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EM PLO Y M EN T O U T LO O K FO R
E N G IN E E R S
U N IT E D STATES D E P A R T M E N T O F LABOR
Maurice J. Tobin, Secretary
OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK SERIES
B UREAU O F LABO R STATISTICS
Ewan Clague, Commissioner
BULLETIN No. 968
Engineers discussing a problem in connection with construction activities at Grand Coulee Dam, Columbia Basin Project.
[This report is based in part on information from a survey made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in cooperation with
the Engineers Joint Council and with the National Roster o f Scientific and Specialized Personnel, United States Employ
ment Service.]
Employment O u tlo o k (or
ENGINEERS
Employment Trends and Outlook
Earnings
Occupational Mobility
Bulletin N o. 968
UNITED STATES DEPARTM ENT O F L A B O R
Maurice J. Tobin,
Secretary
BUREAU O F L A B O R STATISTICS
Ewan Clague,
Commissioner
For sale b y the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing O ffice
Washington 25, D. C. - Price 50 cents
LETTER O F T R A N S M IT T A L
U nited States D epartment op L abor,
B ureau of L abor Statistics,
Washington, D. 67., M ay 12, 1949.
The Secretary of L abor :
I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on the employment outlook for
engineers. This is one of a series of occupational studies prepared in the Bureau’s
Occupational Outlook Branch for use in schools, colleges, local offices of the State em
ployment services affiliated with the United States Employment Service, and other
agencies engaged in vocational counseling of veterans, young people in schools, and
others considering the choice of an occupation.
The report was prepared under the supervision of Harold Goldstein. The three
major sections— Employment Trends and Outlook, Earnings, and Occupational
M obility—were prepared by Robert W . Cain, Cora E. Taylor, and Chester F. Schimmel,
respectively. The 1946 Survey of the Economic Status of Engineers was made by
the Bureau in cooperation with the Economic Survey Committee of the Engineers Joint
Council, and with the National Roster of Scientific and Specialized Personnel, United
States Employment Service.
The Bureau wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of the 25,000 engineers who
participated in the survey and the many members of the engineering profession, includ
ing officials of engineering societies and of engineering colleges, and engineers in industry,
who discussed trends in the profession with the Bureau’s representatives and commented
upon a preliminary draft of the report.
E wan C lague, Commissioner.
Hon. M aurice J. T obin,
Secretary oj Labor.
n
CO N TEN TS
Page
Introduction________________________________________________________________ . ______________
Summary of conclusions:
Employment trends and outlook_________________
....
Earnings of engineers______________________________________________________________ . . .
Occupational mobility_____________________________________________________________ . . .
Employment trends and outlook:
Employment trends____________________________________________________________________ . . .
General trends in the profession_______________________________________________________
Growth of industries using engineers_________________________________________________
Increasing use of engineers___________________________________________________________
Summary— prospective demand for engineers_________________________________________
Civil engineers_________________________________________________________________________
Mechanical engineers----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Industrial engineers__________________________________________________________________
Electrical engineers-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chemical engineers_____________________________________________________________________
Ceramic engineers____________________________________________________________________
Mining and metallurgical engineers_____________________________________________________
Trends in supply of engineers-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Trends in engineering education:
Methods of training--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Numbers in training_________________________________________________________________
Entrance of nongraduates---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Losses to the profession________________________________________________________________
Death and retirement---------------------------Transfers out of the profession-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Summary____________________________________________________________________________
Conclusions— the employment outlook for engineers_______________________________________
The earnings of engineers_____________________________________________________________ l _____
Major factors which affect earnings:
Years of experience__________________________________________________________________
Occupational status__________________________________________________________________
Educational level-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Industry_____________________________________________________________________________
Class of worker----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Employment location------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Income in addition to base monthly salary----------Trends in earnings----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Monthly salaries, 1929-46---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Annual income, 1929-43------------------------------------------------------------------Implications for guidance-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Occupational mobility of engineers__________________________________________________________
Relationship between education and employment_____________________________________
Transfers among fields of employment-----------------------------------------------------------------------Transfers among class-of-worker categories----------------------------------------------------------------Transfers among industry fields--------------------------------------------------------Changes in employment location_____________________________________________________
Summary______________________________________________________
Professional societies and organizations--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Registration and certification of engineers----------------------------------------------------------------------------Appendix A. Census data on engineers-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Appendix B. Analysis of changes in engineering profession, 1930-40__________________________
Appendix C. Scope and method of the 1946 Survey----------------------------------------------------------------Appendix D. Supplementary tables_________________________________________________________
Suggested reading list_______________________________________________________________________
Occupational outlook publications of the Bureau of Labor Statistics---------------------------------------
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LIST O F CH ARTS
Chart
No.
Page
7
Growth of the engineering profession, 1890-1948______________________________________
Growth of the engineering profession and major industries employing engineers, 1890-1948__________________
8
Number of workers per engineer, 1890-1948________________________________________________________________
11
Number of civil engineers, 1910-48_________________________________________________________________________
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Number of mechanical engineers, 1910-48_______________________________________ _________________________
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Employment in metalworking industries, 1899-1948________________________________________________________
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Number of electrical engineers, 1910-48____________________________________________________________________
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Number of engineering graduates, 1920-52_________________________________________________________________
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Greatest rise in e n g in e e r earnings occurs in the first 10 years of experience (Median base monthly salary
rates, 1946)___________________________________________________________________________________________
51
10. Salary differences within each field of engineering employment increase with years of experience (Percentile
levels of base monthly salaries, 1946)__________________________________________________________________
52
11. Relation of engineers1 earnings to education (Median base monthly salary rates for each field of engineering
employment by level of engineering education and years of experience, 1946)___________________________
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12. How engineers’ salaries increased with years of experience under varying economic conditions (Median base
monthly salary of engineers with bachelor’s degree, 1929, 1934, and 1946)__________________ ____________ 64-65
13. Engineers’ salaries over a 17-year period (Median base monthly salary rates at three experience levels)_______
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14. Engineers educated in one branch of engineering but employed in another___________________________________
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0 -1 . Comparison of mailing list and respondents in each field of engineering employment, by age group in 1946—
91
C -2. Comparison of 1940 Census survivors in 1946 and survey respondents for 1939 (Each field of engineering, by
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age group)..................................................................... ............................................................ ..................................
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
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7.
8.
9.
LIST O F TEXT TABLES
TabU
No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Percentage distribution of civil engineers, by occupational status in selected industry fields, 1946_____________
Percentage distribution of mechanical engineers, by occupational status in selected industry fields, 1946______
Percentage distribution of electrical engineers, by occupational status in selected industry fields, 1946_______
Percentage distribution of chemical engineers, by occupational status in selected industry fields, 1946_______
Percentage distribution of mining and metallurgical engineers, by occupational status in selected industry fields,
1946____________________________________________________________________________________ - ____________
6. Percentage distribution of engineers by educational level for each field of engineering employment, 1946_____
7. Undergraduate enrollment in engineering schools in the United States, by field of engineering, 1931-49______
8. Estimated number of engineering degrees awarded, by field of engineering, 1939-40 to 1948-49______________
9. Median base monthly salary rates for each field of engineering employment, by years of experience, 1946____
10. Median base monthly salary rates and median years of experience for each field of engineering employment,
by occupational status, 1946__________________________________________________________________________
11. Median base monthly salary rates for each field of engineering employment, by level of education and years of
experience, 1946______________________________________________________________________________________
12. Characteristics of engineers as related to occupational status, by field of engineering, 1946---------------------------13. Median base monthly salary rates for each field of engineering employment, by broad industry field, 1946----14. Percentage distribution of engineers by median years of experience, and median base monthly salary rates for
each field of engineering employment, by class of worker, 1946______________________ __________________
15. Comparison of median monthly salary rates excluding and including overtime for each field of engineering
employment, by years of experience, 1943_____________________________________________________________
16. Comparison of median total annual income and median computed annual earnings from salary and overtime,
for each field of engineering employment, by years of experience, 1943-------------------------------------------------17. Comparison of median total annual income and median computed annual base salary (excluding overtime)
for each field of engineering employment, by class of worker, 1943--------------------------------------------------------18. Comparison of median base monthly salary rates, by field of engineering employment for specified years_____
19. Comparison of median annual income, by field of engineering employment, for specified years_____________
20-A. Percentage distribution of engineers within 1946 employment fields, by field of education_________________
20-B . Percentage distribution of engineers educated in each field, by 1946 employment_________________________
21. Percentages of respondents who shifted or remained in same field of employment, 1939, 1943, and 1946_______
22. Percentages of respondents who shifted or remained in same class-of-worker status, 1939, 1943, and 1946____
23. Percentages of respondents who shifted or remained in same industry field, 1939, 1943, and 1946-----------------24. Percentage distribution of engineers, by State, 1939, 1943, and 1946------------------------------------------------------------IV
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LIST O F A P P E N D IX TABLES
JT W fC
iVU.
B -l. Changes in the engineering profession, 1930-40__ _______________________________________________________
C -l. Percentage comparison of mailing list and distribution of respondents in each field of engineering employment,
by age group in 1946_______________________________________________________________________________
C -2. Comparison of mailing list and respondents in each field of engineering employment, by educational level___
C -3. Comparison of 1940 Census survivors and 1946 Survey respondents, by age in 1939, for each field of engineer
ing employment, by age group______________________________________________________________________
D - l . Number of engineers in the United States, by field of engineering,1910-48________________________________
D -2 . Estimated changes in the engineering profession, 1940-48________________________________________________
D-^3. Number of engineering degrees awarded in the United States,1920-52____________________________________
D -4. Growth of the engineering profession and major industries employing engineers, and ratio of workers per
engineer, 1890-1948______________________________________________________________ _______ : ________
D -5 . Median age and median years of experience, by educational level for each field of engineering employment,
1946_______________________________________________________________________________________________
D -6 . Percentage distribution, by educational level in each occupational status, for each field of engineering em
ployment, 1946__________________________________________________________________________
D -7. Percentage distribution for each field of engineering employment, by class of worker for each occupational
status, 1946________________________________________________________________________________________
D -8. Percentage distribution, by occupational status, for each field of engineering employment in 1939, 1943,
and 1946___________________________________________________________________________________________
D -9. Percentage distribution of engineers, by industry field, for each field of engineering employment in 1939,
1943, and 1946________________
D -10. Percentage distribution of engineers, by employment location, for each field of engineering employment in 1939,
1943, and 1946________________________________________________
D - l l . Distribution of engineers in each field of employment, by base monthly salary bracket, 1946_____________
D -12. Comparison of percentile levels of base monthly salary rates for each field of engineering employment,
by years of experience, 1946________________________________________________________________________
D -13. Median base monthly salary rates for each field of engineering employment, by years of experience, 1939,
1943, and 1946_____________________________________________________________________________________
D -14. Percentage distribution and median base monthly salary for each field of engineering employment, by em
ployment location, 1946____________________________________________________________________________
D -15. Median base monthly salary of engineers with the bachelor’s degree, by field of engineering and by years of
experience, 1929, 1932, 1934, and 1946______________________________________________________________
D - l 6. Median monthly salary, including overtime, for each field of engineering employment, by years of experience,
1939, 1943, and 1946_______________________________________________________________________________
D - l 7. Median base monthly salary rates for each field of engineering employment, by class of worker, 1939,
1943, and 1946_____________________________________________________________________________________
D - l 8. Comparison of median base monthly salaries for engineers in the same field of employment all 3 survey
years, by years of experience, 1946_________________________________________________________________
D -19. Median annual income for each field of engineering employment, by years of experience, 1939 and 1943______
D -20. Median annual income, by occupational status, for each field of engineering employment, 1939 and 1943—
D -21. Percentages of respondents who shifted or remained in same class-of-worker status, 1939,1943, and 1946_____
D -22. Percentages of respondents who shifted or remained in same industry field, 1939, 1943, and 1946_________
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EM PLO YM ENT
O UTLO O K
F O R E N G IN E E R S
Introduction
Engineering is one o f our largest professional
occupations, outranked in size only by teaching and
nursing; fo r men it is the largest profession. Per
haps more than any other occupation it is identi
fied with our present-day technological civiliza
tion. Engineers give technical leadership in in
dustry; they develop new products, machines, or
processes; they design many types o f structures;
they devise the most efficient way to manufacture
a product, lay out a system o f highways, arrange
the work processes in a factory, or bring minerals
out o f the depths o f the earth. The third o f a
million engineers contribute greatly to planning
the work of, and designing the machines and build
ings used by, a major part o f the 60 m illion people
employed in the United States.
As a field o f employment, engineering has much
to offer. Opportunities are numerous in this rap
idly growing profession, and the employment
outlook is good in the long run fo r those who suc
ceed in entering the field, particularly for welltrained men. Engineering positions are to be
found in every State, in small cities as well as
large; and the profession often offers opportuni
ties for travel and for employment overseas.
W hile the incomes o f engineers vary widely, de
pending on many factors, average earnings rise
fairly sharply with increasing experience. More
over, there are many opportunities fo r engineers to
advance to administrative positions. W hile pri
marily an occupation fo r men the profession also
offers a limited number o f opportunities to wo
men.1 Engineering work appeals to those who
are interested in applied science and its methodology and who have a practical bent; it offers a chal
lenge to the ingenuity, and often an opportunity to
do creative thinking and to see the results emerge
1 Opportunities for women in engineering are discussed in the
following publication: U. S. Department of Labor’s Women’s
Bureau, The Outlook for Women in Architecture and Engineer
ing, Bulletin No. 223-5, Superintendent of Documents, Washing
ton 25, D. C., 1948. Price 25 cents.
step by step from the drafting board to actuality.
Those who are considering this field, however,
must not forget that the engineering profession
is a difficult discipline, requiring marked ability
to think abstractly and in mathematical terms, to
remember a mass o f details and visualize complex
problems, to study and work with great persistence,
and to continue studying and learning throughout
their professional life. Moreover, the competition
in entering the profession w ill probably be greater
than in many other occupations in the years ahead.
Engineering has been described as “the art o f
applying the laws o f the natural sciences to the
utilization o f the materials and forces o f nature
for the benefit o f mankind and the art o f organ
izing the human effort required in connection
therewith.” 2 A n emphasis on efficiency, which
is related to cost, is one o f the main factors dis
tinguishing the work o f the engineer from that o f
the research scientist. A chemist may create a
new compound or a geologist may discover an
oil field; it is the job o f the engineer to figure out
how the compound can be manufactured or the
oil extracted at a cost that w ill enable it to be sold
on the market. In building a skyscraper it might
be possible to ensure safety by making the walls o f
solid masonry twenty feet thick, but it is much
less expensive to hire an engineer who w ill closely
calculate just how much weight the walls have
to bear, what forces will affect them, and what
factors o f safety to allow. The engineer must
decide which building material would be the cheap
est to use, considering the relative strength, the
quantities o f materials needed, and the cost o f
labor required. The mechanical engineer design
ing a crankshaft or the electrical engineer laying
out a circuit does the same kind o f job. The
engineer, then, uses scientific principles in devising
methods o f doing things most efficiently.
* Stewart, Lowell O., Career in Engineering, Iowa State Col
lege Press, Ames, Iowa, 1947.
1
2
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Engineers are employed in many different ways
in addition to their function as designers. Their
skill is used in administration and management,
particularly in industries in which engineering
methods are important. Many engineers super
vise construction, or the operation o f plants or
mines. Others are engaged in research and in the
development o f products and methods o f manu
facture on the basis o f research findings. Some,
particularly younger engineers, do drafting or an
alysis and testing, much o f which is routine work.
A sizable number are employed as independent
consultants, who advise their clients on engineering
matters and prepare designs or plans. Many com
panies employ engineers in selling their products,
particularly when the buyer is a business firm, and
when the salesman has to be able to discuss the
product technically and advise engineers as to its
installation and use. The teaching o f engineering
in colleges and technical schools is also a field in
which significant numbers o f engineers are em
ployed.
The profession has within it men o f widely vary
ing levels o f ability and training. Educational
attainments o f engineers range from the most ad
vanced training o f the relatively few with the doc
tor’s degree in engineering to very little form al
education. The bachelor’s, or first professional
degree, long considered the standard preparation
fo r engineers, is held by a great m ajority o f those
in the field. Levels o f ability range from that
possessed by the creative genius doing outstanding
research, design, or administration to that found
on the borderline o f professional attainments, in
which the work is merely routine computing,
drafting, or testing. New entrants customarily
enter in the more routine jobs and move up the
scale to positions o f greater responsibility. Some,
however, spend most o f their working lives in the
entry positions.
There are many varied fields o f specialization in
the engineering profession. These divisions be
came necessary over a period o f many years owing
to the great expansion o f scientific knowledge.
The engineering field is usually divided into the
follow ing m ajor groups: civil, mechanical, elec
trical, chemical, and mining and metallurgical.
W ithin the several general fields many specialized
areas o f activity are recognized in practice and in
engineering school courses. Descriptive material
on the profession o f engineering may be found in
many publications.8
Generally speaking, despite these m ajor divi
sions, engineering is one basic field. It is char
acterized by a common approach to the solution
o f practical problems on the basis o f scientific
knowledge. Usually, the first 2 years o f all en
gineering curricula contain the same core o f sub
jects—mathematics, chemistry, physics, and basic
engineering courses, as well as English, the human
ities, and the social sciences. As a rule the cur
ricula diverge only in the last 2 years as the par
ticular professional specialties are developed. In
actual practice many an engineer is required to use
a knowledge o f more than one broad field in solv
ing a particular problem. Moreover, persons
educated or experienced in one branch frequently
move into others. That many men did this in re
cent years is shown in a later section o f this report.
Transferability among fields is facilitated be
cause engineers generally specialize in one or
another o f the functions o f the profession such as
research, design, development, or sales. Often an
engineer who has performed one o f these func
tions in a particular field may transfer and carry
on the same function in another field.
Persons interested in engineering as a career
should also look into employment possibilities in
related occupations. One source o f such inform a
tion is the Occupational Outlook Handbook, is
sued by the Bureau o f Labor Statistics in coopera
tion with the Veterans Administration.3
4 This
volume contains reports on the follow ing m ajor en
gineering fields: civil, electrical, mechanical, chem
ical, mining and metallurgical, industrial, and
ceram ic; it also deals with related occupations
such as chemist, architect, industrial designer, tool
designer, draftsman, meteorologist, radio opera
tor, foundry technician, and electronic and radar
technician. The handbook covers a total o f 288
occupations and gives information on methods o f
entry, training and qualifications required, earn
ings, and employment outlook.
3 For example, U. S. Department of Labor’s U. S. Employment
Service, Descriptions of Professions Series, Pamphlet Number
2, Washington 25, D. C., price 15 cen ts; Stewart, Lowell O.,
Career in Engineering, Iowa State College Press, Ames, Iowa,
1947; and Engineers Council for Professional Development, En
gineering as a Career, New York, N. Y., 1942; also see suggested
reading list, p. 116.
4 U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occu
pational Outlook Handbook, Bulletin No. 940, Superintendent o f
Documents, Washington 25, D. C., 1949. Price $1.75.
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
The present report consists o f three m ajor sec
tions. In the first, the employment trends and
outlook in the profession are analyzed, beginning
with the trends in demand for engineers and then
going on to the trends in the supply o f persons
qualified for work in the profession. Comparison
o f the prospective demand and probable future
supply leads to a conclusion on the employment
outlook for those who are now in engineering
schools, and estimates o f future training needs.
The second m ajor part o f the report describes the
earnings o f engineers and the factors affecting
3
them, and traces the effect o f changing economic
conditions upon earnings. In the third m ajor sec
tion, the occupational m obility o f engineers is
discussed.
A large part o f the report is based on inform a
tion from the 1946 Survey o f the Economic Status
o f Engineers, made by the Bureau o f Labor Statis
tics in cooperation with the Economic Survey Com
mittee o f the Engineers Joint Council and with the
National Boster o f Scientific and Specialized Per
sonnel, United States Employment Service.5
Summary of Conclusions
Employment Trends and Outlook
Engineering is one o f the most rapidly growing
professions in the United States; moreover it is
expected to continue to grow substantially in the
future, although at a slower rate than in the past.
The number o f engineers in the United States in
creased nearly tenfold between 1890 and 1940, ris
ing from 27,000 to around 260,000. By early 1948,
the number had risen to about 350,000—an increase
o f almost 100,000.
The report concludes that in the long run the
demand for engineers w ill continue to grow.
Upon the basis o f past trends and the growing use
o f engineers by industry, it may be inferred that
by 1960 the number o f engineers may well increase
by another 100,000 to a total o f about 450,000.
Such an increase would amount to about 8,000 jobs
a year, on the average, between 1948 and 1960.
(See pp. 7 to 13.) In addition, the demand for
new engineers resulting from losses to the profes
sions (deaths, retirements, and transfer to other
occupations) is expected to increase from about
9.000 or 10,000 a year in 1948 to over 13,000 a year
by 1960. (See pp. 42 to 45.) Thus the total de
mand for new engineers fo r the next few years may
be estimated at approximately 17,000 to 18,000 a
year. By 1960 the demand may well rise to around
21.000 or 22,000 a year. Mechanical engineering is
the largest branch and is growing rapidly. Elec
trical engineering, after failing to grow in the
thirties, is again expanding, as is chemical engi
neering. Mining and metallurgical engineering
have experienced a steady growth over the past
several decades. Civil engineering, though a large
field, is growing more slowly. (See pp. 13 to 33).
The number graduated by the engineering
schools has been increasing. The number o f men
receiving the bachelor degree in engineering rose
from an average o f 7,000 a year in the twenties to
about 10,000 a year in the thirties. Total engineer
ing graduations for the decade 1940 to 1950 can
be estimated at over 190,000— an average o f 19,000
a year. The number o f persons in training is at
record levels and the number o f graduates expected
from these enrollments should more than supply
the demands fo r engineers in the next several years.
In the academic year 1947-48, some 32,000 engi
neering students were graduated; in the year end
ing June 1949, 44,000. It was estimated that on
the basis o f 1948-49 enrollments about 47,000|
w ill be graduated in the year 1949-50; about 36,000
in the year 1950-51; and nearly 29,000 in the year
1951-52. (See pp. 33 to 40.) Actually, gradua
tions in these years may be somewhat higher for
several reasons. (See p. 38.)
It is o f course impossible to estimate graduations
more than 4 years in advance. Nevertheless, it is
o f interest to illustrate what the level o f engineer
ing graduations may be, solely on the assumption
that past trends w ill continue. These trends indi
cate that the number o f engineering degrees
awarded may decrease from the peak in 1949-50
to not less than 18,000 in 1956 and then rise gradu
ally to at least 25,000 around 1964. (See p. 40.)
