Engineering Job advise

The salary range of engineers from your sample size are close to 75th percentile of engineers pay based on MoM survey.
Question is whether this salary can afford a comfortable lifestyle in Singapore. Unless the engineer's spouse is working, he or she will find a great financial burden to buy current resale hdb flats (500k in yishun), car (toyota vios 100k), have two kids (child care=800x2/mth).
So, the pay is decent but not enough to afford a upper middle class lifestyle = 5c
The engineers pay has not rise in tandem with cost of living as huge influx of cheap FTs suppresse the wages of engineers
Now only the profession of bankers, lawyers and doctors can attain the singapore dream of 5c

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I seriously think that there's alot of under and grossly under estimation of people working in engineering fields.

My wife told me her friend who is an engineer, earns about 100k pa, and whilst holding discussion with him, it dawned to her that engineers actually earn quite alot. Of course, he's a degree holder and in his mid 40s.

Too far for me to mention about someone I dont know? Alright.

I just came back from Shanghai and met a friend there. He's my old friend from poly and still only holding a diploma cert. He had worked in Chartered semicon and after it gone down, he switched around and is currently based in Shanghai. Earning about $5-$6k per month. Not an engineer per se, but a sales engineer. Nontheless, a job that require acute understanding of engineering stuff, despite being a sales job. Hence, engineering is still attractive.

Ok, how about this - my neighbor is working in Starhub as an engineer and is drawing about 5.5k per month. I think he's a degree holder of some engineering school. He was also my poly mate and we happened to stay in the same block now. Drives a MPV and also paid a good COV for his resale flat just as I had. Doing well.

Sometimes I read the posts here and other forums, where taxi drivers claiming that they were engineers and now have to drive taxis... and how the market and industry destroys them.

However, I would like to state politely that they do not have any tertiary education and from their complaining attitude, it seems to me that they have the mentality that the world owes them a living. If they want to remain in the industry, the least they could do was to upgrade themselves and I'm pretty sure the engineering industry is still sunny for them.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The salary range of engineers from your sample size are close to 75th percentile of engineers pay based on MoM survey.
Question is whether this salary can afford a comfortable lifestyle in Singapore. Unless the engineer's spouse is working, he or she will find a great financial burden to buy current resale hdb flats (500k in yishun), car (toyota vios 100k), have two kids (child care=800x2/mth).
So, the pay is decent but not enough to afford a upper middle class lifestyle = 5c
The engineers pay has not rise in tandem with cost of living as huge influx of cheap FTs suppresse the wages of engineers
Now only the profession of bankers, lawyers and doctors can attain the singapore dream of 5c

if you are an average engineer, or just slightly above average, you can forget about the singapore dream. however, if you're a below-average earner in a bank, you can EASILY achieve the singapore dream.

choose wisely. (don't listen to your teachers.... they are teachers for a reason.)

here is some info from someone working in the banking line.

If you are below average in a bank operations, you may not be much better off than an average engineer. Btw, degree holders also work in bank operations (just to make sure we are comparing apple to apple)

In Citi, those operations people at CBP are not earning much. A degree holder starts at 2-3k pm. So after 5 years, still earn less than 5k pm. If you are not above average, you may become stagnant on a low yearly increment of 3-5%. Without promotion, you get stuck in the pay bandwith which means you can very well be having a family but surviving on 5k per month when you are in your 30-40s.

There is alot of emphasis on the well paid bankers but people don't really take into account the back / middle office. These guys are not well paid.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

if you are an average engineer, or just slightly above average, you can forget about the singapore dream. however, if you're a below-average earner in a bank, you can EASILY achieve the singapore dream.

choose wisely. (don't listen to your teachers.... they are teachers for a reason.)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

here is some info from someone working in the banking line.

If you are below average in a bank operations, you may not be much better off than an average engineer. Btw, degree holders also work in bank operations (just to make sure we are comparing apple to apple)

In Citi, those operations people at CBP are not earning much. A degree holder starts at 2-3k pm. So after 5 years, still earn less than 5k pm. If you are not above average, you may become stagnant on a low yearly increment of 3-5%. Without promotion, you get stuck in the pay bandwith which means you can very well be having a family but surviving on 5k per month when you are in your 30-40s.

