BS In electronics engineering am i underpaid?

Question

Im currently working at a major aerospace company making $60K /year but i get paid hourly around $28/ hr plus OT. I do have a BS in electronics engineering.
certificate in labview
certificate in engineering and architectural autocad
certificate in Pro-e
certificate in mechatronics engineering.
certificate in systems Engineering
Certificate in RF engineering.

My undergrad came from a non accredited institution but my certificates came from a well known university.

Is my BS good enough to be in an engineering position. knowing that i have certificates that mainly focus certain fields of engineering.

would it be better to pursue a diff field in engineering knowing that only a few of my credits will transfer. basically starting from the beginning.

Is a Sr engineering technician position considerered as an Engineer Or a technician.

im 26 with 3 yrs experience. still in school majoring in mechanical engineering. i am currently going part-time school and full time work. how old is too old to go to school anyways. would it be better to go for a higher degree and just do all the deficiency classes (done in 3 yrs) or a second undergrad which would take me 5 +++ yrs to finish..

seems like most of you are in the right path.. but im really confused on how experience and education works. ive seen some engineers with no education ..and ive seen some technicians with BSEE and some working on MS..

most of my credits came from the military and transfer it there and yes my AS came from that stupid school where most students doesnt even know what a GUI(game unit internet) or DOS(Drive operating system.) means. i was kinda fortunate to have a military background that really help me in my job search. Im actually ashame to put my AS from that school in my resume..

Answer 1

Ok, before I answer, let me put my flameproof suit on...

No you're not underpaid for your level of training and experience. Certificates don't mean a thing, an engineering degree does. You can't certify someone in RF engineering for example; it's too complex a field. I know this, I've done it for 30 years. So the certificates are worth as much as the paper they are printed on. Also, real engineers don't get paid by the hour with overtime; unless they are independent consultants. In the company I work for, engineering degree from accredited university = engineer. Anything else = technician.

Answer 2

Certificate - Schmertificate. Certificates are just a way to make money for the institutions which hand them out.

Three years of experience is nothing, especially if you wasted them on learning or using crap like labview instead of getting design experience.

One can not possibly certify systems and RF engineering skills. Those things come with age and exposure. I will hire a 50 year old ham who built his first radio at 16 before I will hire a certified RF engineer with three years of documented work experience and not one radio.

Obviously you failed the first test: to select a good school. Bzzzzz..... first strike.

What did you design? Anything?

If you did not design anything that you could show me, that would be Bzzzzzz.... second strike.

Sr. engineering technician is a technician. And always will be. You NEED to get off that title or it will stick.

Bottom line: DESIGN SOMETHING NON-TRIVIAL. ANYTHING, as long it is non-trivial. And do it unsupervised.

The next time you interview, bring a sample of the schematics, the circuit board. Show the whole product. Explain your role and how you did a hard piece all by yourself. Convince the hiring manager that you can do it again.

Good luck!

Answer 3

It use to be that digital engineering replaced right into a blast in the process the 70's and eighty's and perhaps the ninety's. yet further and extra businesses are designing very small and different the layout are pc generated. till something huge shows up, your searching for an extremely sluggish initiate. I could understand, I certainly have been interior the activity for 40 years. My friends on the electrical powered business company are doing greater appropriate than I the two interior the money and designing. New procedures and factors are showing up and a BS in electric powered engineering can provide you an side while searching for that first activity. good success!

Answer 4

You must have gone to ITT.

Every employee thinks they are being underpaid. That is the way of life.

Sr. Engineering technician is a technician. Sr. does not add anything except experience.

Remember, any engineer is only two years away from being any other type of engineer. We have a basic core education in all engineering disciplines so we can adapt to changing circumstances.

Answer 5

How many years of EE work experience do you have? If it is 1-5, then you are not underpaid. Perhaps you are slightly underaverage, but not by much.

The other major factor that determines pay is where you live (geographic region).

Based on everything else you mentioned that salary is OK.

.

Answer 6

It depends on your experience, a 'double E' is worth some money, but a EE with no experience and no PE license is worth about 60K a year.

Answer 7

At your age, that is decent money. To earn more, make them know you are worth it. Performance counts from here on in.


EDIT

Warren: "You must have gone to ITT"

I used to WORK for those crooks. One quarter of freshman college algerbra, that no-one is allowed to fail, and they are told they are engineers.

Answer 8

I'm sure you could always earn extra money bragging about all of your acomplishments....no wait...no one wants to hear that crap, nerd.