A comparison o f the estimated supply o f and
demand fo r engineering graduates, leads to sev
eral conclusions. In the next few years the num-6
6 See appendix C, p. 89.
4
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
ber o f graduates w ill greatly exceed the demand
fo r graduate engineers. A fter that, if the past
trend in enrollments should continue, the annual
demand for graduates and the supply o f new
graduates would roughly be in balance.
Although it is likely that during the next few
years the total number o f engineering graduates
w ill be greater than the number o f engineering
positions available, the employment situation w ill
vary greatly among types o f engineering positions
and among the various fields o f engineering. Even
when competition becomes stiffer, it is likely that
a demand for men with special abilities or training
in such work as research and design w ill still exist.
Comparisons o f the estimated supply and demand
in the various fields suggest that a surplus w ill
occur earlier and be larger in some branches of
engineering than in others. (See pp. 46 and 47.)
The differences in employment outlook among the
fields o f engineering are likely to be reduced to
some extent by the ability o f some engineering
graduates to obtain employment in engineering
fields other than those in which they were trained.
(See section on occupational m obility, pp. 69 to
8L)
To the engineering student, it should be pointed
out that the best training obtainable will help to
meet the expected intense competition.
For the high-school student who has to look
ahead 4 or 5 years to opportunities in the profes
sion when he graduates from college, the outlook
is more difficult to evaluate. I f those graduates
o f the next few years who cannot get jobs in en
gineering find satisfactory employment in other
types o f work, and if engineering enrollments re
turn to levels suggested by past trends, oppor
tunities for engineering graduates 5 or more years
hence are likely to be better than for those in the
immediate future. On the other hand, if many
engineering graduates o f the next few years who
do not get engineering employment continue to
seek such work, opportunities for new graduates
may be less promising.
To the engineering schools, the estimates pre
sented here may suggest that over the long run
there will be a demand fo r roughly twice as many
graduates as were turned out annually in the dec
ade before the war and that facilities and instruc
tional staff will have to be provided. The great
interest in engineering also suggests that there is
both the opportunity and the need for a careful
selection o f students. Progress has been made
along these lines I f the standards o f entry into
engineering schools were raised and if more exact
ing selection methods were used, it is evident that
schools could admit even fewer students and still
provide an adequate supply o f engineering per
sonnel.
In applying these conclusions to the guidance o f
individuals, counselors in high schools, colleges,
and other agencies w ill want to keep in mind that
the increasingly competitive situation expected for
the next few years should give pause to the mar
ginal student, but should not be allowed to deter
those with real aptitude and realistic interest in en
gineering.
Earnings of Engineers
In choosing a career, expected monetary re
turns are always o f interest and importance.
Earnings in engineering, as in other professions,
vary considerably and are affected by many fac
tors. The section o f this report on earnings (see
pp. 49 to 68) analyzes a survey o f engineers made
by the Bureau o f Labor Statistics in 1946 and
discusses some o f these factors, such as length o f
experience, amount o f education, kind o f work
done, type o f employer, and economic conditions.
The conclusions in brief are given below.
Length o f experience is one o f the most signifi
cant factors affecting earnings. For most engi
neers, earning capacity increases with added years
o f experience. In general, the greatest rise in
earnings occurs in the first 10 years o f experience;
in 1946, the annual increase for each year o f ex
perience averaged $120 to $240. A fter about 30
years o f experience average salaries tend to level
off. (See pp. 50 to 53.) Entrance salaries in
1946 in all fields o f engineering were much the
same, ranging from an average o f $226 to $247
a month. However, there were great differences
by field in the amount o f increase in earnings with
years o f experience. Median earnings o f chemical
engineers showed an increase o f about $440 a
month, or 185 percent during the working span;
median earnings o f civil engineers increased by
only 85 percent; other types o f engineers had in
creases o f 140 percent to 165 percent.
Earnings o f engineers, like those o f other work
ers, vary with business conditions. During the
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
depression year 1934, engineers with 10 years o f
experience received approximately $100 less per
month than similarly experienced engineers in
1929—a drop o f 30 percent in average salaries.
In most fields it was a decade or more before sal
aries o f engineers having 10 years o f experience
had returned to the 1929 average. Earnings in
creased considerably during and after W orld W ar
II, until by 1946 they averaged 50 percent higher
than 7 years earlier. Further increases took place
after 1946. (See pp. 63 to 67.)
Top salaries in all the major fields o f engineering
are earned by engineers in administration-manage
ment jobs. These positions are usually attained
only after many years o f experience. Earnings
considered in relation to length o f experience show
that jobs in research and sales, as well as adminis
tration, generally pay more than such work as
inspection, analysis and testing, operation, and
college teaching. (See pp. 53 to 55.)
By and large, earnings are highest for engineers
with the greatest amount o f form al education. In
most fields, holders o f the master’s degree average
slightly more than those with the bachelor’s degree,
and men with the doctor’s degree earn considerably
more than those in either o f the other groups. ( See
pp. 55 to 58.)
Engineers employed by private firms and by
the Federal Government have comparable average
earnings when length o f experience is taken into
account. Engineers employed by State and local
governments generally have lower earnings. ( See
pp. 59 and 60.)
Income from fees, bonuses, and other sources
is an important factor in engineers’ earnings, es
pecially for older men. When overtime is paid,
the least experienced engineers generally profit
more than the older men. ( See pp. 60 to 62.)
Historical information is useful in showing what
the average person may expect by way o f remun
eration in the engineering profession, but caution
should be exercised in applying such findings to
individual cases. Some engineers never advance
beyond the earnings level o f the average factory
worker or clerk. It is possible to gain an engineer
ing degree without having the capacity to ad
vance far up the professional ladder; moreover
experience tends to increase earning capacity, but
it does not do so for all people. The section o f
this report which deals with earnings reveals that
5
the highest-paid 10 percent o f the engineers with
5 years’ experience or less had higher median
earnings than the lowest 10 percent o f the group
with 30 years or more o f experience. (See chart
10.) Young people considering engineering as a
career should carefully weigh their own interests
and abilities in relation to the competition in this
field. F or those who can successfully meet com
petition, the top o f the profession is so well re
warded, both in remuneration and job satisfaction,
that it is well worth sacrifice and struggle to attain.
Occupational Mobility
The extent to which engineers are able to
change jobs interests young people entering the
occupation, educators in the field, and those re
sponsible for recruitment and employment o f
technical personnel. How many move from one
State to another ? From one industry to another ?
Between private and Government employment?
From one major branch o f engineering to another?
How many are educated in one branch o f engineer
ing but find employment in another branch ? The
Bureau’s 1946 Survey o f the Engineering Profes
sion provides some information on these points.
(See pp. 69 to 81.)
A greater proportion o f engineers—about 30
percent—changed their employment location from
one State to another between 1939 and 1946,
than were involved in any o f the other types o f
change analyzed. The m ajority o f those who
moved from their 1939 employment location did so
by 1943. (See pp. 78 and 79.)
A t least 25 percent o f the engineers changed
their industry fields between 1939 and 1946; these
changes appear to reflect the high wartime de
mands for engineers in the “ heavy” or durablegoods industries. (See pp. 76 to 78.)
Changes made by engineers among the m ajor
types o f employment—approximately 22 percent
made such changes—indicate to some extent the
principal sources o f employment fo r engineers
during the war and postwar years. Between 1939
and 1943, employment in private firms and in the
Federal Government increased chiefly at the ex
pense o f employment by State and local govern
ments and self-employment. From 1943 to 1946,
relatively more engineers transferred from public
employment to private industry than vice versa.
(See pp. 74 to 76.)
6
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
The close relationship among all the branches
o f the profession, and the similarity o f basic engi
neering training, make it possible for engineers to
shift from one branch to another. From 8 to 14
percent o f the engineers who were in each o f the
five major branches o f the profession in 1939 were
in some other branch 7 years later. The greatest
percentage o f those who shifted fields went into
mechanical engineering; civil engineering lost the
greatest proportion. (See pp. 71 to 74.) Close re
lationship among engineering fields is also reflected
in the fact that in 1946 more than 20 percent were
employed in a branch o f engineering other than
that in which they had been educated. ( See chart
14.) The proportion employed in each branch o f
the profession whose education had been in an
other branch ranged from 10 percent o f those em
ployed in chemical engineering to 36 percent o f
those employed in mining and metallurgical engi
neering. (See pp. 69 and 70.)
Thus it appears that the engineering profession
is a flexible one, offering opportunities to transfer
among fields o f specialization, industries, employ
ers, and locations. In order to equip him self to
adjust more easily to changing conditions or to
advance his career, the young person contemplat
ing entering the engineering profession may wish
to acquire the broadest possible educational prep
aration consistent with an adequate background
fo r the specialty he intends to follow . A t the same
time, however, he is faced with the conflicting trend
toward a high degree o f specialization in each field,
accompanied by the demand fo r more graduate
education.
Employment Trends and O u tlo o k
Employment Trends
In analyzing the employment outlook for en
gineers it is necessary to evaluate the demand fo r
engineers and engineering services, and to compare
prospective demand with the supply o f trained
engineers that is likely to be available. This first
section reviews the past trends in employment o f
engineers with a view to determining the m ajor
factors which have created a demand for their
services.
Upon what appears to be reasonable
assumptions as to how these factors may operate
in the future, an approximation o f the prospective
demand fo r engineers is then suggested. A review
o f past trends is first presented for the profession
as a w hole; then the trends in each major field o f
engineering are discussed.
G EN ER A L TREN DS IN THE PRO FESSIO N
Engineering is one o f the most dynamic and
rapidly growing professions. Its striking growth
since 1890, when there were only about 27,000 en
gineers in the United States, is shown on chart 1.
The number o f engineers was 10 times greater in
Chart 1.— Growth of the Engineering Profession,
1890-1948
1940 than in 1890 although the total number o f
workers in all occupations only doubled in this
50-year period. Though the rate o f growth shows
signs o f diminishing, the numerical increase has
been large in recent decades. Even over the de
pression decade o f the thirties, employment in engi
neering expanded. There are few large occupa
tions in the United States that can match this
record o f rapid and persistent growth.
The profession’s growth was the result o f two
principal factors: the rapid expansion in this
period o f the types o f industrial activity which
use engineers; and the increasing degree o f utili
zation o f engineers fo r many different functions
within these industries. In assessing the prospec
tive trends in the demand fo r engineers it is
necessary to find out to what extent these factors
have affected employment o f engineers in the past,
and to judge what effect they may have in the
future.
Growth of Industries Using Engineers
Prim arily a rural, agricultural country at the
close o f the Civil W ar, the United States had be
come a predominantly urban, industrial Nation by
the beginning o f W orld W ar II. This transforma
tion was reflected in a decline in employment in
agriculture and a sharp increase in employment
in the five basic commodity-producing and trans
porting activities—manufacturing, mining, con
struction, transportation, and public utilities. The
7
8
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOE ENGINEERS
Chart 2.— Growth of the Engineering Profession and Major Industries Employing Engineers,
1890-1948
THOUSANDS OF WORKERS
500
RATIO SCALES
THOUSANDS OF WORKERS
500
- E ngineers
>
100
100
-
— 50
10
10
-
MILLIONS
MILLIONS
30
10
NUMBER
NUMBER
2000
1000
500
100
1880
1890
1900
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
I960
SOURCE: SEE APPENOIX TABLE 0 -4
* MANUFACTURING, MINING, CONSTRUCTION,
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AND OUTLOOK
number o f workers attached to these industries
almost tripled from 1890 to 1940, as compared to a
tw ofold increase in the total number o f gainful
workers in the United States, although the rate o f
growth slowed down markedly after 1920, as shown
in chart 2 and appendix table D -4. The war and
postwar periods witnessed a large additional in
crease in employment in these industries, and in
the spring o f 1948 the number o f workers attached
to them was 19 percent more than in 1940.
They comprise the major sphere o f activity o f
engineers, employing three out o f four members
o f the profession. Furthermore, the work o f most
o f the engineers employed in other industries is
directly related to business activity in these five
industries. F or example, large numbers of the
civil engineers employed in Federal, State, or local
governments are engaged in work connected with
construction activity, including design and super
vision o f public construction projects and approval
o f plans fo r private construction; in the same way,
large numbers o f the engineers employed in “ pro
fessional and related services” in independent con
sulting firms are engaged in consulting work fo r
the five m ajor industry divisions listed above.
Trends in business activity in these industries are
therefore a major factor affecting the employment
o f engineers.
Future trends in business activity in these m ajor
industries are, o f course, difficult to anticipate.
Two m ajor areas o f uncertainty are the general
level o f business activity—the “ business cycle”—
and the international situation. In analyzing the
outlook for engineers in this report, however, it is
assumed that high levels o f general business activ
ity w ill be maintained unless otherwise indicated.
Exploration o f the implications o f such a situation
for the engineering profession provides a bench
mark by which the possible effects o f lower levels
o f business activity may be judged. A second gen
eral assumption which w ill be made is that the
United States w ill not be engaged in a m ajor war
within the next decade; if there should be a war,
the need fo r engineers would, o f course, increase.
The follow ing discussion w ill thus suggest an out
look for the engineering profession that w ill be
somewhere between the extremes o f the range o f
possibilities.
I f there is to be “ full employment” in the United
States, the total number o f persons employed would
9
have to increase moderately over the next decade
in view o f the expected growth o f population and
consequently o f the labor force. The total labor
force will increase by about 7% m illion in the pe
riod 1948 to 1960, according to estimates made on
the basis o f trends in the size o f the adult popula
tion and trends in participation in the labor force
on the part o f men and women, and older and
younger persons. A fter allowing for a peacetime
m ilitary establishment, a minimum amount o f
“ frictional” unemployment (m ostly people tempo
rarily unemployed while moving from one job to
another), and an agricultural employment level in
line with long-term trends, we may have an in
crease in nonagricultural employment o f about 7
m illion over this period, or about 13 percent.
The five m ajor industries using engineers are
not likely to expand as rapidly as this, however.
Since the end o f W orld W ar I, they have declined
in relative position as a source o f employment
among American industries. They included
about 60 percent o f the total employed in nonag
ricultural industries in 1920, about 55 percent in
1930, about 50 percent in 1940, and about 45 per
cent in the spring o f 1948. Trade, services, and
Government as a group have gained while the com
modity-producing industries have declined in rela
tive importance. In view o f this trend, it seems
reasonable to expect that full employment would
be achieved with a gain o f less than 13 percent in
employment in the commodity-producing indus
tries. Assuming a gain o f about 10 percent, total
employment in these industries would amount to
around 26y2 m illion by 1960. This general con
clusion is supported by analysis o f the prospects
for each o f the m ajor industries employing en
gineers, which is presented in other publications in
the Bureaus’ Occupational Outlook Series.1
In summary, then, a moderate expansion is
likely in the long run in the types o f industrial
activity which make the most use o f engineers’
services. The long-term growth o f employment
in these industries w ill be slowing down—partly
because o f the success o f engineers themselves in
introducing new processes, machines, and produc
tion methods which make it possible to increase
the average output per worker.
1See pp. 116 to 118 for a list of these publications.
10
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Increasing Use of Engineers
A much more significant factor affecting the
growth o f the engineering profession has been the
increasing degree o f utilization o f engineers for
many different functions in industry. I f, in the
five industries referred to previously, the services
o f engineers were utilized to the same extent today
as in 1890, their number would have increased at
the same rate as total employment in these indus
tries, or about threefold over the five decades. A c
tually the number o f engineers increased tenfold
from 1890 to 1940, or more than three times as much
as would be accounted for by the growth o f these
industries. This reflects the fact that engineers
are being employed more widely and for an in
creasing number o f functions.
The advance o f scientific knowledge and its prac
tical application in industrial operations has a f
fected the demand for engineers in two ways: the
new applications o f scientific findings required ad
ditional engineers to put them into effect; and the
growing complexity o f technology created the need
for greater specialization, which resulted in the
development first o f the major branches o f engi
neering and then o f the specialties within these
branches.
New applications o f engineering methods are
continually being developed. The value o f engi
neering training for administrative jobs in pro
duction has been recognized. Engineers are used
in sales work where a technical knowledge o f the
product and its uses is necessary. The expansion
o f research work in industry has required many en
gineers. The whole field o f production methods o f
engineering, or industrial engineering, has devel
oped. Quality control has also required trained
engineers. A ll o f these developments underlie the
extension o f industry’s use o f engineers.
Also, there has been a great increase in the em
ployment o f engineers by the Federal Government
in research and development work connected with
national defense and other Federal activities. In
1938, the Federal Government employed about 20,000 engineers; in July 1947, some 35,000 were em
ployed, or about 75 percent more, according to rec
ords o f the United States Civil Service Commis
sion. This growth resulted largely from wartime
and postwar conditions, and employment o f engi
neers by the Federal Government w ill probably
not continue to increase at this rate. Nevertheless,
any substantial future increase in the employment
o f engineers by the Federal Government would
tend to increase the number o f engineers in the
country relative to employment in the five indus
tries listed.
The use o f engineers in industrial research has
been increasing rapidly as scientific advances open
up new possibilities for commercial development.
A comparison o f the data from the 1946 directory
o f industrial research laboratories 2with that from
the 1940 edition shows an increase in the employ
ment o f engineers from 12,711 to 20,637 between
1940 and 1946 or about 62 percent.
The increased use o f engineers may be illustrated
by computing the ratio o f the number o f engineers
in the United States to the number o f workers in
the basic commodity-producing and transporting
industries listed above over the past five decades.
In 1890 there were 344 engineers in the United
States for every 100,000 workers in these indus
tries ; in 1940 there were 1,282 per 100,000— a four
fold increase3 (chart 2 ). The ratio increased by
an average o f a third in each decade, although
there were wide variations around this average.
Looking at the figure in another way, the number
o f workers per engineer has, o f course, been de
creasing over the same period (chart 3 ). This
ratio dropped from about 290 workers per engineer
in 1890 to 78 per engineer in 1940—a little over a
fourth o f that in the form er period. The ratio has
been decreasing more slowly in recent decades,
however.
2 National Research Council, Industrial Research Laboratories
o f the United States, Eighth edition, 1946, Washington, D. C.
* The figures in chart 2 on engineers and on number of workers
attached to the major industries using engineers are based on the
number of gainful workers who reported that they were custo
marily employed in these industries, rather than those actually
so employed at the time of the census. This method made it
possible to show the normal trend, rather than one influenced
by a distorted ratio of engineers to the total number of workers
in 1940, which was caused by the fact that in the depression
many firms which had severely reduced their employment had
retained a nucleus of skilled workers, foremen, managers, and
engineers. As pointed out in the Compton report to the Society
for the Promotion of Engineering Education (Journal of Engi
neering Education, September 1946, pp. 25-49), this enabled in
dustry to make tremendous advances in production and employ
ment during the war without adding proportionately to their en
gineering staffs. When the ratio of engineers employed to total
number of workers actually employed in 1940 was plotted, it
jumped far above the trend line. This suggests that the method
adopted gives a more accurate representation of the underlying
trend.
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AND OUTLOOK
Chart 3.— Number of Workers Per Engineer,
1890—1948
During the war, when some 60,000 engineers
were in m ilitary service, the ratio o f engineers to
total employment in these industries dropped, and
there were widespread shortages o f engineers.
A fter the end o f the war the long-term trend in
the use o f engineers was resinned, stimulated by
the great wartime dependence on technology, by
the expansion o f research activity in industry and
in the Federal Government, and by the desire o f
industry to make practical use o f recent techno
logical developments. By the spring o f 1948, the
engineering profession may have numbered around
350,000— an increase o f around 34 percent since
1940 (appendix table D -2 ). This increase was
almost twice as great as the 19-percent rise in the
total number o f workers attached to the five major
industries.
The ratio o f engineers to the total labor force o f
these industries has therefore gained somewhat.
A check on this tremendous growth o f about 100,000 engineers between 1940 and 1948 is made by
examination o f a recent survey o f employment o f
852396°— 50------2
11
engineers made by the Engineers Joint Council.4
Though the sample was relatively small and the
figures provide only a rough check, the data show
an increase o f about the same proportions since
1940—the ratio in the spring o f 1948 being oneeighth above that in 1940. It is, however, not as
high as would have been expected at this time on
the basis o f past trends, perhaps partly because o f
shortages o f engineers. On the other hand, the
number o f workers per engineer declined from 78
to 1 in 1940 to 69 to 1 in 1948.
Summarizing, there are several factors there
fore which tend to keep the ratio o f engineers to
total employment rising and to create an increas
ing demand for engineers: the continually increas
ing com plexity o f technology; the effect o f war
time experiences which demonstrated the value
o f engineering services; the increase in use o f en
gineers by governmental agencies; the increased
use o f research by industry; and the tendency for
engineers to develop new processes and inventions
which in turn often create demands fo r additional
engineers and technicians. From these past
trends, and from the rapid strides that are now
being made in science, it seems probable that the
use o f engineers in industry relative to other work
ers w ill continue to increase. How rapidly this
w ill take place is o f course a matter o f conjecture.
On the other hand, there are several factors
which suggest that the ratio o f engineers in the
United States to total employment in these in
dustries may not continue to increase as rapidly
as in the past. Technical progress is cumulative,
and the extension o f the frontiers o f scientific
knowledge in its application to industrial prob
lems could continue at a good rate—perhaps at an
accelerating rate—even if the number o f engineers
were to reach a plateau at some future time and re
main constant. As scientific and engineering
techniques improve, many o f the day-to-day en
gineering problems in industry may be solved more
readily.
Moreover, there has been a great development
o f the use o f larger numbers o f semiprofessional as
sistants to engineers and other scientific workers,
particularly during the war. A survey o f leading
4 19£9 Employment Programs for Engineering Graduates, a
survey conducted by the General Survey Committee of the En
gineers Joint Council, New York, N. Y. (Mimeographed.)
12
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
industrial research laboratories showed, for exam
ple, that between 1940 and 1946 the ratio o f pro
fessional workers (more than a third were engi
neers) to total research personnel decreased from
53 percent to 40 percent.5 I f this trend continues,
it w ill make possible the use o f fewer engineers
than would otherwise be the case. W hile this de
velopment resulted in part from the wartime short
ages o f engineers, it also reflected a long-term trend
toward the greater use o f semiprofessional
workers.
One factor underlying the growth o f the engi
neering profession in the past has been the increas
ing employment o f engineers in administrative
positions. Over the past several decades, however,
the number o f people receiving form al training fo r
administrative and management positions in in
dustry has been growing rapidly. This may be
seen in enrollments in university schools o f busi
ness administration, as well as in the growth o f inservice executive training programs in industry.
