Engineering manager essential career information:
- 2012 median pay: $124,870
- 2012, number of jobs: 187,640
- Employment growth forecast, 2010-2020: 9 percent
- Entry level education requirements: Bachelor’s degree
Engineering managers; what they do:
If managing several engineering projects and groups of people in a “systems-thinking” environment sounds like a great job, then, an engineering manager career is in your future. Engineering managers prepare and coordinate activities in engineering as well as development and research. Communication skills are essential in this line of work as well as flexibility, leadership and time management skills.
Engineering managers wear many hats that include organizing and integrating sizable projects that could rival the work of a small army.
A project engineering manager career includes organizing and directing the design of various machinery and equipment and formulating specific plans to reach certain engineering goals.
An engineering manager career includes managing the teams involved in the project, reviewing and approving any project changes or revisions, interpreting blueprints and schematics and overseeing the technical details of work.
A project engineering manager consults with other areas and levels of management, hires and supervises employees, organizes and proposes budget costs, manages contracts as well as decides all equipment needs.
Engineering managers job titles:
- Civil Engineering Manager
- Chief Engineer
- Construction Engineering Manager
- Industrial Engineering Manager
- Engineering Project Manager
- Director of Engineering
- Engineering Group Manager
Engineering Managers Education, Certification and License Requirements
Engineering managers typically have a bachelor’s degree in the field of engineering, especially since they need to have years of experience working on complex projects, making important decisions, training and licensing in their own specialty to actually become an engineering manager.
Many managers also have business experience after gaining a Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree or a Master in Engineering Management (MEM) degree before working in the occupation. In addition, many companies pay employees to attain a master’s degree in business during employment.
Engineering manager programs cover subjects such as:
- Economic analysis
- Decision analysis
- Engineering risk analysis
- Linear and nonlinear optimization
- Probabilistic analysis
- Stochastic modeling
- Organizational behavior
- Global entrepreneurial marketing
- Inventory control
- Accounting
Engineering Managers Job Outlook
Forecast: 9 percent employment growth for engineering managers between 2010 and 2020, slower than average for all occupations. The faster growing engineering sectors are environmental and biomedical engineering as opposed to electrical and mechanical engineering, which show slower growth.
Outsourcing and consolidation of management jobs in research and development are factors negatively affecting engineering manager employment rates. Alternatively, advanced technical knowledge, excellent communication skills and a business degree are all qualifications likely to help engineers quickly advance to management positions.
Retirement plays a positive factor in engineering management jobs becoming available.
Engineering Managers Salary
- 2012 median annual wage: $124,870
- 2012 workers at the 75th percentile annual wage: $154,990
- 2012, workers at the 25th percentile annual wage: $100,040
Major Employers
- Architectural and engineering services
- Semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing
- Navigational, measuring, electro-medical and control instruments manufacturing
- Research and development in physical, engineering and life sciences
- Management of companies and enterprises
