What sort of jobs can an engineer do?

View the "What is Engineering?" chart to get an idea of what engineers do to help you in every day life.
What is Engineering?

What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of principles of physics and chemistry for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of various systems. Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines. It requires a solid understanding of core concepts including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and energy. Mechanical engineers use the core principles as well as other knowledge in the field to design and analyze manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, heating and cooling systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, robotics, medical devices and more.

Companies in Scotland Mechanical Engineers can work for include;
Alexander Dennis
Heil Europe

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil Engineers design and build our physical infrastructure, from roads and railways through to water supply and drainage networks. Their work helps to overcome geographical limitations and reshapes the landscape so that it works to the benefit of humans. Bridges, dams, pipelines, transport systems - all of these rely on the work of civil engineers.

Companies in Scotland Civil Engineers can work for include;
Scot Wilson
Amey
Atkins
Halcrow

What is Manufacturing Engineering?

Manufacturing engineering is a creative activity: manufacturing engineers design, implement, monitor and maintain manufacturing processes. They consult with design engineers in order to achieve the most efficient and cost effective way of producing the highest quality product possible.

Employment is found in numerous industries, such as clothing, food and drink, pharmaceuticals and shipbuilding. Many organisations operate 'cross-functional' teams with the manufacturing engineer involved at every stage, from design and development, to production, research and after-sales service.

Manufacturing engineers have expertise in a wide range of manufacturing technologies and computer and management control systems. They apply state-of-the art technology to meet increasingly competitive business needs.

Companies in Scotland Manufacturing Engineers can work for include;

What is Chemical Engineering?

Chemical Engineers are concerned with the safe and cost-effective transformation or combination of materials in one formulation to create something new and useful in another state. Their work encompasses process industries from refining and petrochemicals through to pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs and brewing.
Companies in Scotland Chemical Engineers can work for include;
BP
McFarlane Smith
Edrington Group

What is Electrical Engineering?

Electrical engineers deal with electricity: the generation, transmission and distribution of it. They also work with electricity within machines and networks as a source of power, communication and control.

Companies in Scotland Electrical Engineers can work for include;
Scottish Power
British Energy
Doosan Babcock
Scottish & Southern Energy

What is Electronic Engineering?

Electronics is the technology associated with electronic circuits and systems, and uses components such as capacitors, diodes, resistors and transistors.

Electronics engineers research, design, develop, test and produce precision components and systems, developing the way electricity is used to control equipment. The work is usually carried out in cross-functional project teams, with colleagues in electronics and other branches of engineering.

Electronics touches on almost all areas of human activity, so its applications are diverse. They include acoustics, defence, medical instruments, mobile phones, nanotechnology, radio and satellite communication and robotics. Subfields of electronics engineering include control engineering, instrumentation, signal processing and telecommunications engineering.

Companies in Scotland Electronic Engineers can work for include;
Sun Microsystems
National Semiconductor
HP Invent
Honeywell Control Systems
Selex Galileo

What ways can you get into Engineering as a career?

View the Routes into Engineering chart to get an idea of the levels.
Routes into Engineering

What can an engineer earn?

There are various salary surveys each year, and engineering as a profession is usually in the top third, along with medicine, law, investment banking and accountancy. Earnings depend on the individual discipline, with some fields varying considerably. Average annual earnings according to the Office for National Statistics are currently ranging from £38,000 per year for electronics engineers to £33,000 for civil engineers. The picture may of course vary, but what is clear is that engineering is a solid and secure occupation, with considerable potential for earning a salary well above average. Career opportunities are plentiful and it is an expanding and developing profession.