Electrical Engineering Vs. Electrical Engineering Technology Salaries

Q: I am just a high school student who is in between the two majors. One college says theirs brings in more money whereas the other college says theirs brings in more money.

A: -In general an person with an ABET accredited Engineering degree will make more money and have more career choices than a person with an ABET accredited Engineering Technology degree. If either program is NOT ABET accredited, tell them to stick it up their a$$. -In my case I have an engineering degree but I work for someone with a technology degree. I'm better at the technical stuff, but the money is in management where other skills are more important. -Is the technology degree you mention an engineering technology degree, or a business/management technology degree? -Go to an university for 4 years. And get an engineering degree then go for the registered professional engineer. This is where you get the money and prestiege. From where I live, a registered professional engineer carries some weight - professionally and legally. And you are also liable for your engineering work in terms of laws. (Like when you build a bridge and the bridge fails and kills many people. In that case, you would face the laws becaues you were the professional engineer in charge). -If you're only in it for the money don't bother being in the industry because you'll NEVER be as good as the guy who loves what he does. Do it because you enjoy it. If you enjoy what you do, you will automatically do it well. As far as starting wages go, sure, letters behind your name help, but in the long run all companies care about is can you get the job done right. I absolutely guarantee that in the long run, the guy who gets it done right will make a LOT more money and get more position than the guy with all the right letters after his name who doesn't have his heart in it. Me? Hell, if I didn't have bills to pay I'd do this for free, I love it that much, which is probably why after all these years, I'm still around and well enough known for my abilities that I'm always kept busy and command top prices without argument. Do it because you love it, or don't do it at all. I wouldn't hire anyone to work a job that I knew they were only doing by rote. -An BSEE requires 2 years of physics & calculus and sets you up to do what ever you want. You will have the fundamentals to understand any engineering discipline. You learn about technology from internships and co-op programs. If you are very academically oriented and think you can hack it, I would go for the EE not the EET. An EET learns about technology and can be propelled into the field with no experience immediately. There is a lot of focus on current technology. It probably is a more fun degree but can be limiting.

Discuss It!

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Tim Duff said:

I am in a similar dilemma because of my age it is a little different though. I am back in school full time at the age of 30 with two years to go if I finish a BS EET program. I was not sure if I should stick with that or go for another year or so to do the Electrical Engineering program. I have been looking into the options and talking to an EE friend who said just stick with what I am doing. I am still not sure but need to be soon here. I am at the point were I want to get back to the work force soon but I still want to choose the right path. Anyway, I like what you said and I know and have heard the same about doing the job right is most important. If you can give some more input please do. Thanks, Old Student

Tim said:

Similar dilemma. I'm 43 yrs. old. I have 18 years as an electrician and 5 yrs. as an industrial maintenance tech. I'm finishing my AASEET with asperations to pursue a BS. No one can tell me the difference between a EET and an EE. My next step is to hit the streets. I intend to interview at Engineering firms to ask questions. I look forward to other comments.

Jeremy said:

Engineering undergraduate programs include more mathematics work and higher level mathematics than technology programs. Engineering undergraduate programs often focus on theory, while technology programs usually focus on application. Once they enter the workforce, engineering graduates typically spend their time planning, while engineering technology graduates spend their time making plans work. At ABET, engineering and engineering technology programs are evaluated and accredited by two separate accreditation commissions using two separate sets of accreditation criteria. Graduates from engineering programs are called engineers, while graduates of technology programs are often called technologists. Graduates from engineering technology programs are often hired as engineers. Some U.S. state boards of professional engineering licensure will allow only graduates of engineering programs—not engineering technology programs—to become licensed engineers.

Greg said:

EET is a technician which can be obtained with a AS degree or experience. If you go the AS route you take the same all the maths that you would take minus a few. EE you must obtain a BSN.

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Dan said:

I have a B.S.E.E.T. and the math is very close to that of the EE, just one course fewer. I plan on getting the PE, but will have to test and obtain that in another state before having that license accepted in my home state, which only recognizes EE degrees. Would have done it differently if I could go back, but I'm now 39 and was looking to get finished and start working in this field as soon as I could. The differences between E.E. and E.E.T. cannot be accurately categorized due to the vast ranges of the E.E.T requirements from university to university.

Philip said:

Where I work the guys who have Engineering technology degrees are just not getting the promotions. The Electrical Engineers are getting the promotions. The guys with the technology degree love to buy expensive programmable hardware, and they drag and drop this and that module into the program, and then they put together fancy powerpoints, and try to say they solved a problem. The trouble is that whatever they did can't be duplicated by anyone else. The Engineers actually come up with real math equations, make real measurements without manipulating the data, and present something that can be relied on. I am working on a real engineering degree. My manager keeps asking how it's going, and I think that I have a lot more favor becasue I am working on a real engineering degree. Todays job market is not going to improve any time soon, and I think that those technology programs are a big rip off. The EET's where I work don't actually seem to know anything that I haven't learned on my own as a hobbiest anyway. Go for the EE. You only get one chance to pick a degree. Don't screw it up - get a real EE degree. It's not worth the risk in this job market.

