Careers in STEM - Engineering

STEM Careers: Engineering

Engineers, technologists, and technicians are changing the world all the time. They dream up creative, hands-on solutions and work with other smart, inspiring people to invent, design, and create things that are changing how we live and work.

Why is engineering important in STEM?

STEM is an integrated approach to learning. Engineering is what connects the disciplines. Engineers seek solutions to problems and then apply scientific knowledge and mathematics to design, build, and maintain technologies to solve the problems.

The “E” for engineering has received little attention from K–12 educators. Mathematics is an educational staple from the earliest grades to graduation; science is common in middle school and high school, and emerging technology is gaining ground. But engineering is taught only sporadically in K–12 schools, despite growing evidence that engaging in engineering education leads to improved student learning and achievement in mathematics and science, in part by connecting these subjects to real-world problems.

If you feel more attracted to engineering or your curiosity leans to the engineering path, here are some options for you to consider:

Aerospace Engineer

Have you ever wanted to tell your friends that you know “rocket science”? If so, aerospace engineering is the field for you! Aerospace engineers design aircraft, like planes and helicopters, as well as spacecraft, such as rockets and satellites. They deal with topics such as aerodynamics, which deals with the motion of air when it interacts with a solid object, and materials science, which relates the properties of a material at the atomic level to its properties at a larger scale. A bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering is usually required to become an aerospace engineer.

The average salary for aerospace engineers in the United States is around 122, 270 USD per year. Salaries typically start from 77,440. 

If you love to design, create, and have a huge passion for the sky and outer space, this could be a good fit for you. 

Agricultural Engineer

Agricultural Engineers keep the world growing! They apply engineering, science, and emerging technology to improve the production and processing of the foods we eat. They draw upon their knowledge of animal and plant biology, as well as civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering. Agricultural engineers create the designs for farming equipment like tractors, plows, and sustainable water irrigation systems.

The use of drones in the agriculture industry is steadily growing as part of an effective approach to sustainable agricultural management that allows agronomists, agricultural engineers, and farmers to help streamline their operations, using robust data analytics to gain effective insights into their crops. 

The average salary for Agricultural Engineers in the United States is around 82,640 USD per year. 

Do you love food, plants, and animals? This can be a good option for you. 

Automotive Engineer

Automotive engineers are on the road to success! Automotive engineers design the different components of the cars we drive. They work to make sure our cars are safe, comfortable, and fuel efficient. They may focus on certain parts of the car, such as the engine or the braking system. Much of the work that automotive engineers do is on the computer, although they sometimes travel to manufacturing factories to perform experiments. Employers generally require automotive engineers to have a master’s degree.

The average salary for Automotive Engineers in the United States is around 80,139 USD  per year. 

Do you love how cars work and do you feel you can do astonishing improvements to them? We feel this is a great option. 

Learn more about our STEM programs for Professional Development

Energy Engineer

Energy engineers aim to increase energy efficiency and environmental friendliness in buildings and manufacturing processes. They usually search for ways to tap into alternative energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, and nuclear energy. The field of energy engineering combines physics, math, emerging technology, chemistry, and environmental engineering. A bachelor’s degree is required to become an energy engineer.

The average salary for an Energy Engineer is 88,347 USD per year in the United States.

This can be a great fit for those who are interested in creating new ways of utilizing sustainable natural energy and improving the ones existing. 

Environmental Engineer

An environmental engineer is a problem solver, just like every other type of engineer.  Environmental engineers, however, solve problems with the environment in mind and assure that their solutions maintain or enhance the quality of the environment.  Some of them deal with the lack of food or clean water in certain parts of the world while others deal with air quality, ground pollution, and hazardous waste management.  If you love the outdoors, want to maintain it for the future, and are a problem solver then you might like to be an environmental engineer!

Environmental Engineers made a median salary of $92,120 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $118,960 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $70,260.

If you feel that you want to help with climate issues or social issues, this career might interest you. 

Nano Engineers

Nano Engineers work with tiny, tiny things! The field of nanoengineering, or nanotechnology, deals with objects at the nanoscale. One nanometer is equivalent to one billionth of a meter. That’s pretty small! Nano Engineers work with things at the molecular, or even at the atomic level, so they require special tools and microscopes since the objects they are studying are too small to be seen with the naked eye. A bachelor’s degree is required to be a nanoengineer.

The average salary for a nanotechnology engineer in the United States is around $100,640 per year.

Would you like to be part of the next generation of nano engineers? This is a fantastic option.

STEM Careers: Technology

Robotics Engineer

Robotics Engineers design and build robots that can do a variety of tasks. Some robots are designed to do tasks that would be dangerous for humans to perform, such as defusing bombs or deep-sea exploration. Other robots help make our lives more convenient, such as autopilot on planes. Robotics engineers may have to deal with the hardware that comprises the physical form of the robot, as well as the software, which would be the computer system controlling the robot. Robotics engineers typically have bachelor’s degrees in robotics engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer engineering.

The average robotics engineer's salary ranges vastly depending on location and experience. Glassdoor reports the average national salary at 75,000 USD while Indeed puts the average as high as nearly 107,000 USD.

Have you always loved robots? Look no further than this option. 

Software Engineer

Software engineers design and develop computer software. They use computer science engineering and mathematics to create and test the software and systems that make computers work. Software engineers may design computer games, business applications, and operating systems. Computer systems design companies, computer and electronic manufacturers, financial institutions, and insurance providers employ these engineers.

The average salary for a software engineer is 126,937 USD per year in the United States and a 4,500 USD cash bonus per year.

Ideally, you should be good at managing software and interested in new programs and how they are developed. 

AND here we reach today’s delivery for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Careers. Which one is your favorite? 

You can find powerful sources of information to help you make a better decision when it comes to your professional development. 

Remember that at NextWaveSTEM®, you can provide your students with programs where “We teach” and we drive positive academic outcomes with quality instruction from NWS-trained instructors.