Yes, that is no longer true that engineering is a worthwhile career in the US.. The money people have destroyed it. I have 2 engineering degrees and today that won't get you anywhere. Today I can get a contract position in no time that will last at least 3 months and pay about what I made in 1992.
Thanks for the info, to the both of you!
I guess that, whether or not Engineering majors are in hot demand, it's still a better bet than what my son is aiming for - professional baseball player. ;-) I keep telling him, yes, you should aim for your dream, but just in case that doesn't work out... there's engineering, computer science, accounting, or a medical field...
Really? There are permanent full-time engineering jobs with state worker benefits going begging here in NY. A shortage of engineering graduates in the US has created a tight job market, forcing private companies to raise salaries in order to compete for scarce engineers. Even with state worker benefits and job security, NYS can't compete. In some areas (downstate especially, due to high cost of living) we have trouble filling jobs like truck drivers and heavy truck/diesel mechanics because nobody wants to do those jobs even at state worker pay and benefits.
A buddy of mine got driven out of teaching by incompenent administrators, and went back to engineering. He landed a job with a private firm right away- had two offers to choose from, in fact. He's on the fast track, because he's very good at what he does, and doesn't give his bosses grief.
Yes, things have changed for the worse but there are still engineering jobs available at all levels. The company I work for needs engineers and offers $5K referral bonuses to employees bring in talent (providing they are hired). I work in an electrical/mechanical environment and it is fairly stable. Its a completely different story for the software / IT types though - mostly done overseas. Lots of the people I work with have been there for 25 or 35 years. Many of the new college grad hires only last 2 or 3 years before they move on - frequently to careers outside of engineering.
The "money people" are inherently in a better position. Those that deal with the money are higher up on the power structure of a company and usually have more opportunities for higher pay.