From 1920 to 1940, while the number o f baccalau
reate and first professional degrees awarded in en
gineering increased from 4,716 to 14,348, the num
ber awarded in business administration and
commerce increased from 1,560 to 19,036, accord
ing to reports o f the United States Office o f Educa
tion. Engineers w ill no longer be almost the only
persons in industry available for executive jobs
who have had advanced training applicable to
industry.
Examination o f the trends in the use o f engineers
in each industry, described in the sections o f this
report dealing with the m ajor branches o f engi
neering, confirms the judgment that the number o f
engineers employed should continue to increase
relative to other workers in industry. Even if the
ratio o f engineers to other employees should rise
more slowly in the future than in the past, it is
likely to increase substantially in the remainder o f
the 1940-50 decade and through the next decade.
As mentioned above, the ratio has increased by
about one-eighth in the 8 years since 1940. I f it
continues to rise at this pace, the total increase
over the entire decade may amount to about 15 per
cent, or one-half the average increase in each o f the
*U. S. Employment Service, National Roster o f Scientific and
Specialized Personnel, Industrial Research Personnel in the
United States, Washington, D. C., 1947. (Unpublished.)
previous five decades. F or purposes o f illustra
tion o f the future possibilities, perhaps an increase
o f similar magnitude in the 1950-60 decade may be
assumed; this would bring the ratio to about 1,700
engineers per 100,000 workers.
Summary— Prospective Demand for Engineers
The preceding section has traced the growth o f
the engineering profession and has suggested that
the two major factors underlying this growth will
continue to operate in the future. A moderate
further expansion o f the major types o f industrial
activity which use engineers’ services is in prospect
fo r at least the next decade, under the assumption
o f full employment in the American economy. An
increase o f about 10 percent would bring the total
number o f workers engaged in these industries to
some 26*4 m illion by 1960.
The growing utilization o f engineers, caused by
the advance o f science and its application to in
dustry, is also likely to continue. I f the ratio o f
engineers to the total number o f workers attached
to these industries should increase as much in the
next decade as in the present one, it would reach
the figure o f approximately 1,700 per 100,000 work
ers by 1960.
Under these circumstances total engineering em
ployment would amount to roughly 450,000 or some
100,000 more than in 1948. These figures are
given, not as a forecast, but only to suggest in
rough quantitative terms the implications o f the
past trends for the future growth o f the profession.
An increase in employment o f this magnitude
would be very great in view o f the present size and
recent growth o f the profession. Actually, it
would mean that the number o f employed engi
neers would have increased by over 80 percent in
only two decades—a remarkable rise even for this
occupation and much larger than the increase ex
pected in most occupations o f comparable size. A
survey o f the hiring plans o f a number o f large
firms (see footnote 4, p. 11) employing engineers
reveals that these firms did plan to hire a signifi
cant number o f engineers in 1949 although some
what fewer than in 1948.
The method used in this study to estimate the
possible future growth in employment o f engineers
is o f course but one o f the approaches that might
be used. F or several reasons the ratio o f engineers
13
CIVIL ENGINEERS
to the number o f workers engaged in the five major
industries using engineering services may not pre
sent the entire picture. Several other approaches
were used, but they did not prove as satisfactory
as the one finally adopted. In some cases the data
available did not show any definite trends, indicat
ing a lack o f relationship; in others the data were
not available for early years. One measure o f the
ratio o f the growth o f the profession to a type o f
economic activity was more fully explored—
namely, the ratio o f the number o f engineers to the
number o f horsepower-hours o f energy output in
industry—which did show a definite relationship.
When the trend in this ratio was projected to 1960,
on the basis o f estimates o f future energy consump
tion, the results obtained were fairly close to those
obtained by the method used in this report.
From the above review o f the past trends in the
growth o f the engineering profession as a whole
within the framework o f the industrial economy
o f the United States this picture emerges: the oc
cupation has grown rapidly in the past; there is
an indication that the rate o f growth is diminish
ing, but no indication that the pattern is being re
versed ; and therefore, on the basis o f the general
trends considered, there is every likelihood that
the profession w ill continue to grow for some time.
In the follow ing sections, the development o f each
o f the m ajor fields o f engineering will be reviewed
in order to determine whether some are growing
more rapidly than others, to provide the detail
underlying the general conclusions summarized
above, and to give other information on each field.
CIVIL E
Civil engineering is the oldest o f the branches
o f the broad field o f engineering; it is the main
trunk from which nearly all other fields developed
as technical knowledge expanded and industry
became more complex. Form erly, there were only
two main branches o f engineering—“ m ilitary”
and “ civil.” Today, civil engineering is rec
ognized as only one o f the specialized branches o f
the profession.
Civil engineers are concerned with the design
and construction o f such facilities as roads, build
ings, bridges, dams, tunnels, water-supply and
sewerage systems, transportation projects, and
many other structures for public, industrial, or
commercial use. Such areas o f activity as struc
tural, sanitary, architectural, hydraulic, and high
way engineering are in this main field.
About half the civil engineers work for a govern
mental agency, either Federal, State, or local.
About one-quarter are employed by the construc
tion industry. Nearly 6 percent are employed in
the transportation industries and slightly more
than 4 percent in the utilities industries. The dis
tribution o f civil engineers by industry fields may
be seen in the accompanying tabulation.
The reason so many civil engineers are employed
by Federal, State, and local governments is partly
the nature, cost, and size o f the projects with which
civil engineers work. W hile the major part o f
all construction work is privately built, a large
proportion o f the projects requiring engineering
work—the large projects— are built for the pub
lic, such as highways, dams, sewerage systems, etc.
In addition, civil engineers occupy such positions
as administrators o f water and sanitary depart
ments and street and highway divisions.
Industry field
Percentage
distribution
T o t a l _______________________________________ 100.0
C onstruction__________________ ______________
Manufacturing ______________________________
Petroleum and coal products_____________
Iron, steel, and nonferrous metals and their
products_______________________________
Other manufacturing in d u stries________
T ransportation______________________________
Utilities ____________________________________
Governm ent_________________________________
Other industries_________________________ ;__
26. 6
8.1
1.4
2.9
3. 8
5.8
4.1
50.8
4. 6
Generally speaking, a greater proportion o f
civil engineers are in positions dealing directly
with the administration or management o f an en
terprise than is true in any other field o f engineer
ing (appendix table D -8 ). On the other hand, a
relatively small proportion o f civil engineers are
found in either research, design, and develop
ment positions or in such jobs as production, op
eration, maintenance, inspection, and installation.
14
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
In the construction industry itself—one o f the
major employers— almost half the civil engineers
are engaged in administrative, management or
supervisory positions. (See table 1.) These
positions range from that o f an official o f a large
construction firm to that o f site supervisor o f a
construction gang. Slightly more than a quarter
are employed in the general field o f design, devel
opment, and drafting. The job o f designing a
bridge, for example, involves the planning and se
lection o f a type o f structure and estimating o f
costs o f the various parts, such as the superstruc
ture, piers, or abutments. Civil engineers also are
responsible for many individual jobs on the con
struction project itself. The equipment must be
selected and the flow o f materials and supplies
must be ensured. Other engineers are also found
in many varied positions including the estimating
o f costs o f new projects or the inspection and main
tenance o f highways and bridges.
T
1.— Percentage distribution o f civil engineers, by
occupational status in selected industry fields , 19 46
able
Occupational status
All in
Con
Trans
dustries i struction portation
100.0
100.0
Administration-management.......................
Administration-management, nontechni
cal......................................... ...............
Administration-management, technical.
Construction supervision..... ....................
47.5
51.5
42.6
2.4
27.2
17.9
2.2
26.6
22.7
1.2
29.1
12.3
Consulting...................................................
Consulting, independent..........................
Consulting, as employee of private firm__
8.4
5.2
3.2
8.9
6.2
2.7
2.7
.8
1.9
Operation and maintenance.........................
Inspection.............................................. .
Installation................................... ...........
Maintenance.............................................
Operation..................................................
Production.......................-............ —.......
Safety engineering....................- ...............
7.6
2.1
.2
3.4
1.2
.4
.3
5.8
2.4
.2
2.4
.4
.1
.3
25.3
1.2
Design, development, and research...... .......
Design.......................................................
Development.....................—....................
Analysis and testing.-------------------------Drafting........................................... -.......
Research and basic science-------------------Research, applied......................................
Estimating-------- ------------------- -----------
29.6
19.9
2.0
1.0
2.4
.3
1.3
2.7
30.7
21.9
2.0
.9
2.5
.1
.7
2.6
26.2
17.3
.8
Total...........................................................
100.0
20.7
2.3
.4
.8
3.1
.8
4.2
Sales.
1.2
.3
.4
Other......................................................
Editing and writing............................
Retired................................................
Student.......................................... —
Teaching, college or university--------Any occupational status not specified.
5.7
.7
.1
.1
2.3
2.5
2.8
.5
.1
.1
.2
1.9
2.7
.4
.4
1.9
i See appendix table D-9 for list.
Many civil engineers employed in industries
other than construction are actually engaged in
work connected with new construction or the repair
o f old structures. Some civil engineers work for
building materials manufacturers or in private
consulting firms which advise on technical prob
lems.
In the transportation industries, there is a
slightly wider distribution o f functions than in
construction. Here, about two-fifths o f the civil
engineers are in administrative or management
jobs, such as executive in a railroad company or
section supervisor o f a surveying crew. About
one-quarter find employment as division engineers
in charge o f maintenance o f the tracks, yards, and
structures, or in the construction office estimating
maintenance costs fo r equipment and tracks.
Others are found in such jobs as design engineer
planning the location and construction o f road
beds, tunnels, grade separations, etc., or drafting
foreman in a divisional office.
The functional distribution in the utilities in
dustries is somewhat similar to that in the con
struction industry. Nearly half are in some type
o f administrative or supervisory work such as
engineer in charge o f construction. Another
sizable group is found in such positions as head
o f the drafting department, or planning or design
engineer responsible fo r location o f power plants
and distribution lines.
The development o f the profession is closely re
lated to the history o f the construction industry.
As long as houses and other relatively small build
ings were the principal types o f structures built,
there was no great need for engineers to design
them and supervise their construction. Tradi
tional building methods were used—methods de
veloped after centuries o f experience—and car
penters, masons, and other building craftsmen were
able to put them up without an engineer’s design
or supervision. This is still the way most private
homes, farm buildings, and other small structures
are built.
Although several experimental (horse-drawn)
railroads were in use earlier, the industry did not
really begin to develop until after 1830; at about
this time the profession o f civil engineer also be
gan to expand. The railroad industry grew slowly
until the end o f the Civil W ar; then it expanded
rapidly, extending into the West and South. Rail
road construction (miles o f track) reached its
peak in the 1880’s when the civil engineers were
still few in numbers—the Census o f 1890 showed
fewer than 27,000 in all fields.
CIVIL ENGINEERS
The civil engineer was now branching out in
many directions. In addition to construction
needed fo r the expanding railroad industry, the
need fo r better roads and bridges was felt. Civil
engineers were also active in the building o f water
ways, harbors, and canals to keep pace with the Na
tion’s growing trade and commerce. W ater sup
p ly and sewer systems were built extensively in
the large cities and even in small towns.
In addition, a more intensive use o f engineers
was made in types o f construction work which
before had been planned by craftsmen as they went
along. New materials and ways o f building were
introduced such as all-steel frame construction and
fireproofing. Larger buildings called for engi
neering design. Another factor affecting employ
ment o f engineers was the development o f local
laws to protect the public against unsafe construc
tion in buildings. Most o f these regulations re
quired approval o f building plans by qualified
engineers.
The development o f the automobile next opened
a great vista o f opportunity fo r the civil engineer.
Although the first internal combustion motor car
was built as early as 1885, the automobile did not
gain real public acceptance until the First W orld
W ar. Then, during the twenties and on into the
thirties many thousands o f miles o f highways were
built fo r motor vehicles. The number o f miles o f
improved roads, including such projects as grade
crossing eliminations and super highways, has con
tinued to expand after the period o f rapid devel
opment, and increasing traffic w ill call fo r con
tinued expansion and improvement in the future.
The decade o f the twenties also witnessed a boom
in new construction activity, reaching a peak in
physical volume in 1927. Construction o f com
mercial buildings, public utility facilities, public
buildings, and houses as well as highways hit a new
high during this decade. The profession grew
from between 45,000 and 50,000 in 1910 to nearly
60,000 in 1920 and then increased by almost 50 per
cent to a total o f about 88,000 by 1930. (See
Appendix table D -l.)
The decade o f the thirties witnessed no increase
for the civil engineering branch o f the profession.
Employment in the profession is greatly affected
by changes in the general level o f business activity.
15
The private construction industry, particularly
with respect to residential, commercial, and indus
trial building, varies greatly in its volume o f activ
ity with severe curtailment during depression pe
riods. In fact, the volume o f new construction
activity in 1933 was only 29 percent o f that in
1929.6 Public construction, including reclamation
projects, public buildings, and transportation facil
ities (m ainly highw ays), has held up better dur
ing depressions, and some types o f public works
have been emphasized in the past when private
construction was lagging.
The effects o f the business depression on civil
engineers are illustrated by unemployment figures
for this branch o f engineering. In 1932, many
civil engineers were unemployed or were working
in subprofessional jobs. In addition, civil engi
neering was about the only field which had not
recovered somewhat by 1934, and in that year had
the highest unemployment rate o f all fields. O f
the new graduates, entering the field between 1930
and 1934, between 55 and 60 percent had periods
o f unemployment at some time during that period.
Furthermore, civil engineers in the higher age
groups as well showed the greatest unemployment
rate among all fields o f engineering.7
C ivil engineering recovered somewhat from the
effects o f the depression as new construction activ
ity more than doubled from 1933 to 1940. Never
theless, in 1940, nearly 10 percent o f the civil engi
neers were still unemployed and in the allied occu
pation o f surveying almost 20 percent were unem
ployed.
Large numbers o f civil engineers left the profes
sion during the 1930 to 1940 decade. The numbers
in the field showed almost no increase in this pe
riod in contrast to the rapid growth o f the twen
ties. The growth o f this branch o f the profession
is shown in chart 4.
• U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Probable Volume of Postwar Construction, Bulletin No. 825,
Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C., 1945. Price
10 cents. See also Employment Outlook in the Building Trades,
Bulletin No. 967, Superintendent o f Documents** Washington 25,
D. C., 1949. Price 50 cents.
*U. S. Department o f Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics,
Employment and Earnings in the Engineering Profession, 1929
to 198}. Bulletin No. 682, Superintendent o f Documents, Wash
ington 25, D. O., 1941. Price 25 cents.
16
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Chart 4.— Number of Civil Engineers, 1910-48.
W ith the advent o f the war in Europe, the de
fense program provided many opportunities for
civil engineers. The volume o f new construction
reached a peak in 1942— even higher than the 1927
record. New army training camps and other de
fense facilities were built, but most types o f non
m ilitary construction decreased during the war pe
riod. Even military construction reached its peak
early in the war and then decreased very rapidly.
Many civil engineers entered the armed forces and
many transferred to other fields o f engineering,
such as mechanical, in which personnel were in
great demand. (The extent o f these movements
is discussed in greater detail in the section on oc
cupational m obility; see pp. 69 to 81.)
The country entered the postwar period with a
backlog o f residential, commercial, and highway
construction needs created not only by a decade
o f depression but also by the war. Construction
volume had already started to expand in the first
postwar year, 1946. In 1947, it climbed even
higher and toward the end o f 1948 it appeared
that near record levels were to be reached. A great
deal o f emphasis is being placed on residential con
struction, a field in which comparatively few civil
engineers are engaged in proportion to the total
dollar volume o f construction. Some types o f
construction programs have yet to get under way.
Many State governments have embarked on high
way expansion programs and they may be expected
to emphasize these programs fo r a number o f years.
In 1946, about 17 percent o f all civil engineers were
employed in highway construction, and an addi
tional 6 percent in bridge construction. A recent
survey o f engineering schools8 showed that many
State highway departments are having great d if
ficulty in recruiting civil engineering graduates.
This is due in part to the comparatively low salaries
paid in these positions. The 1946 survey o f the
engineering profession revealed this same condi
tion. (See table 14.)
Expansion o f the public works program o f con
servation and development has in general lagged
behind that o f most other types o f construction,
but currently is proceeding at a rate at least com
parable with those o f earlier periods o f high ac
tivity. Short-range changes in the level o f ac
tivity are controlled by governmental appropria
tions, and are not easily predictable; but greatly
increased public consciousness o f the importance
o f this work makes a long-range increase seem
likely.
Despite the failure to increase in numbers to any
degree in the last two decades, there has been a
moderate upward trend in the ratio o f civil en
gineers to total construction employment and to
total construction volume. It is likely that this
trend will continue in the future.
W hile there are signs that some types o f con
struction expansion may not continue without in
terruption, the long-range potentiality o f a very
large construction market seems to be at present
beyond any question. This market includes the
types o f construction to which engineers are most
essential. Demand fo r civil engineers w ill there
fore probably continue at a high level for several
years and then ease off somewhat. In the long
run a slow additional expansion seems likely; per
haps this branch o f engineering w ill number
around 105,000 by 1960, which means an average
o f over 1,200 additional jobs each year. It must
be remembered, however, that the construction in
dustry and therefore civil engineering is extremely
sensitive to the level o f general business activity
and any serious decline would probably lead to un
employment in this branch o f the profession. This
would be mitigated to the extent that civil engi
neers were needed for expanded public works
programs.
8 J. A. Anderson, Shortage of Highway Engineers Starts in
College, American Highways, April 1948, pp. 6-7.
17
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
Geographical Location
, ,
. .
, „
Civil engineers may be found m nearly all parts
o f our Nation, both in or near large cities or m
remote rural areas. They are more evenly distributed geographically than the members o f any
other field o f engineering as may be seen by appendix table D -10. A great many civil engineers
are required to move from one construction project to another although working for the same em-
ployei; Many large consulting firms and contracting firms have offices in several States, and
advise *;
ies ^ severai arts o f the country.
^
engineer employed by one o f the consulting
or contracting firms may be required to move, for
example, from a bridge project in Salt Lake City to
a gra(ie crossing project in Los Angeles. The
largest proportion o f the profession is concentrated in dense population centers, where the bulk
o f industrial and commercial activity is located.
M E C H A N IC A L EN G IN EER S
Mechanical engineers are responsible fo r de
signing, testing, construction, and operation o f
machinery that produces power, transmits power,
consumes power, or utilizes heat energy. These
engineers also design machinery, tools, and equip
ment, and plants or mills which require special
construction to accommodate power-producing or
transmitting machinery. Mechanical engineering
covers several distinct areas o f work, among which
are: aeronautical; marine engineering and naval
architecture; automotive; railroad equipment,
heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; and
general power production. Industrial engineer
ing is frequently regarded as a branch o f me
chanical.
Mechanical engineering began to emerge as a
separate field follow ing the expansion in the use
o f power machinery in the eighteenth and partic
ularly in the nineteenth centuries. The evolution
o f power machinery and the profession o f mechan
ical engineering are closely associated. Mechanical
engineers have developed new machines for power
utilization and this new equipment in turn has
provided opportunities for other engineers.
This particular branch o f engineering is related
to all types o f industrial operation. Though deal
ing prim arily with power and machinery, it in
cludes activities ranging from instrument making
to the design and construction o f equipment for
huge power plants.
Employment trends in the profession can best
be understood in the light o f the past trends and
the outlook for the metalworking industries.
Even though mechanical engineers are employed
in many industries, as may be seen by the follow ing
tabulation o f their distribution in 1946, about half
are found in the follow ing manufacturing industry
groups: Machinery (including electrical), trans
portation equipment, and basic metals and their
products (including iron and steel and nonferrous
m etals).
Industry
field
Percentage
distribution
T o t a l _______________________________________ 100. 0
Construction _______________________________
M anufacturing___________________ ___________
Food and textiles_______________________
Lumber, furniture, and paper____________
Chemicals and allied products___________
Petroleum and coal produ cts____________
Rubber, and stone, clay, and glass________
Iron, steel, and nonferrous metals and their
products ______________________ _______
Machinery ______________________________
Transportation equipment_______________
Other manufacturing in d u stries________
Transportation______________________________
Communication______________________________
Utilities ------------------------------------------------------Government_________________________________
Other industries_____________________________
2.5
67.6
2. 5
2.1
3.2
2.9
1.9
8.7
19.5
20.4
6.4
1.7
1.5
3. 5
10. 5
12.7
Manufacture of Basic Metals and Their Products
The iron and steel industry grew rapidly when
a cheap form o f steel was made possible after the
Civil W ar by the introduction o f the Bessemer
process, combined with the exploitation o f the rich
ore deposits o f the Great Lakes region and a good
supply o f coal. The industry received tremen
dous impetus from W orld W ar I and grew steadily
in the twenties. A fter a sharp contraction during
the depression, production rose to record heights
during W orld W ar II. In the postwar period,
activity has remained very high and, with heavy
demand for construction and durable goods, and
because o f the foreign aid program and m ilitary
18
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
needs, w ill probably continue high fo r several
years. The long-term trend is slowly upward.
In 1946, about 1 out o f every 14 mechanical
engineers was employed in making iron and steel
and their products. In general, engineering em
ployment in this industry has been comparatively
static in recent years compared to the growth in
other industries, although engineers were respon
sible fo r many o f the technological changes in the
past. It is not likely that employment o f mechan
ical engineers in basic metals production w ill rise
very much because the industry itself w ill probably
tend to remain near present levels.
Mechanical engineers have contributed greatly
to the development o f the nonferrous metals indus
tries which include copper, aluminum, zinc, lead,
tin, tungsten, nickel, and others. These industries
expanded greatly as a result o f the First W orld
W ar and the general growth o f the economy dur
ing the twenties. A fter the depression during the
thirties, the advent o f W orld W ar I I brought about
a tremendous demand fo r all types o f metals. The
aluminum industry in particular increased produc
tion to record peaks because o f the demand for the
metal in aircraft manufacturing. Production has
been high in the postwar period, and w ill probably
remain this way for several years, owing to the
backlog o f demand fo r civilian uses as well as the
m ilitary aircraft production program.
The number o f mechanical engineers employed
in all metal industries, although increasing con
siderably over early periods, has not expanded as
rapidly as in either the machinery or transporta
tion equipment manufacturing industries.
Nearly half o f the mechanical engineers in basic
metals industries are found in administration,
management, or similar functions (see table 2 ),
either in top positions such as vice president in
charge o f production or engineering, or as heads
o f separate departments or sections within a firm.
