1. hone in on an engineering specialty to access higher paying jobs

Engineering is a diverse field with many different disciplines and specialties for you to choose from. In the broadest terms, engineering is a ‘branch of science and technology concerned with design, building and use of engines, machines and structures.’ As you can imagine, that leaves a lot of ground to cover. Having clear career goals and honing in on a discipline you’re interested in will allow you to become a specialist in an area that interests you. Being a generalist is fine in many careers, but as an engineer, you’ll find choosing a specialty leads to higher paying jobs.

Not sure what your calling is? Here are a few of the most in-demand engineering professions in Canada, worth considering:

Civil engineers - Civil engineers design, develop and oversee the construction of buildings and infrastructure. This can include everything from high-rises to residential homes, to commercial buildings and strictures, to roads and bridges. Civil engineers may also work on water, sewer and drainage systems. Jobs are available in both the public and private sectors.

Electrical engineers – Electrical engineers design, develop and test electrical systems and equipment. As an electrical engineer you may work on all kinds of electrical devices, from tiny microcomputers to massive supercomputers. You might also work in the power, transmission or telecommunications industries, on large-scale electrical systems or power grids.

Mechanical engineers – Mechanical engineers design, build, test and improve machines that serve a variety of purposes. Depending on your role, you may design machines such as generators, batteries, engines, turbines, appliances, heating or cooling systems, elevators, or escalators. Manufacturing engineers also fall into this category. As a manufacturing engineer you’ll develop machines to assist with or streamline manufacturing processes.

Biomedical engineers – Biomedical engineers analyze and solve problems related to biology and medicine, with the end goal of improving human life. Biomedical engineers can work on developing artificial organs or limbs, or medical treatments or devices such a pacemakers, hearing aids and other devices with medical purposes. They also may work on creating, testing or improving medical equipment, devices or instruments for diagnosing or treating medical conditions. Biomedical engineers often have a dual background in engineering and medicine or biology.

Petroleum engineers – Petroleum engineers work in the oil, gas and mining sectors. Their primary goal is to design safe, effective and cost-saving methods of extracting oil and gas deposits. Though you may work on developing a method to tap into a new reservoir, you might also be tasked with finding a new way of extracting oil and gas from a preexisting well.

Software engineers – Software engineers use the principles of computer science, engineering and mathematics to design, develop, test and implement software. As a software engineer you may develop operating systems, computer applications, games, computer networks, or enterprise software or systems for businesses, among other things. As a software engineer, you’re typically expected to be adept at software development and understand key programming or coding languages.

These are just a few of the many engineering professions out there. Check out our engineering job listings to see what other engineering jobs are out there right now. Also check out this list of 10 lesser-known engineering careers that are worth getting into.

looking for a job in the engineering sector?

categories

topics