half a dozen or more staff engineers; an engineering director might oversee hundreds or thousands.

Materials engineers have the right stuff to make stuff smarter -- and cheaper. Whether they’re building a better bulletproof vest or creating glue that sticks only where you want it to, materials engineers think deep thoughts about which existing materials are suited to the task or what new materials need to be invented. Many engineers specialize in a particular material -- like ceramics, plastics or steel -- and conjure a way to make that material serve where it’s never served before. Biomedical material promises to be one of the most fascinating and potentially lucrative engineering subspecialties of the future, starting now.

Chemical engineers are not alchemists, though they sometimes appear to work magic. Process designers above all, these practical chemists figure out how to make more and better product out of less raw materials less expensively, employing everything from oxidation reactions to nanotechnology. Chemical engineers build better molecular mousetraps to create everything from ultrastrong fibers to materials for prosthetics. A mid-career chemical engineer will take on projects with increasing autonomy, while collaborating with professionals from many technical disciplines.