thank you guys for all the advice. good to know theres plenty of engineers on this board.

 

yea thnx everyone

 

depends on if you want to do engineering or make money. Money is in managment. My dad did managment and got sick of it so went back to engineering. He's in aerospace with honeywell now.

 

Is anyone bothering with a PE?

 

Most likely I will be...thats where the money is at

Then again, if something fails...its all on you as well.

Big risk but consequently big reward.

 

I am probably going to write the PE technical exam in October. Even though it's not required in my part of the industry, it's a huge benefit if I look for another job (plus it's worth money at my current one).

If I head back to Canada, the PE is easy to get once you have the required four years of experience as they do not require a technical exam, only an ethics exam.

 

That makes sense. The only PE that I know is from Canada, and he's pretty young.

 

I am the engineering leader for one of the largest HVAC manufacturers in the U.S. It's a fairly stable work field, as there is always government regulations and competitive pressures driving our business and our designs. I currently have 4 openings for ME's, which some may say is strange during these times, but it just shows that we are growing, even in these times. I am looking for fresh grads as well as people with HVAC design experience.

I have been in the industry since 1991 and worked for 2 of the biggest companies in the field. If you have any questions, PM me.

 

i took the FE exam, but i havent thought about it since. i actually didn't even bother to study after i heard how the pass/fail ratio is. (yes, i did pass ) so at present, i'm pretty open on the PE thing.

in my brief/limited experience, it seems like you almost need a PE license in civil engineering at a certain point, but as an ME i don't see it as a job requirement for typical positions. that said, i'm in aerospace, and it's probably different in every industry. also, at a small (5-10 engineer) firm, it may have much greater value, and it may even be an absolute requirement for CTO positions.

but that makes me ask--for the more experienced guys:
if you could only choose one, which would be better: an MME or a PE license? i'm asking about it from the perspective of:
1. pay, and
2. as a job qualification

 

The value of a a PE license depends on the field. I have 2 PE's working for me now. One of them came from the HVAC mechanical contracting side, the other didn't need it, but wanted to do it as a personal accomplishment. There are times when we design "extreme environment accessories" which hold equipment down in the event of a hurricane or earthquake. These kits usually require the stamp of a PE.