Electrician is a better career than Engineering, true or false?

Question

Electrician is a better career than Engineering, true or false?

I am about to start my four year engineering program at my local university. I can't help but wonder that maybe I should become an electrician instead, here's why:

As globalization continues and trained engineers from overseas come to North America, the demand for engineers will probably go down. The demand for electricians seems to have a much more promising future.

The outsourcing of engineering also seems more and more likely.

An electrician cannot be outsourced.

An engineering degree is more expensive than electrician certification (I think). An engineering degree is also much harder.

An engineer has to worry about being laid off later in life when his payscale has increased and the company is tempted to hire new cheaper engineers. Electricians on the other hand seem to be able to open their own businesses and do quite well.

I don't see many engineers with their own businesses. So job security seems pretty unreliable.

Lastly, the salary difference between engineers and electricians seems to be getting smaller and smaller, so where is the incentive to do engineering?

Am I wrong or am I right?

Answer 1

im gonna say false assuming you are equaly good at both jobs an engineer will make a lot more money over the course of his life, there is less danger involved in being an engineer i think(cross a 220 wire and you may wind up dead,or fall off a roof pole or other high place etc etc) plus with an engineering degree and the diploma you already have the education to switch fields with  little additional training or school  required

Answer 2

Depends on the kind of work you enjoy (white collar or blue collar) and the type of money you're looking to make. Electricians work with their hands and are outside of an office environment almonst exclusively. Engineers sit at a desk and design / number crunch.

The electrician can go into his / her own business by getting licensed (typical) and make a lot of money in the process. the engineer can get licensed (registered) and work as an independant consultant or desinger and also make a lot of money (but not as much upside for the average engineer). The engineer has to pay for college and go thru a grueling curriculum. The electrician doesn't.

Anyway, it really comes down to what type of work you enjoy doing.

Go to the site I link below and you'll find all the info you need about the electrical trade and becoming an electrician.

Good Luck!

http://www.electrician-electricalcontrac...

Answer 3

I have 2 brothers that are electricians. They are both never out of work and are doing very well for themselves. I believe they only took a 1 year program ( maybe 2) and i know it was only a fraction of the cost of  University.