Engineering types - What's an entry level salary look like?

[butcher bergs]

...and my life continues its climb to the top....

Have an opportunity to take on an engineering position at work.

Curious what entry-level pay rates look like for programming and process refinement.

Feel free to PM if you don't want to publically respond.

[redwinger]

varies so largely on the company. entry level meaning fresh out of a BS typically in the 50k range. But there are places like tripadvisor, that look for the select few out of MIT / Harvard who will pay like 80k for a programmer.

[Woodsy]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.60 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13057/724; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

45-50k

[bigred875]

between 35 and 80

[ZX-12R]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 9530: Opera/9.60 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13337/724; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

35-80 sounds right with most being in the upper 40's to mid 50's.

[NeverlosT]

programmer... depending on your level of skill (how badly they want you).... if you are more entry level, look for 55K+ if you are mid level, dont be shy to ask for 65K, if you are able to run sh1t, ask for 75K to start. Remember, it never hurts to ask....

A big thing is see what the promotion schedule is like. I work for the Government. I made less than my engineering buddies when we first started but I get guaranteed promotions every year AND performance based promotions, I am now making more than them and have 100% job security. What I am saying is, dont look only at the bottom line, look at the benefits too.

[seth399]

yup these guys seem spot on...(as spot on as you can get), its all over the map in the 40-80K range, more likely 40-55

[Honclfibr]

Starting salaries vary quite a bit by discipline as well, an ME is not going to have the same salary curve as an EE or a ChemE, etc. Same with programming, there are so many market segments (applications, web programming, embedded, etc) which require different knowledge and experience, and the salary level will reflect that.

[virtualbong]

$30K for a place where they know you are replaceable. I know this because I was taken advantage of right after college.

You should see somewhere between $45K to $55K. That's what I would say is reasonable for this economy. You are up against a zillion engineers out there, so I would be very happy with even $40K.

btw. this is for computer programming

[Honclfibr]

The key to engineering/programming, like any other profession, is to establish a good knowledge and experience base, and then specialize on top of that. There are a zillion "programmers" out there, but they're not all in the same field. Entry level, yes you will be lumped in with everyone else, the key from there is to find something to make yourself stand out.

For example, I started out with a degree in computer engineering and did a lot of pretty vanilla applications programming my first year or two, but used that to get experience with embedded firmware, driver development...areas where there aren't a zillion people who could do what I do. Finding that niche and exploiting it is the key to success and high salaries in engineering...well, that or management

[bigred875]

$30K for a place where they know you are replaceable. I know this because I was taken advantage of right after college.

You should see somewhere between $45K to $55K. That's what I would say is reasonable for this economy. You are up against a zillion engineers out there, so I would be very happy with even $40K.

btw. this is for computer programming

everyone is replaceable instantly...don't ever forget that

[Billy]

I started around $50K out of college as a server administrator (IT Field). Did the administration stuff for about 4 years and got a promotion in the Summer of 08. I'm a senior infrastructure eningeer now. Salary is close to doubling since I graduated. Hope that helps with your question.

[CMG241]

in todays economy about 18k-18.5...and you'll like it.

[butcher bergs]

Did the interview today......<crossed fingers>

Sounds like I have a 50/50 chance. Myself and an outside prospect...

[butcher bergs]

DAMMIT!!!!



Not sure what the hell happened....actually, I know exactly what happened.....they can't afford to lose me in the area I'm already in since the other guy sucks at his job. So I lose because of that.

[Sheppo]

DAMMIT!!!!



Not sure what the hell happened....actually, I know exactly what happened.....they can't afford to lose me in the area I'm already in since the other guy sucks at his job. So I lose because of that.

Paul,
Sorry to hear that. It sucks but that happens more than not in companies.
What did they give you for an actual reason?

[benVFR]

The key to engineering/programming, like any other profession, is to establish a good knowledge and experience base, and then specialize on top of that. There are a zillion "programmers" out there, but they're not all in the same field. Entry level, yes you will be lumped in with everyone else, the key from there is to find something to make yourself stand out.

For example, I started out with a degree in computer engineering and did a lot of pretty vanilla applications programming my first year or two, but used that to get experience with embedded firmware, driver development...areas where there aren't a zillion people who could do what I do. Finding that niche and exploiting it is the key to success and high salaries in engineering...well, that or management

This plus "know your shit".

