PE without a degree?

Question

In Pennsylvania, as long as you work under an engineer for 8 years you can take the FE exam, and then after 4 more years you take the PE exam to get your license. Does anyone have an experience with this? I can't afford to go back to school because I make good money and I'm getting married, and I own a business, so I just don't have the time. Will a PE for mechanical engineering open up new doors to me with relatively good pay? I'm interested in the HVAC field, and I know that PE stamps are required on all jobs before parts are ordered.

Answer 1

Each state has different criterea for issuing a PE license.

One trait all PE's whom I know have is how to perform research on your own. Can you contact the PA state board of engineers on your own?

Answer 2

Construction is less technical than most engineering fields. With a PE, you will be able to legally do many tasks reserved to engineers. In construction, you should not be too restricted with a PE. Many engineers won't consider you a real engineer without a Bachelor's degree, but that is their problem, not yours. In more technical fields, like product design and manufacturing, you would have difficulty getting an engineering position.

The FE is quite challenging to degreed engineers, and they spend 4 years doing simple physics problems.

I would say go for it; it's likely to reduce your costs/increase your pay.  The Lindeburg book is good prep: http://ppi2pass.com/ppi/PPIShop?pr=FERM2...

When I took it, you were allowed a FE handbook that had 50 pages or so of formulae. I suggest getting a copy ASAP for study purposes. I think pass rate is only about 50% or so, so study hard. Good luck!