There is alot of emphasis on the well paid bankers but people don't really take into account the back / middle office. These guys are not well paid.

those are usu diploma holders. i have a friend who started in back office doing menial "operations" work. she got her degree part-time and moved up to work at HQ level ("group" level), now making >150k pa including bonus.

if you are in banking, opportunities abound. if not, just hop a few times and you will get your increments. this is so unlike in engineering.

How old is your friend? If she can go up to HQ / Group Level this means she is doing well already.

S$150k pa including bonus = around VP level. She probably is in her 30s.

On the other hand, a good engineer in his/her 30s can also make that amount of money, from my understanding.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

those are usu diploma holders. i have a friend who started in back office doing menial "operations" work. she got her degree part-time and moved up to work at HQ level ("group" level), now making >150k pa including bonus.

if you are in banking, opportunities abound. if not, just hop a few times and you will get your increments. this is so unlike in engineering.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

those are usu diploma holders. i have a friend who started in back office doing menial "operations" work. she got her degree part-time and moved up to work at HQ level ("group" level), now making >150k pa including bonus.

if you are in banking, opportunities abound. if not, just hop a few times and you will get your increments. this is so unlike in engineering.

I agree, i have seen friends in banking sector moving up in the ladder faster than engineers. Most engineers earn 5k on average in mid 30, whereas a typical banking employee in 30s (assuming working in bank since graduation) would reach vp level where average pay is at least 15k a month.

I have not heard any engineers reaching 15k a month by mid 30s

[Bean]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I agree, i have seen friends in banking sector moving up in the ladder faster than engineers. Most engineers earn 5k on average in mid 30, whereas a typical banking employee in 30s (assuming working in bank since graduation) would reach vp level where average pay is at least 15k a month.

I have not heard any engineers reaching 15k a month by mid 30s

agree with you

an example is my team lead
-degree holder from UK
-early 40s
-18+ exp in my company(his 1st job)
-now getting only ~6.5k basic/mth
-is "A" grade performer
-annual ~ 140k

Originally Posted by Unregistered

hi everyone, i'm currently an undergraduate in NUS studying engineering. previously, i graduated from SP with an engineering diploma (EEE). due to the unattractive market landscape in engineering, i realised that it doesn't justify me spending 3 or more yrs to study hence i'm thinking of leaving NUS and coming out to work instead. but i'm unsure of the current job outlook for engineering field. i would love to switch to another field but will need to work first to earn some $$.

can anyone here in the industry advise me on the current job outlook and the types of jobs a EEE diploma holder can look to secure?

thanks a million for your replies.

IMHO, I don't think you should waste time changing your course of study. Engineers still earn lots of respect in banking. Just finish ASAP and join me on the dark side. I have a SP ME dip and overseas engineering degree. But I also have an MBA and CFA and have been managing funds for many years. There are lots of engineering grad on the dark side. A bright friend of mine with an EEE degree (no MBA) with a German bank makes over 500k per year. In fact in my first job in investment banking, my direct supervisor and his superior were EEE graduates.

How is the jobscope of a commissioning engineer like? When a product is done, it is being trial run and tested.. like how it is being utilised... ??? What are the things you do in your daily routine, anyone?

Originally Posted by hello--

How is the jobscope of a commissioning engineer like? When a product is done, it is being trial run and tested.. like how it is being utilised... ??? What are the things you do in your daily routine, anyone?

Been there.. done that... You carry heavy tools and a laptop to different worksite everyday.. The day starts by you assign tasks to your team of banglahs and thai workers.. then you go on to do your own more intellectual work on the laptop and working on your site machines/high-tech equipments... occasionally you walk around to supervise that they do their work properly.. Alot of times you will be baking under the sun.. If you are damn "sway".. There will be rain with lighting and thunder.. If you have a urgent deadline to meet... No choice , you will have to be working underneath a poncho... Somemore, your Sat and sun will always be on standby.. Any problems on site, you'll be call back to site to attend to silly alarms from your equipment you just commissioned... Shiok right??!! Did i mentioned the pay is F#@king miserable.... Quit after 6months... Dun waste your life... Go do something else...