Can you be rich as an engineer?

[Anonymous]

I'm a computer engineer retiring early this year, nw around 8mil. Not rich by dcmum standard but good enough for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:150k at 27 isn't high?

Try to buy a house in a good school district on that income.

[Anonymous]

#1 undergrad major of CEOs is in an engineering field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:150k at 27 isn't high?

Try to buy a house in a good school district on that income.

Contrary to popular dcum belief, 150k for someone in their twenties is way above average. A minisile number of people are making in excess of 500k. Those people just talk a lot on dcum lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're really smart and a go getter you can go the management track.

This is my DH. It's really his people and soft skills that allowed him to stand out among the other engineers (that, combined with smart, go getter, working hard. . .)

The problem is a lot of engineers prefer the technical work. DH went on the management track for more money, but is counting the days until he can go back to being a lead engineer on a project.

We should get our husbands together. Mine is in the same boat.

[Anonymous]

I like how right off the bat everyone decided 150K isn’t a high income, therefore engineers can never be rich. First, define your terms. Second, the engineer is probably not looking at six figures in student loan debt like many of the lawyers and doctors. Third, the engineer can most likely put in a good solid 40 hour workweek to earn that salary rather than the soul crushing hours many doctors and lawyers seem to work. So, yes, I think an engineer can certainly be rich, in both financial terms and overall quality of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like how right off the bat everyone decided 150K isn’t a high income, therefore engineers can never be rich. First, define your terms. Second, the engineer is probably not looking at six figures in student loan debt like many of the lawyers and doctors. Third, the engineer can most likely put in a good solid 40 hour workweek to earn that salary rather than the soul crushing hours many doctors and lawyers seem to work. So, yes, I think an engineer can certainly be rich, in both financial terms and overall quality of life.

Software developers do not work 40 hour weeks- at least not any that I've ever met

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like how right off the bat everyone decided 150K isn’t a high income, therefore engineers can never be rich. First, define your terms. Second, the engineer is probably not looking at six figures in student loan debt like many of the lawyers and doctors. Third, the engineer can most likely put in a good solid 40 hour workweek to earn that salary rather than the soul crushing hours many doctors and lawyers seem to work. So, yes, I think an engineer can certainly be rich, in both financial terms and overall quality of life.

Software developers do not work 40 hour weeks- at least not any that I've ever met

Okay. None of the engineers I’ve ever worked with were software developers, though. And we all worked 40 hour weeks.

[Anonymous]

Yes. My sibling is on track to be. Very frugal, genius level smart. Working for Bay Area companies in a highly niche field and accumulating private stock. Also married a similarly brilliant high-earner, they are well-matched.

[Anonymous]

They have to be willing to jump around and take risks. Start-up with stock options is the way to get rich.

[Anonymous]

DH left teaching and took an engineering job. It was an instant 25% boost in salary and he’s working much less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have to be willing to jump around and take risks. Start-up with stock options is the way to get rich.

FANG (plus a few others) is the more stable way to do it if you can get hired there

[Anonymous]

The richest man in the world, Beszos is an engineer. Thousands more. Engineers are bright, problem solvers, innovators = big $$ is capital societies. An undergraduate degree in any engineering discipline means the individual sits atop 5% of the population. No business, Med, lib arts major can hold a candle to an engineer. BTW, I’m a MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because we top out around there unless you move up the management ladder or invent/set up your own company.

Software engineers can start out at $150000 and move up.

[Anonymous]

My son graduated HS last year. He is relatively bright and hard working thus had many career options. He chose the study EE at Purdue (with merit scholarship) and will then pursue banking/finance job opportunities with Wall St firms. I was unaware but Wall St hires so many EE majors from top schools. They make great analysts, good with numbers, etc. My son does not plan to be the traditional “engineer”.