About 28 percent are engaged in research, design,
or development. In these positions, the engineer
may be working at a variety o f tasks such as re
search on methods to be used in the production o f
the basic metal. The design o f a blast furnace is
the result o f long hours o f planning and develop
ment by many engineers. Around 8 percent o f the
mechanical engineers are in sales work while the
rest are in other jobs such as consulting, produc
tion, operation, and maintenance. The small pro
portion o f mechanical engineers in research, de
sign, and developmental fields in these industries
probably has resulted from the fact that some o f
these functions are perform ed by metallurgists or
metallurgical engineers.
T
2 . — Percentage distribution o f mechanical engineers ,
by occupational status in selected industry fields , 1 9 40
able
Occupational status
Iron,
steel,
Trans
and non- Ma portation
chin
ferrous
All
equip
ery
metals
indus and
ment
their (manu (manu
tries! products
fac
factur
(manu turing)
ing)
factur
ing)
Total.................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Administration and management___
Administration-management, non
technical......................................
Administration-management, tech
nical.............................................
Construction supervision...... .........
Personnel-labor problems________
34.3
47.6
35.7
27.7
2.5
4.0
2.8
1.5
29.5
1.9
.4
40.7
1.6
1.3
31.6
1.1
25.4
.7
.1
Consulting.......................................
Consulting, independent................
Consulting, as employee of private
firm.............................................
5.7
2.0
3.9
1.6
5.0
1.8
2.2
3.7
2.3
3.2
1.8
Manufacturing and production.
Estimating...... ..................
Inspection______ _________
Installation______ ________
Maintenance____ _________
Operation..............................
Production............................
Safety engineering_________
10.2
1.1
1.0
.8
2.2
1.8
3.0
.3
12.3
1.4
.9
.4
3.1
2.2
4.3
9.3
1.7
1.0
1.4
.5
.5
4.1
.1
6.1
.7
Design, development, and research..
Design__________ ____ _________
Development............. ............... .
Analysis and testing.......................
Drafting.______________________
Patents..........................................
Research in basic science...______
Research, applied_______________
39.0
19.1
7.7
3.3
27.9
16.9
5.4
.9
2.3
36.9
21.9
8.7
.5
Other___. . . . . . . _________________
Editing and writing........................
Library and information service__
Retired...........................................
Student..........................................
Teaching, college or university___
Teaching, other______ __________
Occupational status not specified__
1.8
.4
.9
5.8
.2
1.6
.2
.4
1.0
.5
.9
.7
2.2
.1
58.9
23.8
11.2
10.0
2.5
.4
1.2
9.8
2.0
3.7
5.7
7.6
2.8
5.1
.4
.1
.7
iai
ao
.6
.3
.4
.1
1.0
.1
.3
2.6
.1
1.5
.7
.7
.1
.1
.1
1.4
2.3
.4
.1
1 See appendix table D-9 for list of industries.
Machinery Manufacturing
The textile machinery industry was perhaps one
o f the first branches o f machinery manufacturing
to develop. ’ The growth in the production o f agri
cultural machinery came somewhat later. The
use o f other types o f machinery, including machine
tools and their accessories, pump and pumping
equipment, electrical machinery, engines and tur
bines, business machines, domestic machines (sew
ing machines, washing machines, refrigerators,
MECHNICAL ENGINEERS
19
The earliest transportation equipment manufac
turing industries, although originally responsible
for much o f the growth o f mechanical engineering,
are not now the m ajor employers. During the
early years in the shipbuilding industry, before
the steam engine was used and before the use o f
metal for ship construction, mechanical engineers
as we know them today were not used to any great
extent. Later, after the Civil W ar, the function
o f mechanical engineering in the ship- and boat
building industry began to expand. Peaks o f pro
duction have, as might be expected, occurred dur
ing both W orld Wars. In W orld W ar II , activity
reached an unprecedented peak—close to 2 m illion
persons were employed in 1943 and thousands o f
units were built. A fter YJ-day, the industry com
pleted the downward trend in production started
late in the war. In the spring o f 1949, total em
ployment in the industry, although higher than
prewar levels, was considerably below the wartime
peak and the m ajority o f activity was directed
towards repair work rather than new construction.
A fter original development several decades
earlier, the railroad industry began to expand rap
idly after the Civil W ar. Engineers began to
be needed in ever increasing numbers fo r techno
logical improvements in railway equipment. New
types o f locomotives, freight and passenger cars,
and other equipment were devised. Since the start
o f the First W orld W ar the locom otive- and car
building industry has developed at a somewhat
slower rate. During both the depression period o f
the thirties and the recent war, the railroad
industry was unable to replace equipment as it
deteriorated or became obsolete. As a result rail
roads today are faced with a problem o f obtain
ing new rolling stock o f all types (particularly
freigh t). The demand fo r engineering services
w ill probably remain at a high level for some time
with the continuing need fo r modernization and
upkeep o f structures, roadways, and stock. The
trend toward Diesel power is also expected to con
tinue. A ll these factors point to a high level o f
activity in railway equipment building, lasting for
a number o f years.10
The beginning o f the twentieth century saw the
start o f two industries, which were to challenge
the railroads’ leadership in transportation—first*3
0
8 U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics,
Employment Outlook in Machine Shop Occupations, Bulletin No.
895, Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C., 1947.
Price 20 cents.
10TJ. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Em
ployment Outlook in Railroad Occupations, Bulletin No. 961,
Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C. 1949. Price
30 cents.
etc.), and general machinery and machine shop
products, has grown rapidly in the last 80 years.
The machinery manufacturing industry has o f
course grown as the general level o f industrial pro
duction has risen. Both W orld Wars have created
an enormous demand for all types o f machinery.
During W orld W ar II, the machinery manufac
turing industry reached unprecedented heights o f
production and employment. Most o f the activity
was directed towards war needs. Consequently de
mand was created fo r machinery products such
as agricultural equipment, food products, textiles,
paper, printing, and many others not directly con
nected with the war effort. Now the machinery
industry is engaged in satisfying this backlog o f
demand. However, even after this has been ac
complished, activity is expected to remain high
owing to the long-run trend toward greater mech
anization o f industry and other factors.9
Around a fifth o f all mechanical engineers were
found in the machinery manufacturing industry
in 1946— a slightly smaller proportion than in
1940. However, the actual number o f mechanical
engineers so employed increased during this period
by about 18 percent.
In this field about a third o f the mechanical en
gineers occupy administrative, management, or
similar positions. Slightly more are engaged in
research, design, and development—working, for
example, on the design and development o f a ma
chine, im proving its efficiency or lowering its cost
o f production. The evolution o f one particular
m illing machine or drill press is the result o f many
hours o f work by trained design or development
engineers. About 10 percent o f the mechanical
engineers in the machinery industry are in sales
positions; less than 10 percent in jobs relating to
production, operation, installation, and similar
functions. Therefore, a direct expansion or de
pression in activity or production w ill not neces
sarily bring about a corresponding change in em
ployment o f mechanical engineers.
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
20
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
the automobile industry and later the aviation in
dustry. From 1900 to 1910 the number o f cars
and trucks produced annually had risen from about
4,000 to around 187,000. By 1916, annual produc
tion was nearly a m illion; mass production o f auto
mobiles had arrived. Several factors have con
tributed toward this mass production—including
the large market for automobiles, the continued
creation o f demand by improvement o f models,
and such industry practices as the division o f labor,
standardization o f parts, and finally the system o f
moving assembly lines. Engineering research and
development contributed greatly to the progress
made along these lines. The Society o f Automo
tive Engineers, formed in 1904, has been largely
responsible for effecting standardization o f parts,
measurements, and materials in the automobile
industry.
As everyone knows, the automobile industry
stopped production o f civilian passenger cars and
trucks during the recent war. Consequently an
immense backlog o f demand fo r motor vehicles was
built up. In addition, with a greatly increased
population and a higher level o f income, the de
mand fo r both cars and trucks is expected to re
main high. Also, as the industry is highly com
petitive, research, design, and development ac
tivities w ill probably continue at a high rate. In
1946, only 4 percent o f all mechanical engineers
were employed in automobile manufacture; how
ever, the prospects are for continued growth in
their use by this industry.
Although the aircraft manufacturing industry
was the last o f the transportation group to develop,
it is now the largest single employer o f mechanical
engineers. Its greatest impetus has been as the
result o f war needs. Although the airplane was
invented much earlier, industrial production and
commercial utilization did not reach a rapid rate
o f increase until the First W orld W ar. W ith the
end o f the war came the cancellation o f war orders
and serious deflation nearly wrecked the industry.
There was some expansion in the twenties and a
serious setback in the thirties. W ith the advent
o f the war in Europe in 1939, the industry again
received stimulus from war needs. The number
o f engineers required by the industry was far
greater than ever before, because o f the need to
develop revolutionary types o f aircraft fo r war
purposes. A fter VE-day, production fell off
greatly, reaching a low point with the end o f the
war in September 1945. The immediate postwar
period was one o f great readjustment for the air
craft industry. W ith increased defense appropri
ations, production o f aircraft has increased a great
deal and w ill expand even more during the next
few years. In addition, aeronautical research, par
ticularly in the m ilitary field, will probably con
tinue to be emphasized for some time.
In 1946, about 1 out o f every 6 mechanical en
gineers (including aeronautical engineers) was
employed in the aircraft and parts manufacturing
industry compared with about 1 in every 20 in
1940. The aeronautical engineers work mainly
on the aeronautical and mechanical design o f the
structure o f the aircraft (although for advanced
research many mathematicians and physicists are
em ployed); other types o f mechanical engineers
work on the engines, other mechanical parts, and
on production problems; electrical engineers are
increasingly being used in connection with elec
trical and electronic installations.
Among all mechanical engineers employed in
the transportation equipment manufacturing in
dustry in 1946, very few (6 percent) were engaged
in direct manufacturing or production jobs, such
as department supervisors or shift superintend
ents. Owing to the constantly changing tech
nology o f the industry and intense competition,
particularly in aircraft and automobiles, over half
o f the mechanical engineers were in research, de
sign, or development functions. In an aircraft
plant, for example, research and design engineers
are constantly experimenting with new models,
testing various parts, such as the wing assembly,
for resistance to stress and for aerodynamic effi
ciency. The field o f aerodynamics is still com
paratively young, and new and improved tech
niques are being devised all the time. The new
fields o f guided missiles and supersonic aircraft
demand a large research and design staff. In the
automobile industry, engineers work continually
on the improvement o f the total product and parts
are constantly being improved. Improvement o f
this industry’s mass production system was worked
out by planning engineers. Mechanical engineers
are also employed in sales, consulting, or other
jobs.
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS
Industrial Engineers
Another field o f engineering—industrial—has
developed prim arily out o f mechanical engineer
ing. Today, this branch cuts across all fields o f
engineering and all industries in which engineers
are found. Separate curricula for industrial en
gineering have been established in many schools
but many persons trained in mechanical, electri
cal, chemical, and other fields of engineering enter
the field. The industrial engineer is concerned pri
marily with the efficient use o f labor, machines, and
materials in industry. He designs factory lay
out so that the work flows efficiently from one step
in the process to the next step; he designs machines
so that the worker’s efficiency in using them is im
proved; he devises records and controls so that
the plant manager w ill have all the information he
needs at his fingertips. From the first techniques
developed by Frederick W . Taylor, this field o f en
gineering has developed into a very specialized
branch. Necessity for the establishment o f this
field was recognized as a result o f the increasing
complexity o f industrial production. Trained
personnel are needed to deal with the factors which
affect cost, quantity, and quality o f output. In
1940, the Census Bureau reported nearly 10,000 in
21
the field with about 5 percent unemployed. Since
that time, owing prim arily to war needs for greater
production, the field has grown considerably.
Scientific management and industrial engineering
will become more important, with emphasis on
higher productivity, greater mechanization, and
better cost control.
Summary
Thus, the profession o f mechanical engineering
and all its subdivisions has expanded along with
the general growth o f the industries in which the
m ajority o f its members are concentrated. The
greatest expansion has taken place in this century,
when employment rose from about 15,000 in 1910
to over 95,000 in 1940 (including industrial engi
neers) and somewhere near 130,000 in 1948. (See
appendix table D -l.) The growth o f the profes
sion and employment in metalworking industries
in this period are shown on charts 5 and 6.
Chart 6.— Employment in Metalworking
Industries, 1899-1948
Chart 5.— Number of Mechanical Engineers,
1910-48
Over the past several decades, there has been
an upward trend in the ratio o f mechanical engi
neers to employment in the metalworking indus
tries, which should continue in the future. It is
now the largest single branch o f the whole engi
neering profession and, even with the tremendous
growth in the past several decades, stands on the
threshold o f still further development and prog
ress. The growth in the future w ill be based
largely on advances in the m ajor industries in
22
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
which mechanical engineers are now concentrated.
In addition, recent developments in such fields as
atomic energy and jet propulsion, plus the expected
expansion in research by both private industry and
government agencies should add to the demand lo r
technical personnel and provide jobs for addi
tional mechanical engineers.
Therefore, the field o f mechanical engineering is
expected to grow, both over the next several years
and over the long run, but the rate o f increase w ill
probably decline to some extent after a number o f
years. The trends discussed above point to the pos
sibility that the mechanical engineering profession
w ill have grown to around 175,000 by 1960— an
average growth o f over 3,700 jobs a year follow ing
1948.
Geographical Location
Mechanical engineers are employed in all States.
However, owing to the concentration o f the indus
tries where most are employed, about 70 percent are
found in the follow ing eight States: New York,
Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jer
sey, Indiana, and Massachusetts. A more detailed
tabulation o f geographical distribution is shown in
appendix table D-10.
ELECTRICAL EN G IN EER S
Electrical engineers deal with the generation,
transmission, and utilization o f electricity. There
are several broad areas o f work, including power,
illumination, wire communication, electronics (in
cluding radio, television, and other applications),
transportation, and electrical machinery and
equipment manufacturing.
W hile the presence o f electrical energy was
known centuries before Benjamin Franklin’s fa
mous experiment, fo r the most part the commercial
use o f electricity has developed within the last
100 years. In 1831, Faraday demonstrated the
first dynamo by which electricity could be gener
ated by mechanical power instead o f the chemical
means used up to that time. Many developments
follow ed, including Edison’s carbon filament lamp
and the inventions o f George Westinghouse. The
first central station for power generation was put
into operation in New York City in 1882. Many
new applications and uses o f electrical energy fo l
lowed, including new means o f generation, differ
ent type o f motors, converters, transformers, and
radio.
Nearly all o f the early inventions and develop
ments concerning electrical energy were made not
by men who had the conventional academic train
ing o f electrical engineer, but by inventors, me
chanics, and other technical people. Furthermore,
most o f the progress in the beginning came as the
result o f isolated discoveries. Gradually, a store
o f information and engineering techniques was
built up and specialized knowledge became neces
sary for work in the field.
Thus, the separate field o f electrical engineering
began to emerge toward the end o f the nineteenth
century. Unlike some o f the other fields o f engi
neering—such as civil or mechanical—the profes
sion o f electrical engineering grew up at the same
time as the industries it serves. Engineering and
research are responsible fo r much o f the phenome
nal growth o f electrical industries.
In 1884, when the American Institute o f Electri
cal Engineers was formed, there were probably
not more than a thousand or so men in the field,
since the census fo r 1880 reported fewer than 7,000
engineers in all fields. The profession then ex
panded rapidly until there were about 15,000 in
1910. The number in the field rose to nearly 27,000
in 1920 and then more than doubled to over 57,000
in 1930. (See chart 7.)
Chart 7.— Number of Electrical Engineers, 1910-48
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
Over the decade o f the thirties the growth o f
the profession was interrupted. The number o f
electrical engineers showed no increase for this pe
riod (the census, which was not exactly compara
ble from 1930 to 1940, actually reports a decrease,
from over 57,000 to 55,700 in 1940, o f whom about
2,700 were unem ployed). Many left the profes
sion in this decade, as shown by the fact that, in
addition, at least 3,000 persons employed in some
other occupations reported that their usual oc
cupation was electrical engineer.11 Many o f those
graduated during the depression period were un
able to find jobs; for the most part openings oc
curred only because o f death and retirement. Kesearch and development programs were drastically
reduced in the thirties and many employers were
unwilling to keep up the overhead* costs o f en
gineering research personnel. In fact, in 1932,
about 10 percent o f all electrical engineers were
unemployed; even though unemployment dropped
to around 7.5 percent in 1934, many were still on
work re lie f.1
12 Altogether, approximately 12 per
cent o f the men in the profession were on work re
lief at some time between 1930 and 1934. The pro
fession did recover substantially from the effects
o f the depression after 1934; even so, the advent
o f W orld W ar I I saw many trained electrical en
gineers not active in their chosen field.
Industry field
Percentage
distribution
in 1946
T o t a l _______________________________________ 100.0
Construction-------------------------------------------------2.5
Manufacturing ______________________________ 36.7
Chemicals and allied products____________
1.1
Iron, steel, and nonferrous metals and
their products__________________________
1.6
Machinery
(including
electrical
ma
chinery) ______________________________ 26.5
Transportation equipm ent______________
2.6
Other manufacturing industries__________
4.9
Transportation_____________________________ 1. 5
Communication______________________________ 19.7
Utilities _________________________________
16.7
Government_________________________________ 14.3
Other industry fields------------------------------------8.6
11U. S. Bureau of the Census, Sixteenth Census of the United
States, 1940: Population, The Labor Force, Usual Occupation.
12 U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Employment and Earnings in the Engineering Profession, 1929 to
1984, Bulletin No. 682, Superintendent of Documents, Washing
ton 25, D. C., 1941. Price 25 cents.
23
The outlook for electrical engineers is largely
dependent on the growth o f the three m ajor in
dustries in which electrical engineers are used—
electrical machinery and equipment manufactur
ing, electric light and power, and communications.
Electrical engineers are employed in many varied
industries as shown in the preceding tabulation o f
their distribution in 1946.
Electrical Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing
The electrical machinery and equipment manu
facturing industry, while a very large one today,
has developed only within the past 50 years. The
industry in the beginning concentrated on lighting
equipment and industrial electrical apparatus.
The three m ajor divisions now are the plants mak
ing electrical equipment, communications equip
ment, and radio and television sets and phono
graphs. Though there were many small com
panies at first, today the m ajority o f the business
is in the hands o f a few large corporations who
employ a large number o f engineers fo r research
and development projects and for selling. Never
theless, there are thousands o f small manufac
turers, many o f whom employ engineers.
The tremendous expansion o f the electric light
and power industry during the twenties with its
demands on the electrical machinery and equip
ment manufacturing industry parallels the growth
o f the electrical engineering profession in this
period. Great strides were made in the extension
o f use o f industrial electrical equipment. Even
in the thirties, when practically all industry was
hit by the depression, the use o f electrical energy
did not decline in the same proportion. Its use
in metallurgical processes such as steel making and
aluminum refining was expanding. Industry in
general was also using more electrically powered
machinery and control equipment.
Beginning in the twenties, public demand fo r
domestic electrical equipment such as toasters,
irons, radios, washing machines, and refrigerators
increased rapidly. From this time and on into
the thirties, the increase in the production o f do
mestic appliances was phenomenal, creating a
great demand fo r fractional horsepower motors.
But like most other manufacturing industries, the
entire electrical machinery and equipment industry
experienced a sharp decline in the depression pe
24
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
ing is in research, design o f products, and devel
riod (despite the increasing production o f do
opment o f research findings into practical uses.
mestic appliances), follow ed by a gradual recovery.
Over 40 percent were in this type o f work in 1946,
The failure o f the electrical engineering profession
one quarter were in administration, management,
to expand during the 1930’s is related in part to
or similar functions, which range from an execu
the effect o f the depression upon this industry.
tive position in a manufacturing company to chief
During the war employment in the industry
engineer in charge o f maintenance; and only about
increased sharply. The production o f motor gen
6 percent were in jobs more closely related to fac
erators, fractional horsepower motors, welding
tory operations such as production engineer super
equipment, and other products expanded. Also
vising the manufacture o f a particular product.
the war stimulated the development o f new appli
Nearly IT percent o f the electrical engineers in
cations o f electronics in such devices as radar and
electrical machinery and equipment manufactur
industrial control equipment.
ing were in sales positions— a much higher propor
In the postwar period, employment in the indus
tion than o f the engineers in communications or
try has been somewhat lower than at the wartime
electric light and power. These sales engineers
peak, but more than twice as high as in 1939. The
work closely with the firms purchasing electrical
long-term prospects fo r the electrical machinery
machinery and equipment and with design engi
and equipment manufacturing industries are
neers o f their own firms in developing equipment
good. Electric power is being more widely used,
to meet the needs o f the users.
and a large expansion is foreseen in consumption
and generating capacity; 13this means not only that
Electric Light and Power Industry
more generating and distributing equipment w ill
In the period since 1900 another industry—elec
be purchased by utilities, but also that there w ill
tric light and power—has had a very great effect
be more consumers and that they w ill purchase
on the growth o f electrical engineering. Installed
more electrical equipment per capita. There w ill
capacity o f electric utility generating plants rose
doubtless be continued research and development
from about 2 m illion kilowatts in 1902 to over 56
o f new products, including air-conditioning equip
m illion in 1948. A large share o f the improve
ment, radios, television, radar and similar devices,
ments and technological changes which have taken
place during the industry’s development was
and industrial measuring instruments. Much pi
made possible only through the skill and knowl
oneer research work is going on in the electronics
edge o f electrical engineers.
field. In the manufacture o f equipment for power
Follow ing the great boom o f the twenties, when
generation and distribution, there appears to be a
capacity and production more than doubled, this
prospect for moderate growth in research and de
industry, like most others, was hit by the depres
velopment, and in the need for engineers. The
sion o f the thirties. Output o f current declined
electrical manufacturing companies are still oc
very little, but generating capacity increased very
cupied with the backlog o f demand for industrial
electric equipment. A fter this demand for prod
slowly until the late 1930’s. Capacity then in
ucts has been satisfied to some degree, activity will
creased tremendously during W orld W ar I I when
tend to level off somewhat. However, employ
demand expanded rapidly. During the war, the
ment o f electrical engineers should continue at a
production o f electric current increased at a much
high level, as most o f them are found in activities
faster rate than did capacity, forcing the industry
not directly involved in production but rather in
to improve existing operating procedures and de
those dealing with research, design, or develop
vise new ones. A fter a sharp drop in consumption
ment, although the trend has been toward the use
o f energy with the end o f the war, output then in
o f more engineers in production.
creased above the wartime peak to a new high o f
As would be expected, the m ajor use o f engineers
over 282 billion kilowatt-hours in 1948.
in electrical machinery and equipment manufactur-1
8
Conservative estimates o f future power require
ments
point to a substantial increase in the total
18 U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Employment Outlook in Electric Light and Poioer Occupations,
electrical energy that must be produced. Several
Bulletin No. 944, Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25,
studies made by different industry groups support
D. C., 1949. Price 30 cents.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
this conclusion. Nearly all major users o f electri
cal power w ill increase their power demands—in
cluding industrial and commercial as well as farm
and home users. I f present trends continue it is
likely that within 10 years utility generation o f
current w ill reach between 360 and 400 billion kilo
watt-hours. Generating capacity consequently
will have to be increased in order to meet this de
mand.14
T
3 . — Percentage distribution o f electrical engineers,
by occupational status in selected industry fields , 1 9 46
able
Occupational status
Ma
chinery Com
All
indus (manu muni
tries 1 factur cations
ing)
Utili
ties
Total....... ....... .................. .....................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Administration and management_____
Administration-management, non
technical.