There are a lot of people who are crappy, even guys making good money. And there are crappy managers & companies who will promote people who are horrible as well!

If Honclfibr has specialized in embedded firmware & driver development I might have to claim I've specialized in cleaning up messes left by outsourcing & bad programmers.

The starting salaries are sad (for software). They really have not gone up at all in the past 10 years, and in some cases they have gone down. I know someone who got out of school 5 years after me, and he had a Masters degree (whereas I do not) and he was barely making half what I made when I started.

It is a good time to be starting out as a Software Engineer. There is already starting to be a shortage of *good* young engineers because kids have been scared off of engineering degrees. A lot of the doom and gloom you read on the internet does not appear to be coming from engineers, it's more folks on the IT side. I went to frigging MIT of all places for a career fair recently, and we did not manage bring in a single graduating senior who was getting a CS degree. I go back to my own school (RPI) 2x a year and have not managed to get anyone in the door here for interviews either. I page through the books and basically no one is studying computer science or computer system engineering. We had an opening for a Jr. position and a Senior position and have not been able to fill the Jr. position to the point where management finally decided to just hire 2 senior people.

[KB]

WHOA fuck who's next WOTEugene..................everyone cumin outa the woodwork.

Hi Ben!

KB

This plus "know your shit".

There are a lot of people who are crappy, even guys making good money. And there are crappy managers & companies who will promote people who are horrible as well!

If Honclfibr has specialized in embedded firmware & driver development I might have to claim I've specialized in cleaning up messes left by outsourcing & bad programmers.

The starting salaries are sad (for software). They really have not gone up at all in the past 10 years, and in some cases they have gone down. I know someone who got out of school 5 years after me, and he had a Masters degree (whereas I do not) and he was barely making half what I made when I started.

It is a good time to be starting out as a Software Engineer. There is already starting to be a shortage of *good* young engineers because kids have been scared off of engineering degrees. A lot of the doom and gloom you read on the internet does not appear to be coming from engineers, it's more folks on the IT side. I went to frigging MIT of all places for a career fair recently, and we did not manage bring in a single graduating senior who was getting a CS degree. I go back to my own school (RPI) 2x a year and have not managed to get anyone in the door here for interviews either. I page through the books and basically no one is studying computer science or computer system engineering. We had an opening for a Jr. position and a Senior position and have not been able to fill the Jr. position to the point where management finally decided to just hire 2 senior people.

[benVFR]

Hey man..

Oh one more thing, if you study computer science and you want to move out of your parents basement...

DO NOT take a job working on video games... unless you know you're a genius and you just start building your own product in the basement.

Everything I've heard there is horrible money, horrible hours due to bad design & management. Plus you are paying the lottery in a way few products ever do.. Even the biggest names in that industry have horrible reputations. It's tough cause video games are super interesting.

Making video games is like putting out a music album.. not many products have that kind of risk.

Hey KB...

[butcher bergs]

Paul,
Sorry to hear that. It sucks but that happens more than not in companies.
What did they give you for an actual reason?

I'm not losing sleep over it, I just hate my co-worker a little more because of this.

The reason I heard, however, was that the other guy has more experience..........which I find funny considering the fact that I've been deeply submersed in all things regarding my career....right down to reading books that I don't "need" to read and working with people that I don't "need" to work with.

I thing I'm gonna go ahead and hit them up for a raise anyway since I already do an exemplary job at completing my tasks as well as holding my co-worker's hand when he screws something up (which is a weekly occurance, BTW).

I'm pretty much pissed off right now.

[butcher bergs]

Here's a classic example:

Just now I walked out of the office and directly past my co-worker. Guess who was completely assed-out sleeping in his chair?

[Sheppo]

Here's a classic example:

Just now I walked out of the office and directly past my co-worker. Guess who was completely assed-out sleeping in his chair?

sneak up and screem..it's fun watching them piss themselves

[butcher bergs]

sneak up and screem..it's fun watching them piss themselves

Thing is, he'd likely have a heart attack rather than a much funnier, more amusing outcome.

Got a meeting with the bosses next week about WTF happened.....should be pretty interesting to say the least.

I have two people quoting my manager as saying to the would-be new boss "you can want but you can't have him".

Good! Since I'm THAT valuable to the department there should be no problem with a significant raise......you know, since I'm not going to be promoted any time soon.