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Kurt said:

Wow. You think Phillip maybe has a chip in his shoulder. Holy hell. Say "real engineering" a few more times. The fact is there are bad EET schools out there and bad EE schools too. You can be a professional engineer with either degree. You spend more time in lab as an EET major and more time in the classroom as an EE. Some employers like EETs more and some like EEs more, it depends on the kind of work. There is plenty of jobs for you if you have a BS in either.

David Lai said:

Don't listen to Philip. I have a EET degree, and I design and construct audio test systems. it is true that some companies underestimate EET. However, let me tell you this: get the job done right, you will be rewarded.

orlando said:

So what is better an associates or a bachelors on EET? Whats the difference?

justin said:

So what is better an associates or a bachelors on EET? Whats the difference? ^ this is what i would like to know aswell

Will said:

I'm currently attending Penn State which is regarded as one of the best engineering schools around. I was going for Electrical Engineering (EE) but am now switching to Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) Personally I would say that you should pick what you think you will like more. If you like it you will naturally do better. I'm not as good or as interested in theory as application. The avg. salaries may be better for EE but if you know/find out you will be a better EET then you should go for it. If you do the job right you can end up in a better position than a crappy/miserable EE. And the salaries/skills/job demand of an EET are nothing to laugh at. To those above the associates is a 2 year degree while the bachelors is a full 4 year BS. I would say that the BS would be far preferable to the associates if you have the ability to complete it.

Michael said:

OK, so here are the facts folks: 1) Any university that says you will make more money with their degree is full of BS. Undergrad degree only matters for your first job or for progressing to a Doctorate! Now do understand I am talking about good university here...not tech schools or "schools" that have no credentials. 2) Going to a prestigeious school like MIT may give you a leg-up for that first job, and gives you bosting rights for your whole life ;-) You might see a tad higher pay over the state-U grad...maybe. The school I went to was known for it's 5 year "4 year track"...meaning the norm for any Engineering grad was 5 years due to difficulty of program. I stand and laugh at MBA's...until we start comparing pay checks ;-) 3) As has been said, go for what you enjoy rather than the money. Any engineer is going to make a solid living. Do what you like instead of trying to squeeze out a few more bucks. 4) That said, a EE can do the job of a EET...not necessarily the other way around. I started EE, but changed to EET and wish I had not. I missed out on some killer fun courses. 5) In the end, the businessmen will get higher salaries. Minor in business so you know what they are talking about. At some point in your career, you will probably be ready to move away from Engineering toward management.

Chris said:

I have a BS in EET. The school I went to was and is ABET acreddited. I have been working in the field for a while now and like many have said, there are good and bad engineers with both degrees. An older engineer made a comment to me that I have since heard put many ways. He said, "There are three types of engineers in the world, desk engineers(generally EEs) who lay out plans and design. Field engineers(generally EETs) who make the plans work." Then he said, "There are the rare few that can do both." In my opinion, a good EE & EET can both do the same job. True, the EE degree is slightly more theoretical but I haven't seen too many applications that require that higher level of technicality. The college I went to required two Calculus classes and a differential equations class. Not to mention the electrical specific classes that used both. As others have said, it depends on what you enjoy. If you are more hands on, I would go for the EET degree. If not, I would go for the EE degree. As far as pay goes, it just depends on who you work for and the industry you are in. I have met EEs that didn't know squat about engineering but were good at math. I have met EETs that weren't great at math but were great engineers. I have met men who have worked in the field their entire lives with no degree that are better engineers than some papered engineers could ever hope to be. Saying that one degree is better than the other is just ignorant. It all depends on what you want to do, what your goals are, and what kind of person you are. If you go to an acreddited shool, put in the work, do some out of school research, and work hard, nothing will be out of reach for either. Some companies do rank EEs higher than EETs out of the gate, but when it comes down to it... Its just a piece of paper until you make something out of it...

John said:

Chris...best answer yet! One thousand percent right. Do what your passion leads you to do. Just because someone did a little more math doesn't mean they are a better engineer. It all depends on the individual and how hard of a worker they are and how much they like what they are doing. The guy that said EE's are real engineers is looking at things from a narrow mind and will have Many problems in life with such a high self regard. Wouldn't want to work with him on any project.

Power Systems said:

I have a BS EET/MET (Power Systems)from a great ABET school in New York State. Chris is on point. If you like hands on field work, EET is the way to go. I do field work such as acceptance and maintenance testing of electrical equipment. I also do short-circuit/coordination/arc-flash studies. Since graduating in '04, I've worked for four different companys and my salary has gone from 40K to over 100K. Phillip's work environment sounds unfair. If you can do the work it shouldn't matter which degree you have.

Don said:

If you have to ask then EET is for you. It's the math. I would never consider EET.

SanfordMichael said:

I am also a electrical engineer and I do not want to compare Electrical Engineering Vs. Electrical Engineering Technology Salaries. In this article you say that an ABET accredited Engineering degree will make more money and have more career choices than a person with an ABET accredited Engineering Technology degree. I do agree with you, But I also believe you can earn more and more money if you have capability and you know your work very well.

Travis said:

I'm about to go to Hacc for EET and finish a bachelor's at Penn State harrisburg after my associate's. Would anyone have any good advice about out of class supplemental reading/activities that could help me succeed in this field? You guys seem pretty knowledgeable in the field. Not sure what my options will be when I graduate.

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