Administration-management, tech
nical.
Construction supervision - __.......... .
Personnel-labor problems_________
31.9
2.0
26.1
2.3
36.3
2.2
43.9
2.6
26.4
22.7
32.0
34.6
3.4
.1
1.1
1.9
.2
6.4
.3
Consulting_____________ ___________
Consulting, independent__________
Consulting, as employee of private
firm______________________ ____
5.7
1.4
6.2
.9
3.8
1.2
5.8
.9
4.3
5.3
2.6
4.9
Design, development, and research_____
Design_________________________
Development_____ ____-...............
Analysis and testing______________
Patents __
_ ____________ _
Research in basic science...................
Research, applied..............................
Drafting..... ..................... ................
38.3
16.4
11.0
2.7
.5
.6
6.2
42.4
21.3
13.3
2.8
.3
.3
4.0
.4
41.3
10.2
18.7
2.3
.6
.8
8.4
.3
24.7
16.4
2.3
3.7
Operations...............................................
Estimating- ......................................
Inspection..........................................
Installation..... ..................................
M aintenance.... .......................... —_Operation......... ................................
Production. ____________________
12.2
1.5
1.2
1.4
3.3
3.7
6.2
13.2
1.6
1.2
1.7
3.3
4.7
.7
20.1
2.9
1.2
.8
4.6
10.2
.9
.9
.1
1.1
1.1
.2
1.0
1.2
1.0
.2
1.8
.1
Sales.....................................................
6.3
16.8
1.5
3.0
Other.....................................I .................
Editing and writing__________ ____
5.6
.8
(2)
(*)
.3
2.7
.3
1.5
2.3
.5
.1
3.9
1.4
2.5
.2
Safety engineering
Library and information service
Retired _ _
________ _______
Student___________________ ____ _
Teaching, college and university
Teaching, other
Occupational status not specified___
.9
.4
.1
1.2
.1
.5
.5
.4
1.0
.4
.1
2.2
i See appendix table D-9 for list of industries.
* Less than 0.05 percent.
Employment o f electrical engineers in utility
systems is expected to expand somewhat, but much
less than production and capacity. Many o f the
additional engineers w ill be needed in the plan
ning and construction o f the new facilities and in
the expansion o f certain engineering activities,
14 U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Employment Outlook in Electric Light and Power Occupations,
Bulletin No. 944, Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25,
D. C., 1948. Price 30 cents.
25
such as sales development. Most systems w ill,
however, be able to construct and operate their
additional capacity without a proportionate in
crease in their electrical engineering staffs. The
average age o f electrical engineers in utilities is
high however, and many openings w ill arise both
in engineering and administrative positions in the
next decade to replace older men who w ill die or
retire.
Electrical engineers in utilities (both privately
and publicly owned) are engaged primarily in ad
ministrative, management, and similar positions,
such as chief system development engineer or en
gineer in charge o f industrial sales department.
(See table 3.) A lesser number are in such jobs
as general operating superintendent or test en
gineer. Nearly one quarter are found in research,
design, development, and allied positions. Here,
for example, electrical engineers work in an en
gineering department, designing new substations
and new distribution lines or improving techniques
o f power distribution. Other electrical engineers
in utilities are engaged in the service department
as customer consultants or in other positions.
Communication Industries
The communication industries today consist o f
three major subdivisions—telephone, telegraph*
and radio. The telegraph industry was the first
to develop, reaching its peak rate o f expansion o f
facilities before 1900. It has continued to grow
and many improvements have been added, includ
ing the multiplex system, which permits the send
ing o f many messages at the same tim e; the tele
printer; automatic relaying; and finally automatic
telegraphy. The telegraph industry is still very
important, as it carries a large share o f today’s
communication traffic. Comparatively few elec
trical engineers are employed in this industry—
and those mainly on research and development
projects and to some extent in maintenance.
The telephone industry developed rapidly be
tween 1890 and 1900 and has grown greatly since
that time. This growth is characterized by many
technological improvements, largely developed by
the electrical engineering profession. Again in
this industry we find that engineers are not used
to a great extent in the operation o f the system
itself. Generally, their major functions are re
search and development and, to a lesser extent, the
26
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOB ENGINEERS
solving o f problems concerning expansion o f
facilities.
The industry w ill undoubtedly expand in the
future, both in growth and improvement o f present
facilities and in the extension o f new lines to new
users, including commercial, industrial, farm, and
home. The number o f telephones operated under
the Bell System, for example, increased from about
230,000 in 1890 to well over 16 m illion in 1940 and to
about 32 m illion in the spring o f 1949. It seems
likely this increase w ill continue, although at a
slower rate. The introduction o f improved fa
cilities, such as the coaxial cable and others, w ill
contribute greatly to the growth o f the industry.
Research and development work w ill grow to some
extent, though employment o f engineers is not
expanding as much as in several other industries.
Wireless telegraphy, the forerunner o f modem
radio, was introduced around 1900. Although ex
periments were made several years earlier, Mar
coni first demonstrated practical radio communica
tion in 1896 and then further developed it over the
next several years. About this same time, a num
ber o f scientists in the United States also began to
experiment with and develop radio. In 1920,
broadcast transmission service was introduced, and
shortly afterward this part o f the radio industry
began to expand very rapidly. The number o f
electrical engineers in radio broadcasting more
than tripled between 1930 and 1940 and more than
doubled from 1940 to 1948. Innovations such as
television and frequency modulation were intro
duced. Engineers were responsible for much o f
the improvement in radio communication and the
industry looks to them fo r further progress.
Radio broadcasting is now in the midst o f a sub
stantial expansion. Many new stations are being
added—both AM , FM , and television. W hile a
large part o f the development o f new equipment
is being done by engineers employed in communi
cations laboratories and in the electrical machinery
and equipment manufacturing industry, a number
o f engineers are now engaged in the broadcasting
end o f the field and some expansion may be ex
pected, particularly in television. In 1948 alone,
the number o f television sets in use multiplied sev
eral times. Many new stations are authorized and
equipment is im proving rapidly.
A notably high proportion—perhaps 40 per
cent— of the electrical engineers employed in the
communications industry group are engaged in re
search, design, development, analysis and testing,
and similar functions. ( See table 3.) In the tele
phone industry, for example, these positions cover
a wide range, from that o f an engineer who is de
veloping a new piece o f equipment to that o f an
engineer making a critical study o f a telephone
plant to obtain cost data. About a third o f the
electrical engineers in these industries are in ad
ministrative or management positions, such as
manager or official o f a telephone company. Other
electrical engineers are employed in work dealing
with the regular operations o f a company, such as
inspection or maintenance.
Considering all three parts o f the communica
tions industry, employment o f electrical engineers
is expected to increase. Though the long-run
trend o f employment has been upward in the tele
phone and telegraph industries, the rate o f increase
has been slowing down, particularly in the tele
graph industry. The number o f telephones in
use is expected to increase considerably in the fu
ture, because o f trends toward greater per capita
use o f the service plus the general increase in pop
ulation. However, this expansion w ill probably
not be accompanied by a proportionate increase in
employment o f engineers. An increase in the use
o f engineers is also expected because o f the further
development o f television; that field is small, how
ever, compared to other form s o f communication.
Other Industries
The employment o f electrical engineers is also
expanding to some extent in other industries using
electrical and electronic equipment. (See appen
dix table D -9 .) Greater use is being made o f engi
neers in these industries and employers w ill prob
ably need men, particularly in research and devel
opment work. In addition, because o f greater em
phasis placed on research activities by the Federal
Government, additional electrical engineers w ill be
needed in Government agencies. As o f July 1947,
over 7,000 electrical engineers were employed by
the Federal Government. Electrical engineers
have been doing much in the various experimental
fields such as atomic energy, radar, guided missiles,
and others. W ork along these lines is expected to
continue at an accelerated rate. W hile many of
the engineers engaged in this research are em
ployed by industrial firms which have contracts
CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
with Government agencies, the number o f research
engineers employed in Government is also increas
ing over the long run.
Summary: Outlook for Electrical Engineers
It seems evident that the total demand for elec
trical engineers w ill continue to grow. However,
the phenomenal increase during the decade o f the
twenties o f the major industries in which they are
used—associated with the simultaneous develop
ment o f radio broadcasting, doubling o f electric
power generating capacity, and the rapid growth
in the manufacture o f industrial electrical equip
ment and electrical household equipment—may not
be repeated in future decades. But a review o f
the prospects in each major industry suggests a
continued expansion in the use o f electrical en
gineers, particularly in electrical machinery and
equipment manufacturing and in television.
From the more than 55,000 employed in 1940 the
27
profession expanded to between 70,000 and 75,000
in early 1948 (see appendix table D -2 ); the num
ber employed could well increase to around 95,000
by 1960—an average growth o f over 1,800 jobs an
nually. Employment may continue to rise there
after, but the rate o f growth w ill probably tend
to level off.
Geographical Location
Employment o f electrical engineers is heavily
concentrated in the industrial centers where elec
trical equipment manufacturing is carried on—
over 65 percent are found in the States o f New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois,
Massachusetts, and California. There are also
jobs with electric light and power companies, tele
phone companies, and some radio stations in every
State and in cities throughout the country. A de
tailed tabulation o f the geographical distribution
is shown in appendix table D-10.
C H E M IC A L EN G IN EER S
W hile it is one o f the oldest sciences, chemistry
has made its greatest gains since it was developed
as a systematic science in the nineteenth century.
The industrial uses o f chemical knowledge have
also developed most rapidly in the last few decades.
A leading place in this development has been
taken by chemists, and only in relatively recent
years has the separate profession o f chemical en
gineer emerged to specialize in the industrial ap
plication o f chemical knowledge. Chemical en
gineering is perhaps the youngest o f the m ajor
fields o f engineering. The first college curricula
in this branch were set up in the nineties.
Chemical engineers are concerned with the ap
plication o f chemistry and other basic sciences, and
o f engineering principles to the design, construc
tion, operation, control, and improvement o f equip
ment for the utilization o f chemical processes on
an industrial scale. These processes are usually
separated into individual operations or processes
known as “unit operations.5’ The work o f the
chemical engineer involves the application o f a
series o f these “ unit operations” to the manufacture
o f a product. Ceramic and petroleum engineers
are discussed in this section, although those con
cerned with the extraction o f minerals or petro852396°— 50----- 3
leum are considered to be in the field o f mining
engineering.
The typical pattern o f the working relationship
between the two professions has been that the
chemist first makes a discovery or works out a
process in the laboratory, and the chemical engi
neer plans and directs the carrying on o f this
process on a commercial scale; but the exceptions
to this rule are numerous. Today the dividing
line between the chemist and chemical engineer
is still somewhat hard to determine, and many
men trained in either o f these fields find employ
ment in the other.
Another important characteristic o f chemical
engineering is the high technical requirements in
the field, illustrated by the relatively large pro
portion o f persons with advanced degrees. (See
table 6.)
The chemical engineer may specialize indus
trially (as for example in petroleum, plastics, rub
ber, food, or industrial chem icals), by type o f op
eration (as fo r example in absorption and
adsorption, heat transfer, disintegration, or dis
tillation), and functionally (as fo r example in
management, research, design, or operation).
Four out o f every five chemical engineers are
28
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
employed in manufacturing industries. Over a
third are found in the chemical and chemical
process industries, while about a fifth work in the
petroleum and coal products industries. The
trends and outlook in these industries tell much o f
the story o f the growth o f the profession. Chemi
cal engineers are also found in many other indus
tries, as may be seen in the follow ing tabulation o f
the distribution in 1946.
Industry field
Percentage
distribution
Total________________________________________ 100.0
1- 4
M ining---------------------------------------------------------Construction-------------------------------------------------2. 0
Manufacturing----------------------------------------------- 82. 6
Food and textiles------------------------------------5.2
Lumber, furniture, and paper-------------------4.0
Printing and publishing---------------------------1.3
Chemicals and allied products------------------ 34.8
Petroleum and coal products-------------------- 20.7
Rubber, and stone, clay, and glass-------------6.3
Iron, steel, and nonferrous metals and
3 .4
their products. _________________________
Machinery (including electrical machin
e ry )----------------------------------------------------2.6
Transportation equipment-----------------------1.0
Other manufacturing industries--------------3.3
Utilities_____________________________________
1.0
Government__________________________________
5.7
Other industries______________________________
7.3
Chemical Industries
The chemical industry, it has been said, dates
chemically from Le Blanc’s discovery o f his sodaash process in 1791 and industrially from W orld
W ar I. Through the nineteenth century many
discoveries were made, but until the period between
1885 and 1900 the industry as a whole did not begin
to crystallize and develop. The industry received
its first major impetus as a result o f W orld W ar I,
when the demand for explosives and allied prod
ucts created a great need for new plants and proc
esses. The synthetic dye industry also was ex
panded as a result o f the stoppage o f imports from
Europe. Great new industries grew up in the pe
riod after the war and others expanded rapidly.
The chemical industry in general declined some
what less than the durable goods industries during
the depression years and recovered more rapidly
than most others in the economy. W ith the advent
o f W orld W ar II , the industry and the profession
were expanding. The war itself added impetus to
this trend— on a much greater scale than the First
W orld W ar. Several new products and processes
came into use, such as synthetic rubber, new drugs
(sulfas, penicillin), new types o f plastics, and
many others. Research and development expendi
tures in the chemical industry today are at an alltime high and w ill probably continue to increase.
Today almost 45 percent o f all chemical engi
neers in the chemical industry are working in de
sign, development, research, and similar functions.
(See table 4.) Only about 18 percent are in such
jobs as production or operations supervisor or engi
neer in charge o f installation. Fewer than onethird o f the chemical engineers are found in ad
ministrative or management positions. Other
chemical engineers work as consultants or in sales.
T
4 . — Percentage distribution o f chemical engineers,
by occupational status in selected industry fields , 19 46
able
Occupational status
Chemi
Petro
cals and
leum
All indus allied
and coal
tries i products products
(manufac (manufac
turing)
turing)
Total________________________________
100.0
100.0
100.0
Administration and management._.
Administration-management, nontech
nical........................................ ..........
Administration-management, technical.
Construction supervision.....................
Personnel-labor problems......................
30.0
29.8
29.0
2.0
27.1
.8
.1
2.4
26.9
.4
.1
1.6
27.0
.4
Consulting___________________________
Consulting, independent.......................
Consulting as employee of private firm..
3.3
1.1
2.2
2.8
1.2
1.6
2.3
.7
1.6
Manufacturing and production .... ____
Estimating............................ ...............
Inspection..............................................
Installation_______ ________________
Maintenance........................................
Operation...........................................
Production.................................. .........
Safety engineering.................................
14.6
.4
.6
.2
.7
4.2
8.2
.4
17.9
.5
.1
.5
.6
3.9
11.9
.4
15.9
.2
1.3
Design, development, and research...........
Design....... ..........................................
Development...... ..............................
Analysis and testing..............................
Drafting........ ....................................
Patents..................................................
Research in basic science....... ...............
Research applied...................................
44.4
7.7
17.4
3.7
.4
.5
.9
13.8
44.6
7.6
20.7
1.6
.5
.6
.8
12.8
49.6
14.2
15.1
4.6
Sales___ ___ ________________________
3.0
3.4
1.1
Other...........................................................
Editing and writing............. ................
Library and information service............
Retired......................................... .........
Student__________ ______ _________
Teaching, college or university_______
Occupational status not specified..........
4.7
.3
.1
.1
.9
2.5
.8
1.5
.1
.2
.1
.6
2.1
.2
.2
.5
1.5
.5
8.2
5.3
.4
.9
.2
14.6
.2
1 See appendix table D--9 for list of industries.
Manufacture of Products of Petroleum and Coal
Although coal was first discovered and mined
early in the history o f the United States it was not
until after the middle o f the nineteenth century
CERAMIC ENGINEERS
that the manufacture o f byproducts from coal was
commercially feasible. In 1882, coal-tar distilla
tion was started in this country on a commercial
basis by H. W . Jayne in Philadelphia. Today
hundreds o f byproducts are derived from the sev
eral types o f coa l; they include the gases (fuel and
illum inating), ammonia products, light oils (ben
zene, varnish, naphtha), tar acids (phenols,
cresols), heavy tar oils, pitch, refined tar, and
coke products.
The production o f petroleum in the United
States from wells specificially drilled for that pur
pose began in 1859 with a well at Titusville, Pa.,
and spread rapidly as oil was discovered in many
other States. The first petroleum refinery was
also constructed at Titusville in 1861. The pri
mary products o f petroleum refineries at first
were kerosene and lubricating oil. Even in the
early days, however, refiners developed byproducts
such as vaseline and special lubricants.
The development o f the automobile and other
machinery using internal combustion engines
brought about great change in the petroleum in
dustry. Gasoline, form erly a waste product, now
became the primary product o f the whole industry
as the demand for it increased enormously. The
refiners were faced with many problems, as many
o f the oil pools then being exploited did not yield
a very large percentage o f the new fuel. A fter
much research and years o f intense development
work, the catalytic cracking process (the conver
sion o f heavier oils into lighter ones by distillation
under heat and pressure with the help o f a cata
lyst) was developed. Other means o f refining
petroleum have also been developed in recent years
such as hydrogenation and polymerization which
have added immensely to the efficiency o f the in
dustry.
The products o f the petroleum industry invade
almost every niche o f our economy. In addition
to the first two major uses o f petroleum (as a source
o f fuels and lubricants) it began to be used as a
source o f new chemical byproducts. Among those
available today are: Carbon black, used in tires
and in k ; petroleum ethers; solvents such as special
alcohols, and paint thinners; heavy distillates and
paraffin; medicinal oils and ointments; waxes, and
heavy oils for asphalt shingles, roofing, and pave
ments. The industry has received great impetus
from both W orld W ars, especially W orld W ar II .
29
Its growth has been, on the whole, steadily up
ward, because o f the diffusion in the use o f by
products and the increase in demand for regular
petroleum products. Today, the demand is even
higher than during the war.
Eesearch and development for new or improved
products and processes is at a very high level today.
Petroleum refining demands a great deal in the
way o f engineering service because for either new
or enlarged facilities specific units have to be de
signed and constructed and each one presents a
special engineering problem. Faced with the pos
sibility o f a dwindling supply o f petroleum
compared with the growing demands o f the econ
omy for fuel and other products, chemical engi
neers are concerned with such problems as making
liquid fuels out o f natural gas or coal on a commer
cial basis. The employment o f chemical engineers
by this industry should continue to increase.
Nearly half o f the chemical engineers in the
petroleum and coal products industry are engaged
in design, development, and research functions.
( See table 4.) About 45 percent are in administra
tive or management positions and in manufactur
ing or production j obs. Smaller numbers of chem
ical engineers may be found in consulting or sales.
Ceramic Engineers
Another field o f engineering—ceramic—is very
closely allied to chemical engineering.15 Ceramic
engineers (sometimes called “ ceramic technolo
gists” ) are concerned with the mining and process
ing o f clay, silicates, and other nonmetallic min
erals and the manufacture o f products from these
raw materials; also with the construction and de
sign o f plant equipment and structures. They
may also work in research or sales. Specialization
is usually by type o f product—for example, struc
tural* materials (such as brick, tile, and terra
cotta), pottery, glass, enameled metals, abrasives,
refractories (fire and heat-resistant materials, such
as fire brick), limes and plasters, cements, and
many others. More ceramic engineers are em
ployed in the stone, clay, and glass industries than
in any other group o f industries. Some find em
ployment in automobile and machinery plants and
other industries which use ceramic products.
15 U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Economic Status of Ceramic Engineers, 19S9 to 1947, July 1948.
Available free in mimeographed form from issuing Office, Wash
ington 25, D. C.
30
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
It is estimated that over 3,000 ceramic engineers
are employed. Many technological improvements
are expected in the ceramic industries in the next
few years; additional engineers w ill be needed
to bring about these improvements. Other
factors which w ill tend to increase the number
employed are the new uses to which nonmetallic
minerals are being put and the trend toward ex
pansion in industries using these materials. An
expanding use o f glass, enameled metals, abrasives,
and other ceramic products w ill require research
and development in connection with the adapta
tion o f products to various uses and thus w ill con
tribute to the increasing demand for engineers.
Future Developments
As we have seen, the chemical engineering pro
fession is very young compared to other branches
o f engineering—half o f these engineers had less
than 8.8 years o f experience in 1946— (see appen
dix table D -13) and is furthermore concentrated
in several dynamic and rapidly growing industries.
Since the industries in which most chemical en
gineers are found, namely chemicals, petroleum
and coal products, and industries closely allied to
these, are probably now only at the beginning o f
great future development, the profession should
continue to grow over the long run. Several de
velopments w ill probably add greatly to the prog
ress and growth o f chemical engineering. The en
tirely new field o f atomic fission may open large
vistas o f research and development. The syn
thetic fuel research program could eventually
create a whole new industry. Not only w ill the
chemical industry itself continue to expand but
chemical engineering methods w ill further pene
trate other industries. Nearly every phase o f the
chemical field—foods, drugs, plastics, paints, oils
and soaps, synthetic fibers, and others—w ill prob
ably be characterized in the future years by dis
coveries and developments entirely unforeseen at
present.
Chemical engineers numbered between 35,000
and 40,000 in early 1948, double the number in 1940.
(See appendix table D -l.) T o some extent, the
rate o f growth may be slowing down, although not
as much as in other fields o f engineering. A very
substantial gain in employment o f chemical engi
neers is expected within the next decade or so ; per
haps it w ill reach 55,000 by 1960—an average
growth o f about 1,500 jobs annually. (There may
o f course be short-run fluctuations in the employ
ment situation for chemical engineers. In the
spring o f 1949 there were reports that some large
firms were laying off experienced chemical engi
neers.)
