Pennsylvania’s Economy Benefits from Engineering

The state of Pennsylvania relies heavily on engineers every year, and the state’s economy works closely with engineers to improve infrastructure, public services, bridges, and building projects. There are many jobs out there for engineers who have trained in the state, and that is why potential students should consider engineering as their profession. Everyone can find a field in engineering that suits their interests, and there is some information below that sheds light on why engineering is such a big part of what Pennsylvania does as a state.

What Is The Value of Engineering to the Pennsylvania Economy?

The state GDP is a bit more than $651 billion, and the economy grows at a rate of about 10% every ten years. The state is the sixth-largest economy in all of America, and the economy relies heavily on oil, gas, and engineering projects. There are a lot of people who are working on construction projects that were surveyed and planned by engineers. Plus, engineers are helping with oil and gas exploration, refinement, highway maintenance, and several other things.

Because this is one of the top ten economies in all of America, there is always a job for an engineer in Pennsylvania.

Watch this video showing the importance of the manufacturing industry to both Pennsylvania’s Economy and the Economy of the United States. Engineering is the underpinning of this important sector.

How Many Engineering Jobs Are Available in Pennsylvania?

There are almost 100,000 engineering jobs in the state, and those jobs are spread out among civil engineers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and many more. You may want to work in environmental engineering because the state’s entire central region is littered with state forests.

There are posts with both the state park service and the US Park Service. Plus, the Army Corps of Engineers has maintained projects along the Delaware, Allegheny, Ohio, and other rivers that cross the state. The port of Philadelphia alone is filled with chemical plants, electrical facilities, and factories that all need engineers. You can see these plants as you cross the Delaware, and many of these factories have taken over old steel mills in places like Pittsburgh.

The engineer also has the chance to teach because there are several universities in the state that train engineers. You could work for the public services division of the local government, or you could work for private companies that need engineers on-hand at all times. Moreover, you could start a consulting business that offers engineering advice to any company that needs help with a new project.

Moreover, some engineers may partner with local architects who are trying to file bids for local projects.

What Are Average Engineer Salaries in Pennsylvania?

Average engineer salaries vary depending on the field, but the state average is around $72,000 a year. Every category of engineering is paid differently, and you will be paid based on how much you contribute to projects, your seniority, and the funding available to your employer.

For example, civil engineers average about $77,000 a year, but electrical engineers average about $86,000 a year. However, you should not choose your field of specialty because of how much money you will make. You see quite clearly that engineers make good money no matter the state of the economy.

Buildings will be built, roads need to be maintained, and waterways must be maintained to ensure that the economy can function. Moreover, you could add to your income by teaching. Some teachers prefer to work for a full professorship at the school they have chosen, but others teach on an adjunct basis because they want to have flexibility to work on other -projects. Plus, adjunct teaching allows certain professionals to teach distance courses from home while they travel or work on private projects.

What Sort of Engineering Work Is Available?

Engineering work is available in civil engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, petroleum engineering, automotive engineering, architectural engineering biomedical engineering, and even project management engineering.

The state of Pennsylvania is so large that you could move anywhere in the state to take a job that intrigues you, and you could move close to amazing metropolitan areas like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Some people prefer to live in the center of the state around college towns like State College, and you could move to the south of the state where it borders Maryland. Moreover, you could move to the north of the state near the Great Lakes or New York.

Which Schools Can Engineering Students Attend?

There are many amazing schools in Pennsylvania that you might want to try. Of course, Penn State is one of the most popular schools in all of America, and the Ivy League titan is located in Philadelphia. Plus, LaSalle, Villanova, Drexel, Swarthmore, Carnegie-Mellon, Bucknell, Duquesne, Pitt, and Temple are all options for engineers.

Moreover, you may want to start your schooling at a state university that has a smaller population in a place like Shippensburg or Gettysburg. You need to decide if you want to spend four years at your preferred engineering school or spend your first two years doing required courses at a cheaper school before transferring.

Pennsylvania gives you every schooling option you could ever want, and you could easily transfer to another school closer to your family if you needed to. Pennsylvania allows you to get your education without worrying about where you will go if you ever need to exchange schools, and you can even enroll in an Ivy League school if that level of prestige is important to you.

Professional Engineering and Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania is a wonderful place for engineers to work, and it is a great place for you to get a good job, start a family, and live comfortably. You can work with the park service, the civil sector, medical sector, and so much more. Plus, you will make very good money because the average salary for an engineer is over $70,000. That kind of money will change the way that you approach your lifestyle, and you will have more flexibility if you want to start teaching or become a private consultant. You need to get your degree today so that you can get licensed and begin work in this exciting field.

Are You a Pennsylvania Professional Engineer

If you are like most Pennsylvania professional engineers, you’ll be interested in our compilation of the PE license renewal requirements. This article includes lists everything you need to know to renew your PA license with links to renewal forms, due dates, licensing fees, and a lot more.

Continuing Education Packages for PA Engineers

PDH-Pro offers continuing education packages for Pennsylvania engineers with all required courses. All of our packages are guaranteed to be accepted by the Pennsylvania board.