[SBE] Dwindling numbers of engineers

[Jeff Carter]

Hi,

Telecommunications Engineering?  Me, too, although where I went they
created the telecom engineering degree by taking
motors/plcs/industrial stuff out of the EE program and replacing it
with networking and signal analysis courses.  There was a good bit of
electronics as a result.

If you have a Bachelor's in an engineering discipline and you are
making $35k, you are being robbed.  It's pretty much that simple.  I
know that there is a tendency to compare yourself to your peer group,
but chances are you are far beyond them in accomplishment at this
point and your pay should reflect that.

My school did a survey of graduates about five years ago, and then
folks were getting an average of $50k straight out the door, diploma
in hand.  I think there were some huge outliers, like folks barely
working and one guy who got almost six figures because they liked what
he'd done as an intern, but my opinion is that you could do much
better.

In regard to your question about the retirees, my observation is that
they're your worst nightmare in small markets.  Most of them either
had no retirement other than social security and will have to work
until they drop.  Most of them own all the gear and tools they need to
maintain a station.  They will be looking for extra cash, and can and
merrily will cut your throat on rates because they have no overhead.

They're the second biggest factor to the decline of broadcast
engineering pay, management shortsightedness being the first.  Lawyers
and doctors know what they are worth and won't destroy their market
worth.  A retiree will cheerfully work for the same dollar amount he
worked for in the sixties with no thought or care that the dollar has
depreciated well over half since then.

Jeff

Jeff

On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 12:06 PM, Matthew Steck <matthewjsteck at gmail.com> wrote:

> I guess this would be a good time to ask...  Just out of curiosity, I am a

> 23 year old engineer working at a group of stations in a smaller market,

> making the salary mentioned above.  I do the IT work, am familiar with

> computer programming and also enjoy doing hand-in-transmitter/audio

> repair/wiring.  I can't help but think what the future may hold for me years

> down the road.  My degree is in telecommunications (Penn State).  All of my

> electronics knowledge is from collecting and repairing vintage consumer

> audio since I was a kid.  Is it true that the real-world experience I have

> may out-weigh a degree in the future?  I love the work I am doing (and love

> radio) so I'd like to stay in the field.  When I made my decision to go this

> route, I figured that someone my age would have a good amount of luck

> finding positions, as the current guys begin retiring.  Was that a

> reasonable assumption?

>

> On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 2:15 PM, Jeff Carter <sbe at hidden-valley.com> wrote:

>>

>> On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 9:54 AM, Bob Reite <br at telcen.com> wrote:

>> > There is a dwindling number of jobs.  Party because equipment has become

>> > more reliable.  I remember when I first started you could always find a

>> > job

>> > within a month if you knew RF.  Now, unless you know IT as well, you'll

>> > be

>> > out of work for 6 months or more if you lose your current job.  Even if

>> > you

>> > know IT, chances are you'll find your next job in an industry other than

>> > broadcasting.

>>

>> Well put.

>>

>> I should never post.  If I wait, one of you guys is always going to

>> say what I'm thinking, and say it better and more concisely than me.

>>

>> Jeff

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>

>

>

> --

> Matthew J. Steck

> Chief Engineer / Operator

> Forever Broadcasting

> 109 Plaza Drive

> Johnstown, PA 15905

> (610) 858-5682

> MatthewJSteck at gmail.com

> Msteck at foreverradio.com

>

>

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