Geographical Location
Chemical engineers to some extent are employed
in all States, both in or around large industrial
cities. Over three-quarters o f all chemical engi
neers in 1946 were employed in the follow ing 11
States: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Illinois, Texas, California, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Delaware, and Indiana. Over 40 per
cent at that time were found in the first 4 States.
Concentration o f chemical engineers by industry
varies somewhat. In the largest industry, chemi
cals and allied products manufacturing, over half
o f all chemical engineers are employed in 5 States:
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
and Ohio. In petroleum refining, fo r example,
over three-fifths are located in 4 States: Texas,
New Jersey, California, and Pennsylvania, while
in other products o f petroleum and coal about half
are found in 3 States: Texas, New Jersey, and
Oklahoma. A detailed geographical distribution
o f chemical engineers is presented in appendix
table D -10.
M IN IN G A N D M ETALLU RG ICAL EN G IN E E R S
M ining and metallurgical engineering are sepa
rate but traditionally related fields. Their re
lationship arises out o f the fact that both types o f
engineers are engaged in work connected with the
mining, refining, and industrial use o f metals. A l
together there were about 9,800 mining and metal
lurgical engineers in the United States in 1940.
The mining engineers are believed to have outnum
bered the metallurgical engineers. Although
these two fields are combined as far as most sta
tistics are concerned, a clearer picture can be
given if they are examined separately.
M INING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS
Mining Engineers
Mining engineers are responsible for locating
and extracting coal, petroleum, metallic ores, and
nonmetallic materials; planning the construction
o f mine shafts, slopes, and tunnels; devising the
means o f extracting the minerals, the methods to be
used in transporting them to the surface, and in
separating them from worthless or relatively un
important earth, rock, or other minerals. In
many cases, they deal with the processing (usually
smelting) o f the ore to extract the metal. They
usually are concerned with the design, construc
tion, and installation o f water supply, ventilation
equipment, and electric light and power facilities
at the mine, and are responsible for mine safety.
Petroleum and ceramic engineers who are con
cerned with the extraction o f minerals or petro
leum are considered to be in this branch.
M ining is one o f the w orld’s oldest industries,
but until relatively recently most mining was ac
complished by hand methods, using small tools fo r
digging. The industrial revolution, with its de
mands fo r metals and coal, provided great im
petus fo r the development and progress o f this
industry.
A t one time, the functions o f mining engineers
were discharged by mechanics and mine super
visors who did not have form al training. As the
industry expanded, the need fo r a specialized store
o f knowledge to cope with technical problems was
recognized. Courses in mining technology were
offered in the few engineering schools then in ex
istence; gradually an entire curriculum was estab
lished for the education and training o f mining
engineers. The American Institute o f M ining
and Metallurgical Engineers was formed in 1871.
Today, the greatest number o f mining engineers
are employed in metal mining—most o f these in
the nonferrous metal mining industry. A sizable
number are found in coal mining and crude petro
leum and natural gas production. Others are em
ployed in quarrying and nonmetallic mining.
The exhaustion o f easily mined deposits and the
growing industrial needs fo r metals place mining
engineers at the forefront o f a constant battlerdevising ways o f mining poorer deposits, or those
which are more difficult to work, at a competitive
cost. They have advanced the technology o f lo
cating and extracting ore, removing worthless
31
earth or rock, and o f the refining processes.
Frequently, new alloys are developed and new
uses o f metals discovered which create a greatly
increased demand for a little-known ore. E x
perience during the recent war stressed the fact
that this country does not have readily accessible
deposits o f some o f the most important metal ores.
Thus, the constant search for and development o f
new mineral deposits and improved ways o f ex
ploiting known deposits w ill continue.
The progress recently made in atomic fission has
led to a growing activity in the search for the ores
used in this type o f work, such as uranium. Even
though it is the geologist who is prim arily con
cerned with the location o f such ores, the mining
engineer is needed fo r the development o f these
deposits.
Another group o f mining engineers is concerned
prim arily with the production o f crude petroleum
and natural gas. This branch has developed more
recently than either metal or coal mining. Today
several thousand engineers are employed in this
field. The petroleum industry, as we have seen
from the section on chemical engineers, has been a
rapidly expanding industry and one which w ill
probably continue to grow fo r some time. A l
though the United States is the leading producer
o f petroleum, the undeveloped reserves are not un
limited. So far, as in most mining industries, we
have been working only the richer and more acces
sible fields. Petroleum engineers and geologists
are today constantly searching for new fields, both
in the United States and in other countries. Tak
ing these factors into account, it seems reasonable
to expect continued growth in the relatively small
field o f mining engineering.
Geographical location.—Mining engineers are in
most cases employed at the location o f mineral
deposits. Because o f this, unlike other types o f
engineers whose jobs are located at centers o f in
dustry and population, mining engineers often
work in out-of-the-way places—in mountains or
deserts. The m ajority are employed in Pennsyl
vania, Texas, California, New York, Illinois, Ohio,
West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
Metallurgical Engineers
Metallurgical engineers direct the industrial
processing o f ores and the treatment and alloying
o f metals. They may also analyze ore, or design
32
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
processes which w ill eliminate worthless or rela
tively unimportant minerals before the ore goes
to the smelter. Metallurgy is usually divided into
two main branches— chemical or process metal
lurgy, and physical metallurgy or metallography.
Generally speaking the terms metallurgist and
metallurgical engineer are used interchangeably.
Some o f those working in metallurgy have ob
tained their basic training in chemical engineering.
Most metals used by early civilizations were
either natural or synthetic alloys. The worker
simply smelted a certain ore and recovered what
he called “ copper” ; actually it might have con
tained some tin, zinc, lead, iron, or various other
metals. Gradually some rule-of-thumb knowledge
was developed as to what type o f ore (usually des
ignated by color) would produce a metal for a
particular purpose. For many years, metalsmiths
and alchemists continued to experiment with vari
ous forms o f metals and tended to keep their
discoveries closely guarded secrets.
Advances were made over these empirical meth
ods when the science o f chemistry made great con
tributions through analysis o f ores and metals and
development o f chemical means o f treating ores,
and alloying metals. Finally, the science o f metal
lurgy began to emerge as a specialization in the
fields o f chemistry and physics. The development
o f microscopic analysis and X -ray examination at
last broke through the wall o f mystery surround
ing the study o f metals. That metals are com
posed o f crystals was shown by microscopic study;
X -ray analysis then explained how the crystals
themselves were constructed, enabling scientists to
study the effects o f heat or force on various metals.
Metallurgical engineering or metallurgy as a dis
tinct field o f study thus began to develop rapidly.
The demand for better, cheaper, and lighter metals
rose very fast. The development o f aluminum
and magnesium are illustrative o f this trend; one
o f the early landmarks was the invention o f the
aluminum reduction process by Charles Martin
H all in 1866, which in modified form is still used
today. Magnesium has also been developed over
a similar period.
Today metallurgical engineers are to be found
in many industries, but mostly in those dealing
with metals and metal products. About half are
employed in the making o f iron and steel and their
products, and about 15 percent in the manufacture
o f nonferrous metals and their products. Metal
lurgical engineers are also employed in the ma
chinery and transportation equipment industries,
and in the mining industry.
Functionally, metallurgical engineers are dis
tributed approximately as follow s: Over two-fifths
are engaged in administrative or management po
sitions ; about one-third are in research, design, or
development w ork; one out o f every seven is em
ployed in manufacturing, operation, or production
jobs; and others are engaged in sales, teaching,
consulting, or other positions. (See table 5.)
T
5 . — Percentage distribution o f mining and metallurgi
cal engineers , by occupational status in selected industry
fields , 1946
able
Occupational status
Total.
Administration-management...................
Administration-management, non
technical...................................... .
Administration-management, tech
nical.................... ...........................
Construction supervision...................
Consulting................................................
Consulting, independent.................
Consulting, as employee of private
firm.................................................
All in
dustries i Mining
Iron, steel,
and nonferrous
metals
and their
products
(manufac
turing)
100.0
100.0
100.0
42.4
48.1
42.9
2.8
5.2
1.4
38.8
.8
41.4
1.5
41.5
7.1
3.1
10.3
6.6
5.0
.8
4.0
3.7
4.2
Operation and production..............
Estimating...............................
Inspection.................................
Mamt nance.............................
Operation................................ .
Production................ ............. .
Safety engineering................... .
15.1
.5
1.3
.5
5.7
6.3
.8
20.8
.8
2.3
.8
7.7
7.5
1.7
15.1
.6
.8
.6
6.2
6.7
.2
Design, development, and research..
Design..................................... .
Development............................
Analysis and testing................ .
Drafting........... ........... .......... .
Research in basic science_____
Research, applied.................... .
28.0
.8
5.9
3.4
.1
2.0
15.8
15.8
1.2
3.9
2.3
.2
1.4
6.8
33.6
.2
6.7
3.2
2.3
1.5
1.8
5.1
.5
.1
.2
2.6
.1
1.6
3.5
.6
.2
.2
.6
1.6
.2
1.9
1.0
Other.........................................................
Editing and writing...........................
Library and information service.........
Student............................. ....... .........
Teaching, college or university...........
Teaching, other.................................
Any occupational status not specified.
1.4
22.1
.4
* See appendix D-9 for list of industries.
It is generally agreed in the field o f metallurgy
that we have only scratched the surface o f the
potential use of metals. There is demand in the
industry fo r metal products which are not only
stronger but lighter than those in use today. One
disadvantage o f the light metals such as aluminum
or magnesium is their lack o f strength and elas
TRENDS IN SUPPLY OF ENGINEERS
ticity. Metallurgists are attempting to overcome
this disadvantage by developing methods o f alloy
ing and treatment.
Research in “ fatigue” o f metals is also a rapidly
growing field. Another line o f development be
ing undertaken by metallurgical engineers is the
study o f those metals which have a pronounced
effect on the properties o f other metals even when
combined with them in very small quantities.
Among these metals are beryllium, tantalum,
tungsten, zirconium, and titanium. Some o f
them have been used for a number o f years for
specialized jobs.
Developments o f W orld W ar I I contributed
greatly to the advancement o f metallurgy. More
important are the prospects for future discoveries
made possible by these developments. Research
in the atomic energy field has opened the door to
33
a whole new field o f study o f metals and their uses.
Many metal problems are currently being inves
tigated, such as the development o f metals capable
o f withstanding extreme heat, for use in jet pro
pulsion engines.
The field o f metallurgy therefore w ill probably
expand in the future. However, this field is not
large and openings are likely to remain few com
pared to those in other major fields o f engineering.
Geographical location.—Metallurgical engineers
are located particularly near large metalwork
ing centers o f the country such as the Middle A t
lantic States, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsyl
vania, and the East North Central region partic
ularly in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
However, some metallurgical engineers are em
ployed in the extractive industries and therefore
are sometimes found near the mineral deposits.
Trends in Supply o f Engineers
Against the foregoing evaluation o f the pro
spective demand for engineers may be set an ap
praisal o f the supply o f trained men likely to be
available. This section briefly reviews engineer
ing education, first in terms o f its development and
methods, and then in terms o f trends in the num
bers o f persons being trained. The inflow o f men
without engineering degrees into the profession
is also pointed out. Offsetting these additions to
the supply o f engineers are certain drains upon
this supply: the death and retirement o f older
members o f the profession, and the transfer o f
engineers to other occupations.
TREN DS IN E N G IN E E R IN G E D U C A T IO N
Methods of Training
The engineers o f early years were for the most
part a self-taught group o f practical builders o f
machinery and instruments; surveyors; and con
structors o f bridges, roads, and canals. In gen
eral, men became engineers by taking some in
form al education and entering on-the-job training
with a person already in the field. Gradually, as
science progressed and knowledge o f engineering
became more complex, the need fo r formal prepara
tion became more and more evident.
In 1747 in France, Perronnet established what
is considered to be one o f the first form al engineer
ing schools. As an engineer he was directed to
undertake the repair o f the economic structure o f
France under Louis X Y . His first act was to es
tablish a school which at first consisted only o f
several specialized classes for engineers and work
men. During the next quarter century, a system
o f engineering schools was started in France, which
was to become the model o f professional engineer
ing education for many years.
In the United States, before the nineteenth cen
tury, engineers prepared for their profession by
entering a training period with an established engi
neer or by obtaining employment in a factory or
shop. When the United States M ilitary Academy
was opened in 1812, courses in science and engineer
ing were offered. The first civilian engineering
schools were founded shortly afterward. The
number o f engineering schools and schools o f ap
plied science were few until 1862, when the M orrill
A ct was passed, granting Federal aid to the States
for the founding o f colleges o f agriculture and
34
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
mechanic arts. The number o f engineering col
leges began to increase rapidly, from 17 in 1870
to 85 in 1880 and 110 in 1896. Engineering schools
were called upon to furnish technical graduates to
aid in the development o f the railroads, manufac
turing, and electric utilities.
Around the beginning o f the twentieth century,
the rate o f increase in the number o f engineering
schools slowed down owing in part to the emphasis
on agricultural and business education. W orld
W ar I again added impetus to engineering educa
tion. The engineer’s contribution to the war e f
fort served to direct attention to the profession.
Since that time, many schools have been founded,
until today over 170 schools confer engineering de
grees and in addition several hundred other
schools offer some courses in engineering. That
the high quality o f American engineering educa
tion has been recognized throughout the world is
evidenced by the numbers o f foreign students who
have come to this country for training, as well as
by the demand for American engineers in foreign
countries.
The rapid growth in engineering schools has
been accompanied by a change in educational
methods, particularly since 1870. Prior to this
time, emphasis was placed on practical knowledge
combined with occasional scientific demonstrations
o f new discoveries and techniques. Traditional
engineering education fostered a distrust o f theory
and placed an emphasis on utilitarian training.
Around 1870, leaders in the engineering profes
sion, both in education and in industry, began to
realize that preparation for the field was far be
hind accumulated knowledge. The rise in elec
trical engineering, follow ed by chemical engineer
ing, just before the end o f the nineteenth century
added emphasis to this point. Gradually, a new
type o f engineering training began to evolve.
Laboratories and the laboratory method o f inves
tigation became o f great importance. Over a long
period o f evolution, engineering colleges have been
left with more freedom to devote their energy to
the basic scientific foundations necessary for the
progress o f the field. The task o f practical train
ing and the teaching o f individual industry tech
niques has been assumed in many cases by the in
dustry employing the young graduate engineer.
Today, many industrial concerns have special
testing and training programs in operation for re
cent engineering graduates. For the most part
persons in the profession realize that a student has
not been completely prepared for a fully profes
sional engineering job merely by finishing an un
dergraduate course. Also, many companies prefer
to teach specific industry techniques in their own
manner. A recent report prepared by the Com
mittee on the Economic Status o f the Engineer
o f the Engineers Joint C ouncil16 indicates that
about a third o f the industrial concerns surveyed
have form al training programs for graduate en
gineers. A m ajority o f the reporting concerns
shift new engineers from one job to another to
provide broader training and many either have
specific technical education programs or encourage
additional outside training. Several large com
panies and some government agencies have special
academic postgraduate training programs operat
ing in conjunction with engineering colleges,
where the engineers employed by the firm or agency
can earn advanced degrees and at the same time
receive practical training with the company.
Many graduates find it necessary to obtain subpro
fessional engineering employment such as draft
ing or surveying to gain the practical experience
necessary for professional advancement or because
there are no vacancies among the usual starting
positions for new graduates. Moreover, in sev
eral large metropolitan centers, employed en
gineers may take postgraduate courses in late
afternoon or evening at neighboring engineering
colleges.
Although there is demand in industry fo r men
trained to several different levels o f competency
o f technical work, the emphasis on our educational
system has largely been on one level—the 4-year
undergraduate curriculum. Whereas many lead
ers in industry have said that they need several
technicians at the semiprofessional level to every
graduate engineer, the ratio o f the number trained
in each field is almost the complete opposite. As a
result, many semiprofessional jobs are filled by
men who drop out o f engineering colleges as well as
by men trained in technical institutes, junior col
leges, or other institutions specifically designed to
prepare students for such positions, and even by
some engineering graduates who have a low pro
fessional ceiling. A t the same time, a need has
16 National Society o f Professional Engineers, American Engi
neer, May 1947, p. 10, W ashington, D. C.
TRENDS IN SUPPLY OP ENGINEERS
been recognized for engineers able to perform at a
very high scientific level. University training be
yond the bachelor’s degree is the accepted method
o f preparation fo r the increasing number o f such
positions.
In the earlier periods, the content o f under
graduate curricula, as mentioned above, consisted
chiefly o f practical subjects and field exercises.
Next came the trend toward a more scientific type
o f training. More recently leaders in the profes
sion have been concerned with the lack o f non
technical and general knowledge on the part o f
large numbers o f engineers. Therefore, there is
a trend toward the reemphasis o f nonengineering
courses in college curricula.17 These courses are o f
two types: those which may help in the work o f an
engineer and aid him in understanding the prob
lems o f his company—such as business adminis
tration, industrial psychology, economics, statis
tics, labor relations, and accounting—and those,
such as English, political science, and the humani
ties which are designed to make him a wellrounded person and citizen.
One model undergraduate engineering course
suggested by educators consists o f four major di
visions : mathematics and science, nontechnical and
social-humanistic studies, basic engineering, and
professional specialization.
The introduction o f more nontechnical courses,
plus the retention o f the fu ll program o f technical
subjects, has resulted, in the opinion o f some engi
neering educators, in overcrowding o f the under
graduate’s schedule, with the result that the stu
dent is striving to cover 5 or 6 years work in 4. A
number o f prominent engineering schools have
already adopted 5-year courses and still others are
contemplating the same step at the present time.
O wing to the stress placed on a diversified rather
than a specialized curriculum, some educators have
suggested that the extra fifth or sixth year be
devoted to specialization and that the main under
graduate period be spent in gaining an all-inclusive
engineering education.
Along with these specific trends affecting engi
neering education is one which affects the entire
method o f training—the recent emphasis on prob
lems o f selection. Under the laws setting up land17 Engineering Education A fter the War , Journal o f Engi
neering Education, M ay 1 9 4 4 ; Aims and Scope of Engineering
Curricula, Journal o f Engineering Education, M arch 1940.
35
grant colleges, fo r example, any person is free to
enter engineering training as long as he has the
prescribed minimum qualifications—usually indi
cated by the fact that he has been graduated from
an accredited high school in the State. Therefore,
over a long period o f time engineering schools, like
other institutions o f higher education, have ex
perienced a very high drop-out rate. Some edu
cators have estimated that only about 4 out o f
every 10 persons entering engineering schools actu
ally receive a degree; many need more than 4 years
to graduate. W hile some may have dropped out
because they were financially unable to continue,
a great many did so because their aptitudes, abili
ties, or interests were better adapted to some other
field. In addition, a number o f engineering grad
uates, even in periods o f high business activity, fail
to obtain engineering jobs. The practice o f in
dustry—particularly firms having large engineer
ing staffs—has long been to “ skim the cream” from
the top o f each graduating class; how fa r down
into the “milk” they have dipped has depended
on economic conditions and the relation o f the size
o f each graduating class to industry’s current
needs for engineers.
As a result o f these factors, a large proportion
o f those who began engineering training never
entered the profession. Because o f this experi
ence, leaders in the profession have given much
thought to developing means fo r the proper selec
tion o f engineering freshmen, including aptitude
testing and personality evaluation techniques.
Engineering education is not static—it is con
stantly changing and improving. Progressive
schools are leading the way, with new and more
efficient means o f teaching and research. The
American Society fo r Engineering Education,
(originally the Society fo r the Prom otion o f Engi
neering Education) has been very active in promot
ing better education and preparation for the pro
fession. Standards o f entrance qualifications
have been raised, and a better integration o f edu
cation and training with practical knowledge de
manded by employers has come about.
Gradually the educational level o f the entire pro
fession has been rising. A m ajor proportion now
have a college education, and many have advanced
degrees as well. In 1946, fo r example, over 80 per
cent o f all engineers reporting to the Bureau’s
survey o f the profession were engineering college
36
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
graduates, compared to about 75 percent reporting
to a similar survey 12 years earlier. In 1934, only
6 percent had a master’s or doctor’s degree com
pared to nearly 15 percent in 1946. In addition,
the educational level o f engineers varies by field
o f engineering as may be seen in table 6. The
trend toward postgraduate training w ill probably
be accelerated in the next few years when (as sug
gested in a later section o f this report) many engi
neering graduates w ill be unable to get engineering
jobs.
The educational level o f engineers also differs
by occupational status. For some positions, such
as research or teaching, the proportion o f engineers
with advanced degrees (master’s or doctor’s) is
much higher than in other positions. On the other
hand, in administrative, management, or super
visory jobs the level o f education does not appear
to be a requisite for success. In these positions,
T a b l e 6.— Percentage distribution o f engineers by educar
tional level fo r
1946
Field of engineering
employment
fJhfiminal
Civil ........................
Electrical......................
Mechanical__________
Mining and metallurgi
cal_________ ______
Other............................
each field
o f engineering
em ploym ent ,
Incom No col
Total Doctor Master Bache
plete
lor
college lege
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
5.7
1.2
2.1
1.8
18.5
9.8
11.8
10.9
69.1
65.8
68.7
67.9
5.8
19.4
13.9
15.9
0.9
3.8
3.5
3.5
100.0
100.0
5.2
2.3
17.9
11.2
62.4
60.7
12.2
21.0
2.3
4.8
other factors such as leadership or organizing
ability probably have more importance. A large
number o f engineers who presently occupy such
positions entered many years ago when form al en
gineering training was not considered as essential
as it is today. It is expected that in the future a
greater proportion o f these jobs w ill be filled by
men who possess at least a bachelor’s degree in en
gineering. Many junior executives and graduate
Chart 8.— Number of Engineering Graduates, 1920-52
Annual Number Of Baccalaureate And First Professional Degrees Granted
Thousands of Graduates
1920
Thousands of Graduates
1925
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
SOURC£: SEE APPENDIX TABLE D-3
37
TRENDS IN SUPPLY OF ENGINEERS
engineers in industry are taking postgraduate
training in industrial engineering.
Despite the growth o f engineering colleges and
their acceptance as the standard method o f train
ing engineers, some men have been able to enter
the profession without having completed their
form al training, and some even without any en
gineering college training at all. Some o f the
latter have had technical institute training, or
college training in related sciences, such as chem
istry, physics, or mathematics. Others have had
no education beyond secondary school, and have
picked up their engineering knowledge by selfstudy and on the job. Some o f the leading en
gineers entered in this way in past years. Never
theless, the proportion entering the profession
without completing engineering college training
has been growing smaller. The difficulty o f en
tering in this way has also become greater.
