Which Engineering Career Is Most Difficult?

This video by a STEM career specialist ranks major engineering specialties by their degree of difficulty.

Spencer Chin, Senior Editor

February 13, 2024

Engineering careers vary by specialty
Engineering has a number of specialties with varying salaries, training requirements, and projected career growth.gorodenkoff/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

At a Glance

  • Choosing an engineering specialty is not easy, but this video can point one in the right direction

As numerous surveys and articles have shown, engineering is one of the most rewarding and highest-paid professions, particularly for recent college graduates. But engineering has many specialties, each with different educational and training requirements and varying compensation. Which specialty should a student choose?

In this video from the video site Becoming an Engineer, the reviewer, Jake Ryland, ranks 16 different engineering degrees by difficulty, taking into account how long it takes to graduate, projected employment growth, math course requirements, and average salaries. The reviewer also discusses the type of work each engineering specialty involves.

Ryland is no stranger to the challenges of becoming an engineer, having written a book, Becoming An Engineer: the Average Person’s Guide to Getting Good Grades and Succeeding in Engineering and STEM School. The paperback book is available on Amazon.

View the video to see how each engineering degree is ranked.

About the Author

Spencer Chin

Senior Editor, Design News

Spencer Chin is a Senior Editor for Design News, covering the electronics beat, which includes semiconductors, components, power, embedded systems, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and other related subjects. He is always open to ideas for coverage. Spencer has spent many years covering electronics for brands including Electronic Products, Electronic Buyers News, EE Times, Power Electronics, and electronics360. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him at @spencerchin.

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