Every year, millions of people around the world choose to study engineering to pursue a career in the industry.

Engineering branches across many different fields and disciplines. Engineers build bridges, cars, buildings, artificial limbs, and wind turbines to name just a few. Whatever you’re interested in, there’s a career in engineering you can explore.

In this blog, we look at what makes the engineering industry so attractive, and what you can expect from a career in engineering.

 

What makes the engineering industry so popular?

Employability

One of the strongest reasons to become an engineer is because of the high levels of employability in the field.

While it isn’t easy to just walk into an engineering job, if you have the training and experience, you can be reasonably sure that you will be able to find a job at the right level for you, where you can develop skills while working on something of real value.

With every country in the world looking to develop and grow, there is a higher demand for engineers than ever before. This shortage of engineers drives up demand, which in turn drives up salaries, our next point on this list.

 

High salary

One of the main factors you need to consider about any career is how much you can expect to make from it. Engineering is one of the most well-paid fields in the world, across all levels of the industry. Whether you’re building cars, designing planes, or capturing data, you can expect a strong salary compared to other sectors.

In the UK, graduates can earn up to £30,000 in entry-level jobs after training. The average salary for an engineer can range from £35,000-£50,000 depending on the specific field, and can climb over £70,000 and higher at top level.

But money isn’t everything. If you want to feel like your work has real value, engineering has that too.

 

High levels of job satisfaction

Engineering is an industry where you get to know that your work objectively makes a difference. Engineers bring real solutions to real problems. Building things, making things work, making things better, faster, or more efficient, these are incredibly motivating and satisfying elements to any job, that allow engineers to feel proud at the end of the day.

Many engineers say that the job satisfaction is the best part of their job, and job satisfaction is one of the most important elements in any job you can have.

 

You get to be creative

First and foremost, engineers are problem solvers, and problems often require creative solutions.

Engineering allows for creativity at almost every level. Whether you’re designing something new, or making repairs, there are many different ways to approach any problem.

Part of engineering is improving on designs and systems that came before, so engineers often come up with innovative new solutions that can push the entire sector forward, all thanks to one moment of creativity.

 

Teamwork and relationships

Working in engineering puts you in the middle of a team of experts. This means you get to work with and learn from people across many different fields, who might inspire you in ways you could never have imagined.

As we’ve said, engineers are creative individuals, and if you’re in a team, you’ll meet people whose ways of thinking will help you see things in new and exciting ways.

Engineers often form life-long professional relationships and friendships with colleagues, helping them to find work or improve their skills across their careers.

 

Worldwide opportunities

Another reason why engineering is so popular is because there is a global demand for it. Every country in the world has engineering projects, so you can move almost anywhere you want to.

Engineers frequently work all over the world across their careers, able to take a contract in Asia, then in Europe, then in South America. Some engineers end up relocating to a new country for the rest of their lives because they love the new culture so much.

Engineering combines analytical skill with creativity, allowing for precise knowledge, broad study, and constant improvement, learning from colleagues and mentors across different disciplines. A strong salary, and strong sense of purpose, help make engineering one of the most interesting, attractive, and rewarding careers in the world.

 

Read about how to format your CV for the engineering industry, or learn about five of the best remote engineering roles