It is important fo r prospective engineering stu
dents to select a properly accredited school o f en
gineering since persons trained at such schools
generally have the best employment opportunities.
Lists o f accredited curricula are presented in the
annual reports o f the Engineers’ Council for P ro
fessional Development dated September o f each
year. Reprints o f the accredited lists as well as
the complete reports are available from that or
ganization which is located at 25-33 West 39th
Street, New York 18, N. Y.
T a ble
7.—
Numbers in Training
The growth o f the engineering profession has
been made possible by a steady expansion in the
numbers o f students trained by the engineering
schools. In addition to supplying the engineers
needed in American industry the engineering
schools o f the United States have to a small ex
tent provided engineers for many foreign coun
tries. The number graduated increased from
about 5,000 a year in 1920 to about 44,000 in the
academic year ending June 1949. However,
graduations did not rise continuously each year
during this period, as may be seen in chart 8.
Because o f the number o f years required to train
an engineer, the supply o f graduates is not readily
adjusted to the current demand. For example,
owing to the high enrollments toward the end o f
the 1920-29 decade, annual graduations reached
new peaks during the early depression years, when
many experienced engineers were unemployed.
Graduations dropped slightly for 2 or 3 years
thereafter, and then resumed the upward trend,
reaching a new high o f over 15,000 with the advent
o f W orld W ar II. The trend in enrollments in
engineering schools has in general moved along
the same lines as graduations. (See tables 7
and 8.)
W orld W ar I I created an enormous demand for
engineers both in war production industries and in
the military forces. Leaders in the war effort, edu-
Undergraduate enrollment in engineering schools 1 in the United States , by field o f engineering, 1981—4 9
Academic year ending June
1931.................................................
1932.................................................
1933.................................................
1934.................................................
1935.................................................
1936.................................................
1937.................................................
1938.................................................
1939.................................................
1940.................................... ............
1941.................................................
1942...............................................
1943.................................................
1944................................................
1945.................................................
1946.................................................
1947.............. ..................................
1948.................................... ............
1949................................................
Civil*
13,813
00
13,531
00
00
9,683
9,459
11,194
12,374
12,956
13,135
12,724
13,598
5,468
4,336
8,422
34,505
37,763
40,676
Electrical Mechanical8 Chemical4
Mining and
metal
lurgical
10,673
00
9,293
00
00
9,919
10,727
13,108
12,924
15,923
16,907
19,466
19,130
8,752
5,648
8,216
24,289
29,250
26,771
2,771
00
2,237
0s)
00
2,452
2,374
3,307
3,536
4,525
4,570
3,985
3,990
1,244
696
1,282
4,584
5,836
5,541
18,565
00
14,525
(«)
00
11,117
10,678
13,424
13,135
15,680
15,505
14,426
14,671
7,599
5,934
11,094
36,129
52,292
49,907
15,053
00
14,995
00
00
16,157
16,073
22,249
23,926
30,228
34,774
35,833
37,368
15,143
9,570
18,007
55,094
70,285
66,650
Other8
12,53!
00
8,538
00
00
14,809
18,204
21,265
18,206
26,590
25,727
24,152
21,785
11,181
12,284
22,126
44,255
842,490
843,690
Total,
United
States and
Canada
773,386
(8)
763,119
00
00
764,137
767,515
784,547
84,101
105,902
110,618
110,586
7110,542
49,387
38,468
69,147
7198,856
237,916
234,190
Total,
Canada
only
Total,
United
States only
CO
00
(7)
(6)
y)
in
v)
(7)
1,417
3,013
1,707
2,495
(7)
4,032
3,577
6,083
(7)
7,736
8,073
1Includes only’those schools reporting in issues of the Journal of Engineering
5Includes general, other, and unclassified.
Education. Each field includes Canadian students except where indicated.
8Not available.
2Includes agricultural, architectural, and sanitary.
7Each field for this year includes United States students only.
2Includes aeronautical, industrial, and naval architectural and marine.
8Includes enrollments in extension centers.
8Includes ceramic and petroleum.
Source: Journal of Engineering Education, issues from April 1933 to February 1949.
73,386
00
63,119
00
00
64,137
67,515
84,547
82,683
102,889
108,911
108,091
110,542
45,355
34,892
63,064
198,856
230,180
226,117
38
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK. FOR ENGINEERS
cators, and engineers themselves endorsed emer
gency measures for increasing the supply o f engi
neering personnel. Plans were drawn for finan
cial aid for students, improved selection o f engi
neering freshmen to alleviate the drop-out rate,
and fo r the recruitment o f high school graduates
for training. The Engineering, Science and Man
agement W ar Training Program 18 offered re
fresher courses to help engineers, including those
who had left the profession, to prepare for work
in connection with war production.
In response to such appeals, engineering enroll
ment rose rapidly. In the academic year 1942-43,
the number o f freshmen reached a new high o f
over 45,000 and total enrollment was more than
110,000 in accredited schools only. Annual gradu
ations also continued their upward trend, reaching
a peak o f about 16,000 in the academic year
1941-42. Engineering enrollments dropped dur
ing the later war years. From 1942 to 1945, the
number o f graduates decreased, owing to the
change in Selective Service policy, which discon
tinued deferments for some college students; in
1945 a low o f around 8,500 was reached—a smaller
number o f graduates than in any year since 1937.
Nevertheless, engineering graduations for the first
5 years o f the present decade totaled more than in
any previous 5-year period—nearly 85,000 between
1940 and 1945 compared with the previous high o f
slightly over 70,000 between 1934 and 1939.
Thus engineering education as a whole fared
much better during the war than most nontechnical
fields. Enrollments in education, commerce, law,
agriculture, and architecture were affected quickly
by the withdrawal o f students because o f the draft.
Only such fields as medicine and dentistry were
able to maintain the prewar level o f graduations
over the entire war period.
In the first postwar year, engineering education
began to resume its prewar trend in growth. Data
from the Journal o f Engineering Education (the
official publication o f the American Society fo r En
gineering Education) show that, for those schools
reporting, enrollment was about twice as high in
the academic year 1946-47 as in any prewar year.
Former students who had been drafted during the
18 Federal Security Agency, U. S. Office o f E ducation, B ulletin
1946, No. 9, Engineering, Science, and Management War Training— Final Report, Superintendent o f Documents, W ashington 25,
D. C., 1946. P rice 35 cents.
war years, veterans who became interested in the
field, and high school graduates impressed by the
wartime drive for trained engineers flocked into
engineering schools. In the academic year ending
June 1948 engineering enrollments again increased.
Estimates o f the number o f undergraduate stu
dents in all engineering schools showed an all-time
high o f nearly 250,000 in colleges and universities
and around 75,000 in junior colleges, or about 14
percent o f total college enrollment.19*3
9 Enrollments
were only slightly lower in the academic year end
ing June 1949. Engineering graduations also in
creased from the low o f the later war years, num
bering about 11,500 in 1946, over 20,000 in 1947,
about 32,000 in the year ending June 1948, and
nearly 44,000 in 1949. Considering engineering
college enrollments in the academic year 1948-49,
and assuming that drop-out rates w ill be as high as
the prewar experience, future engineering gradua
tions may be estimated at 47,000 in 1950, 36,000 in
1951, and nearly 29,000 in 1952. (See appendix
table D -2 .) These estimates may be nominal if
drop-out rates should be lower than prewar— and
there is some scattered evidence to this effect—and
i f any substantial number o f junior college stu
dents enter engineering schools.
A study o f engineering enrollment by field shows
some shifting in interest among fields during the
war years; these shifts have in general follow ed
the developments occurring within the various
fields. ( See table 7.) Enrollments in mechanical,
chemical, and mining and metallurgical engineer
ing rose to peak levels during the first war years.
On the other hand, though they increased from
prewar levels, enrollments in both civil and elec
trical engineering failed to reach the high levels
o f the early thirties.
A fter decreasing in the later war years, enrollinent in all fields o f engineering rose to new peaks
in the postwar period, though some expanded more
than others. Civil, electrical, and mechanical en
gineering show the greatest increase from the war
time highs—the first two fields more than tripled
from 1943 to 1948, while mechanical nearly dou
bled. Though both chemical, and mining and
metallurgical did reach record levels in 1948, they
did not increase as much as the other three fields
o f engineering.
39 M. M. Boring, Report o f the Committee on Manpower, Journal
Of Engineering Education, October 1947, p. 110.
TRENDS IN SUPPLY OF ENGINEERS
Graduations by field o f engineering have in gen
eral been moving along the same lines as have
enrollments by field. Table 8 shows the estimated
number o f graduations by m ajor field between 1940
and 1949.
.
8 — E stim a ted n u m ber o f engineering degrees
aw arded , b y field o f engineering, 1 9 8 9 -4 0 to 1 9 4 8 -4 9 1
T able
Academic year
Total
Civil
Other (in
Mechanical cludes chem
Electrical (includes in ical, mining,
metallurgical
dustrial)
and other)
1939-40______
1940-41______
1941-42............
1942-43............
1943-44............
1944-45............
1945-46...........
1946-47............
1947-48...........
1948-49............
15,100
15,200
16,000
15,300
13.500
8,500
11.500
21,000
32.000
44.000
2,420
2,050
2,160
2,080
1,930
1,260
2,400
3,250
4,410
6,350
2,880
2,860
2,830
2,500
2,470
1,540
2,110
3,990
6,720
11,200
4,770
5,320
5.920
5.920
4,960
3,010
3,910
8,590
10,780
14,350
5,030
4,970
5,090
4,800
4,140
2,690
3,080
5,170
10,090
12,100
Total__
192,100
28,310
39,100
68,530
57,160
i See tabulation below for estimates of engineering graduates by field for
1950.
Source: Journal of Engineering Education, issues from December 1941 to
February 1949. Data adjusted by Bureau of Labor Statistics to include
graduates of all engineering schools.
Future graduations by field o f engineering are
almost impossible to estimate because many stu
dents do not choose a specialty before their third
year. Examination o f enrollment data by class
and by field for the academic year 1948-49 makes
it possible to estimate graduations for at least the
next year, as shown in the follow ing tabulation.
(Prewar drop-out rates were used in these esti
m ates.)20
Field
Academic year
1949-50
T o t a l______________________________________ 47,000
C iv il_______________________________________ 7,700
E lectrical___________________________________ 12,500
Mechanical_________________________________ 16, 000
Chemical___________________________________ 5,200
Mining and metallurgical___________________ 1,500
O ther______________________________________ 4,100
The peak enrollments o f the postwar years are
o f course temporary, since they represent in large
part both those who would normally have attended
school during the war and the college attendance
39
o f veterans who would not have been able to fi
nance a college education without the aid o f bene
fits under the Servicemen’s Readjustment A ct o f
1944 and subsequent legislation. That the peak
is already past is evidenced by the drops in the
freshman classes o f the academic years 1947-48
and 1948-49. Engineering enrollments fo r the
year 1948-49 as reported in the February 1949 issue
o f the Journal o f Engineering Education show the
follow ing percentages o f veterans by class:
Seniors, 82.5 percent; juniors, 78 percent; sopho
mores, 58.2 percent; and freshmen, 36.6 percent;
indicating that the high veteran enrollments are
passing and that from now on classes w ill be com
posed almost entirely o f regular high school grad
uates.
Furthermore, freshman engineering enrollments
may well continue to decrease for a number o f
years if the trend follow s that o f total freshman
enrollments in college. The Bureau o f the Census
estimates that the number o f persons 17 years o f
age w ill decrease until 1951 and then slowly in
crease up to 1964 on the basis o f recent births.21
Starting with these estimates, the Bureau o f the
Census has estimated senior year enrollments in
secondary schools.22 On the basis o f past trends
in the proportion o f high school seniors who were
graduated—rising toward 95 percent in recent
years23— estimates o f the future number o f high
school graduates may be made. During the late
thirties, the proportion o f high school graduates
who entered college ranged around 35 percent.24
Many persons feel that this ratio w ill rise in the
future.25* It may be assumed that, unless there
should be a serious depression, at least 35 percent
o f all high school graduates in the 1950’s would
enter college. W hile the initial effect o f a depres
sion would be a reduction in nonveteran enroll
ments, after a few years such enrollments might
increase again (as happened in the early th irties);
21 The estimates up to 1955 were published in Forecasts of
Population and School Enrollment in the United States: 1948 to
1960, Series P -25, No. 18, Feb. 14, 1949. U. S. Department o f
Commerce, Bureau o f the Census, W ashington 25, D. C.
22 Ibid, table 5, p. 16.
23 Federal Security Agency, Office o f Education, Statistical
20
Armsby, Henry H., A Reexamination of the Compton Report Summary of Education, 194$~44, table 27, p. 31. W ashington 25,
in the Light of Enrollment in Engineering Curricula, Fall of
D. C., 1947. Price 15 cents.
1946, Journal o f Engineering Education, May 1947, pp. 681 and
24 Ibid, table 26, p. 31.
682. Prewar survival rates were estimated as follow s: Fresh
25 President’s Commission on H igher Education, Higher Edu
men, 53.8 percent; sophomores, 64.7 percent; juniors, 71.8 per
cation for American Democracy, Vol. I, W ashington 25, D. C.,
cent ; and seniors, 83 percent.
1947, Superintendent of Documents. Price 40 cents.
40
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
moreover any initial decrease in nonveteran en
rollments would tend to be offset by an increase in
veteran enrollments. Under the above assump
tions, college freshman enrollments w ill probably
decrease until the academic year 1952-53 and then
increase slowly through the decade and for several
more years reaching its present levels after 1960.
W ill the general increase in college enrollments
be paralleled by an increase in enrollments in engi
neering schools? This depends on the trends in
occupational interests o f students, and on the poli
cies o f engineering schools with respect to the selec
tion and admission o f students. The policies o f
schools are now under study in the American So
ciety fo r Engineering Education. Individual en
gineering educators have also been studying enroll
ment trends, attempting to determine future
levels.26 The interest o f students may change, and
they may be influenced in such change by the eco
nomic situation and by proper vocational guidance.
Based on past trends, however, it may be said
that the interest in engineering as a career is grow
ing rather than diminishing. The ratio o f engi
neering enrollment to total college enrollment rose
very slowly from the early thirties—from about
6 percent in 1934 to about 7 percent in 1940. Dur
ing the war, owing to the comparatively rapid
increase in importance o f the engineering field and
the drafting o f college students from other fields,
the ratio increased to about 13 percent in 1944.
The ratio in 1948-49 (about 10 percent), though
lower than the war peak, was still somewhat above
the average which prevailed during the prewar
decade, owing to the intense interest in engineer
ing. The proportion o f college freshmen who
were in engineering was slightly lower than this—
about 9 percent.
I f the interest in engineering continues to in
crease as it has in the past, it is likely that the ratio
o f students who wish to enroll in engineering to
the total number o f college students w ill remain
above the average prewar ratio. I f it should be 8
percent, for example, freshman enrollment in en
gineering schools would decrease from the peak in
1946-47 o f about 93,000 to a low o f around 33,600
in 1952-53. Thereafter, freshman enrollment
would increase through the decade, reaching over
45.000 in 1960 and even more in the next few years.
It should be emphasized that these estimates are
probably minimal because the assumptions on
which they are based do not allow fo r such possibil
ities as rising survival rates in high schools and
increasing percentages o f high school graduates
who enter college.
It is also possible to estimate roughly the number
o f engineering degrees awarded from freshman en
gineering enrollments. Using prewar survival
rates o f freshman engineering classes to gradua
tion, it may be estimated that the number o f de
grees awarded would decrease from the high o f
47.000 in the year ending June 1950 to slightly over
18.000 in the year ending June 1956. Graduations
would then increase over the remainder o f the dec
ade and past 1960, reaching about 25,000 around
1964. The increase in high-school graduations ex
pected after 1960 would result in a further increase
in engineering graduations through the decade up
to 1970. Again it should be emphasized that these
estimates could well increase over the levels as
sumed ; there is evidence o f a rising trend in col
lege attendance and interest in engineering as a
career. Also, owing to better selection o f students,
survival rates o f engineering students could be
raised.
Several other developments could also tend to
increase college enrollment in general and there
fore engineering enrollment. The President’s
Commission on Higher Education 27*estimated, on
the basis o f anticipated population growth and the
trend for an increasing proportion o f young peo
ple to go to college, that total college enrollment
would rise from about 2,400,000 in the academic
year ending in June 1949 to 2,900,000 in 1960. Fur
thermore, the Commission felt that these numbers
could very well be increased by removing economic
and other barriers which prevent a number o f qual
ified persons from attending an institution o f
higher learning. The Commission suggested a
goal o f 4,600,000 enrollees in institutions o f higher
education in 1960.
“ H ollister, S. C., Postwar Engineering Enrollment Rapidly
Adjusting to Near Pre-War Level, Journal o f Engineering Edu
cation, March 1949, pp. 355-359.
27 President’s Commission on Higher Education, Higher Educa
tion for American Democracy, Vol. I, Superintendent o f Docu
ments, W ashington 25, D. C., 1947. Price 40 cents.
TRENDS IN SUPPLY OF ENGINEERS
41
EN T R A N C E OF N O N G R A D U A T E S
Not all engineers are college or university grad
uates, although there is a trend toward requiring
at least a bachelor’s degree. As pointed out above,
some men who had not completed engineering
school have always been able to enter the field.
F or example, during the decade 1920 to 1930 about
75,000 engineers received degrees (see appendix
table D -3 ) and during the same period the pro
fession grew by about 85,000 (see appendix table
D -4 ). I f we consider, in addition, the number
needed for the replacement o f older engineers who
died or retired (estimated at about 25,000—see p.
42), it appears that no fewer than 35,000 persons
without an engineering degree must have entered
during the twenties. This makes no allowance for
engineers or engineering graduates who may have
left the profession for other occupations; if such
allowance were made, the estimates o f the number
o f nongraduates who entered would be correspond
ingly greater than 35,000.
Even during the depression decade o f the thir
ties, when many engineers lost their jobs and had
to seek other employment, and when many gradu
ates were unable to find engineering jobs, a large
number o f nongraduates came into the field. It
may be shown that in the age groups up to 35 at
least 50,000 men (including graduates who may not
have held an engineering job) left the profession
for other fields o f work during the decade. Yet in
the age group 35 to 60 there was an excess o f 26,000 entrants (probably mostly nongraduates) over
the number leaving. (See appendix table B -l.)
The utilization by industry o f sources o f supply
other than the graduates o f engineering schools is
reflected also in the fact that the 1940 Census
showed that almost two out o f every five employed
engineers had completed less than 4 years o f
college. In this tabulation the Bureau o f the
Census did not classify as an engineer any person
under 35 years o f age who reported having had
less than 4 years o f college. It was estimated that
as many as 12,000 persons were excluded from the
engineering classification by this procedure.28
Men who were not engineering graduates con
38 Comparative Occupation Statistics for the United States, 1870
to 1940, p. 24, U. S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f th e
Census, W ashington 25, D. C., 1943.
tinued to enter the field during the war. The de
mand for additional engineers at the initial stage
o f the defense program could be met by the mo
bilization o f a great part o f the 23,000 or more
reserves available in 1940 (7,000 men employed in
other occupations who reported to the Census that
their usual occupation was engineering, and 16,000
engineers who were unemployed). Soon, with the
further increase in industrial activity and the en
trance into the armed forces o f many engineers,
(at least 60,000 were in the service according to
data made available by the armed forces) leaders
in the profession, in industry, and in government
began to realize the necessity for additional en
gineers. Steps were taken to secure the services o f
men who had dropped out o f school before com
pleting the engineering course, persons holding
degrees in related fields, and experienced semipro
fessional technical personnel who could be up
graded with intensive training. Many were pre
pared for some phase o f engineering work in con
nection with war production by the Engineering,
Science and Management W ar Training Program
(E SM W T) mentioned above, which gave instruc
tion at college level, but by shorter and more
intensive courses.
The remarkable achievements o f the profession,
industry, and the schools in meeting the wartime
shortage o f engineers contributed greatly to the
unprecedented production o f munitions and to
technical improvements at a time when a number
equal to nearly a fourth o f the engineers available
in 1940 were serving in the armed forces. As one
writer pointed out, “ Industry, hard pressed for
more technically trained men than the colleges can
supply, has doubtless solved its problem in part
at least by the employment o f men with less than
4 years o f collegiate training. These men may
consider themselves engineers by profession, and
by basic definition and in the minds o f the public
they are perfectly justified in doing so.” 3
8
*29
Thus, many thousands o f men with less than 4
years o f college entered the profession through
intensive training on college level as well as
through upgrading to positions in which they
29 L. M. Grain, Engineering— a Profession, in Journal o f Engi
neering Education, October 1944, p. 117.
42
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
gained professional experience. Inform ation
gathered from employers in 1946 indicates that
considerable numbers o f men holding engineering
jobs were upgraded during the war from semipro
fessional positions. Also, for appointments to
some Federal Government positions, completion
o f ESM W T courses was accepted fo r at least
partial satisfaction o f the requirements.
No data are available by which the number o f
nongraduates who entered since 1940 can be ac
curately estimated. Conditions prevailing during
the war may be compared to those during the 192030 decade when, as pointed out above, the rapidly
increasing demand was greater than could be taken
care o f by engineering college graduations, and at
least 35,000 nongraduates entered the profession.
There was certainly more opportunity fo r non
graduates to enter during the war than in the de
pression decade o f the thirties, when at least 26,000
nongraduates entered. In the absence o f exact
data, it seems reasonable to assume that as many
persons without engineering degrees entered the
profession between 1940 and 1948 as did between
1920 and 1930 under less pressing peacetime cir
cumstances.
As mentioned above, the ratio o f nongraduate
engineers to the total in the profession is steadily
decreasing. It is likely, then, that a smaller num
ber w ill enter in the future, especially when engi
neering graduations are high in relation to the de
mand. In addition, if the level o f business activity
should decline or even remain stable for some time,
the prospects for employment o f nongraduates w ill
not be promising. It w ill still be possible, how
ever, though increasingly difficult, for the able man
who has not completed form al training to advance
to an engineering position.
LOSSES TO THE PROFESSION
In engineering as in other fields o f work, many
employment openings in the engineering profes
sion result from vacancies arising from death, re
tirement, or transfer o f engineers to other occupa
tions. In the past, because o f the rapid growth o f
the profession more openings have been provided
by an increase in jobs than by replacements. This
w ill not necessarily be true in the future.
