Typical Career Progression
| |
Position |
Remuneration |
Experience |
Education |
| Level 1 |
Graduate Engineer |
$60,000 to $74,000 |
1½ years |
Degree |
| Level 2 |
Structural Engineer
Design Engineer
Network Engineer
|
$76,000 to $104,000 |
5 years |
Degree or Postgraduate Degree |
| Level 3 |
Operations Manager
Works Engineer
Project Engineer
|
$92,000 to $126,000 |
12 years |
Postgraduate Masters |
| Level 4 |
Project Manager
Regional Manager
Senior Engineer
|
$125,000 to $172,000 |
20 years |
Postgraduate MBA |
|
Level 5
Level 5+
|
Associate Director
Executive Engineer
Group Manager
|
$147,000 to $219,000
$187,000 to $297,000
|
25 years + |
Postgraduate MBA |
**The above table should only be used as a guide
Typical accountabilities and responsibilities
|
Level 1
|
Works under supervision on structural, specification & concept design, technical assistance, problem resolution, testing and programming
|
|
Level 2
|
Works unsupervised on more responsible assignments. Responsible for design, consulting, project management, contract administration, quality assurance and research
|
|
Level 3
|
Works on tough assignments requiring problem solving and new approaches. Designer, project manager, technical advisor, operational supervisor, contract manager
|
|
Level 4
|
Works with high independence, originality, ingenuity, knowledge of more than one field. Short & long range planning, project management, technical advisor, policy maker. Group supervisor and deals in large sums of money & project budgets |
|
Level 5
|
Responsible for engineering admin function, directing many groups. An authority in their field, high level consultancy, ensures overall objectives are met. A policy reviewer
|
**The above table should only be used as a guide
Career Path Option & Employment Opportunities
Employment opportunities are endless. The easy decision is to be an engineer; the tough decision is what kind of engineer. You can work for federal and state government or in private industry. You can become a consulting engineer or work in research laboratories in universities and colleges undertaking research and teaching. Positions are available in large multi-national organisations, through to small to medium sized local companies. You can work in sound, mining, electronics, automotive, environmental, computers … the list is long. However be aware engineering is a field that opens up options – look at the number of politicians, captains of industry and CEOs who have engineering backgrounds.
You will always be in demand as the world is a changing place. China is urbanising 500 million people. Just imagine the infrastructure and services needed to accommodate that many people. Everything is getting smaller. Nanotechnology is amazing and changes will continue. Other engineering challenges surround climate change, nuclear technology and alternative energy sources.
About the Author
Careernav
Careernav have written this career profile in consultion with senior industry representatives and industry associations who for reasons of conflict of interest cannot be named. Careernav have also reviewed information available from the public domain and drawn upon their combined 27 years experience in executive recruitment. This profile is a true representation of the career.
Did you know Sir Isaac Newton was 23 when he discovered the law of gravity?