|
Whilst searching for some employment news, I ran across a U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics web page that gave median annual salaries for engineers and technicians
in 2012. I doubt the numbers moved much in 2013. Median is the point where half
the samples are less than and half the samples are greater than that median number.
Personally, I prefer a mean average number along with a standard deviation. The
problem with a median value is that it is possible (albeit not necessarily probable)
that the lower half values all lie within, say, 2% below the median, while the upper
half values lie 200% above the median. In such a situation the mean average of the
sample would be almost 100% (2x) the median and the standard deviation, and the
standard deviation would be nearly equal to the median. For example this set of
sample data (49,49,49,49,49,49,50,150,150,150,150,150,150) produces the following
statistical values: Median = 50, mean average (x) = 95.7, standard deviation (σ) = 52.3.
The median tells me nothing about the distribution of the sample data, whereas
x and
σ tell
me the data points are widely separated from the average (which is close to the
median). So, keep that in mind when considering the salary information from the
BLS.
Here is a list of current engineering
jobs listed on RF Cafe.
| Career Field |
Median Annual Salary |
|
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians |
$61,530 |
|
Aerospace Engineers |
$103,720 |
|
Architects |
$73,090 |
|
Chemical Engineers |
$94,350 |
|
Computer Hardware Engineers |
$100,920 |
|
Civil Engineering Technicians |
$47,560 |
|
Computer Hardware Engineers |
$100,920 |
|
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians |
$57,850 |
|
Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
$89,630 |
|
Industrial Engineering Technicians |
$50,980 |
|
Industrial Engineers |
$78,860 |
|
Materials Engineers |
$85,150 |
|
Mechanical Engineering Technicians |
$51,980 |
|
Mechanical Engineers |
$80,580 |
|
Nuclear Engineers |
$104,270 |
Posted January 9, 2014
|
