You recognize that there is only one professional track in engineering. You want to take responsibility for your engineering work. You want to be able to call yourself an engineer. You want to take advantage of the career opportunities offered by global free trade and, ultimately, when you have gained the necessary experience, the APEC Engineer Register. You want to explore the career options like consultantcy and independent practice that are available only to professional engineers. You know that your dream job calls for a P.Eng. So why delay. If you are an engineering student, register with your engineering licensing body as an EIT when you graduate, and take the next step to becoming a P.Eng. If you're an engineering graduate, be sure you know the steps to be licensed as a P.Eng. in the province or territory where you're working, and complete the process. It's the best career decision you'll ever make. But does having a P.Eng. translate into greater employment opportunities - or getting a better job? Let's let the numbers do the talking. In a 1997 survey of over 40,000 Professional Engineers from every discipline of engineering across Canada: 95.1% of respondents reported stable, long-term working conditions; and Only 2.9% reported they were unemployed. These data are reflected in a survey of British Columbia engineers conducted by the engineering licensing body in that province, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC). It found that only 2.6 per cent of B.C.'s Professional Engineers were unemployed in February 2000. The recent economic downturn may have affected the employment trends for engineers somewhat, but Professional Engineers are still in high demand. A new survey of the engineering profession is being conducted in 2002, which will help to clarify the employment picture. The key survey findings will be available on this site in the Fall. Professional engineers also continue to be well paid. A salary survey conducted by the engineering licensing body in Ontario, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), found that 75 per cent of the province's Professional Engineers were paid an annual salary of more than $63,000 in 2000. B.C.'s survey found that 15.6% of respondents were paid between $100,000 and $149,999 in February 2000, 20.8% between $80,000 and $99,999, and 32.5% between $60,000 and $79,999. A 2001 survey conducted by the engineering licensing body in Alberta, the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA), found that 50 per cent of its members-in-training (EITs) were paid more than $42,420 in that year. Like most professionals, an engineer's salary typically increases as he or she gains experience and takes on more responsibility. In Alberta, 50 per cent of engineers with mid-level responsibility for engineering assignments earned an annual salary of more than $68,279 in 2001. Similarly, 50% of engineer specialists with direct responsibility over a group of professionals were paid more than $104,647 in 2001. In 2000, 50% of the Ontario Professional Engineers who graduated in 1989 earned more than $77,696. The National Survey of the Engineering Profession in 1997 also showed the broad range of disciplines and career categories in which Professional Engineers worked. Career Categories: Project management (41%) Design (32.5%) Management/ administration (18.8%) Project planning (17.4%) Engineering/ technology support services (16.1%) Operations and production (12.3%) Research and development (9.4%) Specification/ technical writing (7.9%) Quality assurance (7.1%) Marketing and sales (6.8%) Disciplines: Civil (26.0%) Mechanical (24.5%) Electrical (16.9%) Chemical (10.6%) Geological (3.1%) Industrial/ manufacturing (2.7%) Electronic (2.5%) Metallurgical / Metal sciences (2.3%) Mining/ Mineral Processing (2.2 %) Engineering Physics (2.1%) The conclusion? Extremely low unemployment. Interesting, varied work. Excellent compensation. And the opportunity to work towards management positions. Being a professional really does have its privileges. TOP