Engineering Careers

You might enjoy a career in engineering if you:

Want to be on the brink of new technology.
Like to find solutions to challenging problems.
Have exceptional math and mechanical skills.

Main responsibilities

Engineers in electric power generation and transmission design, develop, and test materials and systems and supervise these activities. Skilled engineers are needed to:

Develop cutting-edge energy technology to control emissions.
Conduct system modeling.
Research energy efficiencies.

Specialties required in the electric utility industry include electrical, industrial, mechanical, civil, power plant, and environmental engineering.

Educational requirements

A bachelor’s degree in engineering is required for all entry-level engineering jobs.

To prepare for a career as an engineer, consider taking the following high school classes:

Math – four years (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus)
Science – three years (biology, chemistry, and physics)
Electronics
Drafting
General business operations
Mechanics

Benefits

Paid vacation
Health insurance
Life insurance
Educational reimbursement
Retirement benefits
Opportunities for advancement into management positions

Salary

According to national labor statistics, salaries for engineers are significantly higher than college graduates working in other fields. Otter Tail Power Company engineers also can take advantage of the area’s lower costs of living.

Job level	Experience	Annual salary
Entry-level Engineer		$66,000
Senior Engineer	5+ years	$78,000 - $110,000
Engineering Manager	Typically 3 - 8 years*	Varies

*The speed with which entry-level engineers move into management positions varies depending on attrition, projects, and performance.