Death and Retirement
In order to aid in estimating losses to various
occupations the United States Department o f
Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics has developed
a set o f tables o f working life expectancy30 reflect
ing the death and retirement experience o f work
ers in the United States. These tables show the
average working life expectancy for persons o f a
given age, and make it possible to estimate the
average annual losses arising from both death and
retirement in any occupation in which the age
composition o f the members is known.
Because o f the growth o f the engineering profes
sion, losses owing to death and retirement have
been increasing steadily. They amounted to about
25.000 in the decade 1920 to 1930 and more than
40.000 in the decade 1930 to 1940, according to esti-8
0
80 A report including these tables w ill be released in the near
future.
mates based on the tables o f working life expect
ancy. This means that during the twenties an av
erage o f about 2,500 persons were needed annually
to replace those dying or retiring, and during the
thirties about 4,000 were needed each year.
In the present decade, replacement needs have
continued to rise. By applying the separation
rates from the tables described above, it may be
estimated that the number needed for replacement
has risen from about 5,000 a year in 1940 to around
6.000 or 7,000 a year at the present time. Thus,
between 1940 and early 1948, some 43,000 engineers
were lost to the profession (appendix table D -2 ).
Over the entire 1940 to 1950 decade, losses to the
engineering profession arising solely from death
and retirement w ill number between 55,000 and
60 000.
It is expected these losses w ill continue to in
crease. In the first several years o f the next dec
ade, it is likely that these losses w ill run between
7.000 and 8,000 per year, and they w ill increase
to almost 9,000 a year around 1960. Over the dec
ade 1950 to 1960 these losses to the profession w ill
probably total about 80,000.
When the losses in each individual field o f en
gineering are estimated on the basis o f the labor
force life tables, striking differences are noted in
the impact o f death and retirement. These d if
TRENDS IN SUPPLY OF ENGINEERS
ferences result from the age composition in each
field; for example, 2.7 percent o f all civil engineers
are estimated to die or retire annually at the pres
ent time as compared to 1.8 percent o f electrical
engineers, 2 percent o f mechanical, and only 1.1
percent o f all other engineers (chemical, mining,
and m etallurgical). In terms o f actual numbers,
annual losses are estimated as follow s: Civil, 2,400;
mechanical (including industrial), 2,600; electri
cal, 1,400; all other engineers (includes chemical,
mining, and m etallurgical), 600. By the end o f
the 1950 to 1960 decade these annual losses may
rise to the follow ing levels: Civil, 2,900; mechani
cal, 3,300; electrical, 1,900; all other engineers,
800. Since the losses occur almost entirely among
the older groups, the estimates for the end o f the
next decade are prim arily related to the number
o f engineers who entered prior to 1940, and they
are not significantly affected by differing assump
tions which may be made as to the future growth
o f the profession or the numbers o f new graduates
who may enter.
Transfers Out of the Profession
A second replacement factor which must be
taken into consideration is the transfer o f engi
neers to other occupations—both those engineer
ing graduates who do not enter the field after
graduation and those engineers who enter other
occupations after once having started their engi
neering career. There is always a certain amount
o f movement o f individuals among occupational
fields and any evaluation o f the number o f engi
neers who have to be trained must make some al
lowance for this normal amount o f movement out
o f the profession.
Transfers are affected by many varied factors,
including general business conditions within a
particular period, the balance between the supply
and demand in the profession itself, and the level
o f compensation o f engineers, particularly as com
pared to other occupations. Inform ation on the
employment experience o f engineers during the
1930 to 1940 decade indicates that established per
sons, as well as inexperienced graduates, transfer
to other occupations. The advancement o f engi
neers to administrative positions, which is fre
quent, probably should not be considered to con
stitute a loss to the engineering profession. (See
appendix A .)
852396°— 50----- 4
43
Losses among new graduates may be high.
However, analysis o f past conditions indicates
that some men attend engineering school with no
idea o f entering the profession. It is widely rec
ognized that an engineering background is o f great
value in many occupations. Many graduates have
entered other types o f positions in the business
world, and have thus successfully utilized their
training without ever having been employed as
engineers.
Annual losses arising from transfers from the
occupation are much more difficult to estimate
that losses arising from death and retirement, and
little statistical information is available with re
gard to them.
Data from the 1946 Survey o f the Engineering
Profession provide some indication o f the approxi
mate magnitude o f replacement needs arising from
movements out o f the profession. These data in
dicate that about 3 percent o f the men reporting
engineering employment in 1939 had transferred
to nonengineering work by 1946, or something like
one-half o f 1 percent a year. (See section on oc
cupational m obility o f engineers, p. 69.) A pply
ing this percentage to those actually in the field
as reported by the 1940 census, an estimate o f 8,000
transfers o f engineers out o f the profession is ob
tained. This is probably a minimal estimate, since
many engineers who left the profession between
1940 and 1946 were not on the m ailing list for the
survey, or, if they received questionnaires, may
have been less prone to fill them out and return
them than were those who maintained an active
interest in their profession. A llow ing fo r this,
the number o f those transferring out in this period
may therefore be estimated as at least 9,000.
Data from the 1946 survey also indicate that ap
proximately 3y2 percent o f those graduating be
tween 1939 and 1946 were engaged in nonengineer
ing work in 1946. A pplied to the total number o f
graduates from 1940 to 1946, this rate o f one-half
o f 1 percent a year would indicate that close to
4,000 engineering graduates were lost to the pro
fession in this period. The same survey bias de
scribed above also applied to this case, perhaps
even to a greater degree. The number o f gradu
ates lost to the profession in the 7-year period is
probably closer to 6,000. Several follow -up sur
veys o f engineering graduates have provided meas
ures o f the number leaving the profession. An
44
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
employment survey o f Stanford University en
gineering graduates o f the school year 1947-4831
reveals that 6.7 percent o f all graduates were in
nonengineering work as o f December 1948. A
study o f the employment histories o f engineering
graduates o f the University o f California o f the
years 1920 to 1942 32 shows that about Sy2 percent
o f all positions held by the graduates during the
first 5 years o f employment were in nonengineer
ing work. Still another study o f engineering
graduates o f the class o f 1947 made by New York
University, although showing no tabulations, re
veals that a number o f graduates do not enter the
field even in times o f good employment opportuni
ties. From these and similar studies and from
other information, it may be reasonable to assume
that during “ normal” times a number o f engineer
ing graduates (perhaps as many as 5 percent) do
not enter the profession. Taking into considera
tion the losses o f both experienced engineers and
new graduates, one may conclude that between
1940 and 1946 at least 15,000 engineers (or about 1
percent per year) transferred out o f the profession.
In this war period engineers were in great demand;
in time o f peace the proportion transferring out
might well be larger.
The total loss to the profession from transfers
during the present decade, then, at the rate of onehalf o f 1 percent per year for older engineers and
5 percent per year for new graduates w ill prob
ably be in the neighborhood o f 80,000. In the
next decade from 1950 to 1960, assuming continued
high employment levels, the minimum losses aris
ing from persons transferring out o f the field
should rise somewhat owing to the larger engineer
ing labor force expected. A t least 4,000 engineers
per year, or 40,000 in the decade, may either leave
the occupation or never enter after graduation.
This compares with a loss o f at least 50,000 en
gineers under the age o f 35 during the depression
decade o f the thirties—mostly graduates who
could not find engineering employment. (See
appendix table B -l.) Losses from each major
field o f engineering are even more difficult to esti
91 Stanford University, An Employment Survey of Stanford Uni
versity Engineering Graduates Who Received Degrees During the
School Year June 1947 to June 19Jfe, Stanford University, Calif.,
Dec. 17, 1948. (Mimeographed.)
33 Howe, E. D., Employment Histories of Engineering Grad
uates, Journal of Engineering Education, March 1947, pp. 513519.
mate. In view o f the lack o f data, it may be help
ful, for illustrative purposes, to assume that the
losses are distributed according to the number in
each field.
These figures should serve merely as a possible
bench mark. W e have seen above that this trans
fer-out loss is dependent upon several factors
which are extremely variable. Possible over
crowding in the engineering profession or poor
general business conditions could easily force
many additional people to leave the field.
Summary
Rough estimates o f present and possible future
losses to the profession, arising from all factors
including death, retirement, and transfers to other
occupations, may be made, but they are subject to
a considerable error. First, from the age com
position o f the profession it is possible to esti
mate with a fair degree o f accuracy the annual
losses arising from death and retirement. A t the
present time this loss is about 6,000 or 7,000 per
year, or nearly 2 percent o f the employment in
the profession, and by the end o f the next decade,
it may rise to around 9,000 per year. Next, it has
been suggested that at the present time losses from
transfers to other occupations are occuring at the
rate o f about one-half o f 1 percent o f the number
in the field each year plus 5 percent o f the new
graduates or a little more than 3,000 per year. In
the 1950 to 1960 decade this number could rise to
at least 4,000 per year.
Losses from all factors are therefore around
9,000 or 10,000 a year at the present time, or
about 3 percent o f the membership o f the pro
fession.33 Total annual replacement needs oc
curring at the present time may be roughly dis
tributed as follow s: Civil, 2,900; mechanical,
3,500; electrical, 1,900; all other engineers (in
cludes chemical, mining and m etallurgical), 1,000.
These needs could rise during the next decade
until, by 1960, losses to the profession from all
factors could amount to at least 13,000 a year, dis
tributed approximately as follow s: Civil, 3,900;
mechanical, 5,000; electrical, 2,900; all other en
gineers, 1,400. Again, it must be emphasized that
*» It w ill be noted that a sim ilar figure as to the rate of loss
was arrived at by the Compton committee in its report referred
to above in footnote 3, p. 10.
c o n c l u s io n s :
em ploym ent
there are many factors which affect replacement
needs and that the figures given above are only
approximations.
Because replacement needs are an important
consideration in any analysis o f the future de
mand for engineers and because present data on
these needs are fragmentary and are subject to a
outlook
45
wide margin o f error, there is a pressing need for
additional information on the subject. Engineer
ing colleges could make a real contribution by
conducting follow -up surveys o f engineering
graduates such as those conducted by Stanford
University, University o f California, and New
Y ork University.
Conclusions: The Employment O u tlo o k for Engineers
From the above discussion it may be seen that
engineering is one o f the most dynamic and rapid
ly growing professions; its expansi6n over the
past several decades, particularly during the pres
ent one, has been striking. Moreover, the pro
fession is expected to grow substantially in the
future. It is estimated that about 350,000 engi
neers were employed in the United States in the
spring o f 1948—an increase o f more than 100,000
since 1940. Upon the basis o f past trends in the
use o f engineers by industry, it would appear that
employment o f engineers could well increase by
some 100,000 more by 1960 to a total o f about
450,000, if generally high employment levels pre
vail in the United States. This would mean an
expansion o f about 8,000 jobs a year on the average
from 1948 to 1960, although the increase w ill vary
from year to year. In addition, engineers w ill
have to be trained to replace losses to the p ro
fession (ow ing to death, retirement, and transfer)
which are estimated to be occurring at the rate
o f around 9,000-10,000 per year at the present
time and which may rise to over 13,000 per year
by 1960.
The demand fo r engineering graduates in the
United States fo r the next few years may be esti
mated, then, at approximately 17,000 or 18,000 per
year. Toward the end o f the 1950 to 1960 decade,
when death and retirement losses are expected to
increase, the yearly demand may well rise to
around 21,000 or 22,000. This points to an an
nual need fo r engineering graduates roughly
twice as great as the average number turned out
by schools in the decade before the war. These
estimates may be high, since they are based on the
assumption that the general economic situation
w ill be favorable. On the other hand, they as
sume only peacetime needs.
A review o f the trends in supply o f graduate
engineers shows that engineering schools have
trained increasing numbers o f students. In line
with the general increase in college graduations,
the number o f men receiving engineering degrees
rose from an average o f 7,000 per year in the
twenties to about 10,000 in the thirties. Gradusutions increased rapidly in the early years o f W orld
W ar I I and then dropped a great deal in the later
years. W ith the tremendous expansion in engi
neering enrollments after the war, the number o f
graduates has reached unprecedented heights. In
the academic year 1947-48, some 32,000 engineer
ing students were graduated and in 1948-49,
44,000— an all-time peak. On the basis o f enroll
ments in the fall term o f 1948, it may be estimated
that about 47,000 students w ill be graduated in
1950, about 36,000 in 1951, and nearly 29,000 in
1952. Actually, graduations in these years may
be higher, owing to transfer o f students from
junior colleges to engineering schools and to the
possibility that drop-out rates may actually be
lower than the prewar rates used in the estimates.
It is o f course impossible to estimate gradua
tions more than 4 years in advance. Enrollments
in engineering courses may be influenced by eco
nomic and social conditions, changing occupa
tional interests o f young people, and vocational
guidance buttressed by informational materials
such as this report. Nevertheless, it is o f interest
to illustrate what the level o f engineering gradua
tions may be, solely on the assumption that past
trends w ill continue. These estimates may pro
vide a benchmark by which the effects o f possible
alternate conditions may be appraised by educa
tors and other leaders in the profession. The es
timates presented here suggest, on the basis o f past
trends in college enrollment, the proportions o f
46
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
college students entering engineering training, the
survival rates o f students, and future trends in
population that the number o f engineering degrees
awarded may fall to not less thorn 18,000 in 1956
and then rise gradually to at least 25,000 in 1965.
A comparison o f the estimated supply o f and
demand for engineering graduates leads to several
conclusions. In the next fern years, approxi
m ately 191$ to 1952, the number o f graduates w ill
greatly exceed the demcmd fo r graduate engineers.
A fter that, if past trends affecting enrollments
should continue, the annual demand fo r graduates
and the supply o f new graduates would roughly
be in balance.
The conclusion concerning the immediate out
look is substantially in line with that o f the Man
power Committee o f the American Society for
Engineering Education, which said in a report
prepared in the early summer o f 1948:34
Under conditions o f normally increasing industrial
operations, it is believed that present trends in en
gineering enrollment will produce a reasonable bal
ance between supply and demand a fte r 1951 . I n th e
n e x t 2 y ea rs th e transient condition created by v e t
eran en rollm en t w ill create a su pply in e x cess o f that
w h ich should n orm a lly be absorbed in str ic tly en gi
n eerin g occupations .
T h e m a xim u m is proba bly n o t
m o re than about 1 y e a r ’s su pply , although
it is possible
that little or no surplus will be noticeable as engineer
ing education has long been recognized as having
great value as general education and as a good foun
dation for work in almost any profession.
Enrollment figures fo r the fa ll term o f 1948 and
other information not available at the time the
Manpower Committee’s report was prepared sug
gest that the condition they foresaw might be con
tinued through 1952.
It should be noted that the above appraisal o f
the outlook is based upon the assumption o f a
high level o f general economic activity. The d if
ficulties which face the graduates would be inten
sified by a drop in general business conditions.
A t the time this report was being written (spring
1949) employers were beginning to be more cau
tious in hiring.
The foregoing evaluation is based solely on a
comparison o f the prospective demand with the
expected supply o f engineering graduates and
does not take into account the fact that some en
84Annual Report of Manpower Committee o f A8EE, Journal
o f Engineering Education, September 1948, pp. 36-38.
gineering jobs w ill be filled, as in the past, by men
without engineering degrees. In view o f the
long-run trend toward requiring form al engineer
ing training, and the ample supply o f graduates,
it seems likely that nongraduates w ill have greater
difficulty in getting jobs than in recent years. T o
the extent that they may succeed, however, oppor
tunities fo r graduate engineers would o f course
be reduced.
The above appraisal o f the employment outlook
fo r engineers is somewhat affected by the fact that
American engineering schools are a source o f sup
ply o f engineers for many foreign countries.
Some o f the engineers who w ill work overseas are
foreign students; others are American students
who find engineering employment abroad.8
4
85 A t
the time this report was being written plans were
under discussion to provide technical assistance
to foreign countries, follow ing a recommendation
by the President in his 1949 inaugural address.
A small additional allowance has to be made in
the estimate o f the number to be trained to provide
for this element o f demand. T o some extent this
is offset by the supply o f engineers trained in fo r
eign schools (particularly Canadian) who find
employment in the United States.
Although it is likely that in the next 4 years
the total number o f engineering graduates w ill be
greater than the number o f engineering positions
available, the employment situation w ill vary
greatly as between engineering positions at d if
ferent levels and among the various fields o f engi
neering. A t almost any time during the growth
o f the profession, even in times o f depressed in
dustrial activity, the engineer who is at or near
the top in ability has had little trouble in obtain
ing or keeping a job. Even when com petition
becomes stiffer, as expected, it is likely that a de
mand for men with special abilities or training
in such work as research and design w ill still
prevail.
Also, though there is expected to be an excess o f
trained personnel over available positions in all
fields, the surplus w ill occur earlier and be larger
in some branches o f engineering than in others.
Comparison o f the estimated supply and demand
in the various fields suggests that the oversupply
“ The survey o f members o f six engineering societies in 1946
showed that 2.2 percent were in residence abroad as civilian
engineers. Engineering Profession in Transition. Engineers
Joint Council, New York, N. Y., 1947, p. 64.
c o n c l u s io n s :
em ploym ent
o f new graduates w ill be largest in electrical engi
neering. W ithin the field o f mechanical engineer
ing, some specialties are likely to have an oversupply before others. On the other hand, an im
balance between the supply o f and demand for
engineers in the civil and mining and metallurgi
cal fields is not expected to occur as soon or to as
great a degree as in the other branches mentioned
above. Somewhat similar conclusions were
reached by the Committee on Manpower o f the
American Society for Engineering Education in
their report to the Society in June 1947.36
Engineers unable to get a beginning job in the
field for which they were trained w ill be able in
many cases to start in another engineering field.
Examination o f data on occupational m obility
shows that graduates sometimes obtain employ
ment in a field o f engineering other than that in
which they studied. I f competition becomes stiff
in electrical engineering, fo r example, some per
sons trained in this field may be able to switch to
civil, mining and metallurgical, or some special
ties o f mechanical engineering. Such transfers
w ill tend to reduce the differences in employment
outlook among the various fields o f engineering.
Thus an oversupply o f applicants for employment
in all major* fields o f engineering is in prospect
within the next several years.
T o students in engineering schools and to the
individual interested in engineering as a career, it
should be pointed out that intense competition fo r
nearly all types o f beginning engineering jobs w ill
be experienced within the next few years. This
w ill be true even i f general business conditions
are good. The competition would be intensified
i f there should be a recession. Students now in
school would be well advised to get the best pos
sible training. The minimum ^educational re
quirements are being raised gradually and the pro
portion o f engineers with advanced degrees,
though small, is increasing. The engineering
student o f the future may be required to meet
higher standards for entrance into and progress
in the engineering curriculum, and may have to
complete more than the traditional 4 years o f edu
cation in order to succeed in his chosen profession.
The would-be engineer should endeavor also to
make the best possible record o f achievement in his
studies and to broaden his training as much as8
0
80Journal o f E ngineering Education, O ctober 1947, pp. 11 9 -1 1 3 .
outlook
47
possible. Furthermore, many employees empha
size the extra-curricular college record o f prospec
tive employees.
Those engineering graduates o f the next few
years who are unable to get engineering jobs may
attempt to adjust to the situation in several ways.
Some will find that their education has qualified
them in the eyes o f employers for other jobs in
industry, such as administration, sales, or tech
nical jobs. Others, who have a particular interest
and aptitude in engineering, may decide to remain
in school and obtain a postgraduate degree in en
gineering to improve their chances for employ
ment. Some may find that with additional train
ing built upon the foundation o f their engineer
ing education, they w ill be able to find employment
in other professions or occupations which are ex
pected to have a continued need for new workers.37
Those who w ill seek immediate employment in
nonengineering occupations w ill find that their
opportunities are improved by the growing belief
on the part o f employers that engineering educa
tion is a good background for many nonengineer
ing jobs. The fact that employers are using en
gineering graduates in administration and other
jobs has been recognized by engineering educators
and is being reflected in attempts to adapt the
training along those lines (footnote 17, p. 35).
On the other hand, their chances o f finding
other employment w ill be limited by intensified
competition for entrance jobs in many fields over
the next several years resulting from the postwar
boom in college enrollments. Compared to a pre
war peak o f 1.5 m illion in 1939-40, enrollments
were at a new high o f 2.4 m illion in the fall term
o f 1948. These students have now begun to grad
uate. As a result o f these high enrollments there
w ill be more graduates in some professional and
administrative fields than can be absorbed by in
dustry; on the other hand, shortages o f workers
are expected in other occupations.
The high-school boy with a real interest in and
aptitude fo r engineering should not necessarily
be discouraged by the outlook for jobs in the next
87 U. S. Department o f Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics,
Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bulletin 940, Superintendent o f
Documents, W ashington 25, D. C., 1949. $1.75. The Handbook
contains employment inform ation on 288 major occupations fo r
use in vocational guidance, including the professions, skilled
trades, clerical, sales, and service occupations, and m ajor types
o f farm ing.
48
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
few years. It is quite possible that enrollments
in engineering may return to a lower level and
that by about 1953 the number o f graduates may
be more in line with current demand. Under
these circumstances opportunities for new gradu
ates w ill depend in part upon whether or not many
future engineering graduates who do not get en
gineering jobs immediately w ill still seek to enter
the profession. It is difficult to say what these
men may do. I f business conditions are generally
unfavorable, if many engineering graduates are
unable to find satisfactory employment in other
occupations, or if large numbers should continue
in engineering schools for postgraduate work, it
is possible that many graduates o f the next few
years would continue to seek engineering jobs.
On the other hand, if there should be moder
ately good business conditions and if the great
bulk o f the graduates o f this period are successful
in obtaining satisfactory employment in engineer
ing or other occupations, relatively few may still
be actively seeking jobs in engineering. Under
these conditions, there w ill continue to be oppor
tunities fo r new graduates in this expanding pro
fession.
To the engineering schools, the estimates pre
sented here may suggest that over the long run
there w ill be a demand fo r roughly twice as many
graduates as were turned out annually in the dec
ade before the war and that facilities and in
structional staff w ill have to be provided. The
great interest in engineering also suggests that
there is both the opportunity and the need fo r a
careful selection o f students. Many persons in the
profession have for some time felt that the rate
o f survival o f engineering students was too low.
Some o f the drop-outs are caused by scholastic de
ficiencies, some by financial difficulties, and others
by lack o f interest. Progress has been made in
the improvement o f standards o f entry and in se
lection techniques. Educators have devised en
gineering aptitude tests for applicants. I f the
standards o f entry into engineering schools were
raised and if more precise selection methods were
used, it is evident that schools could admit even
fewer students and still provide an adequate sup
ply o f engineering personnel.
To counselors in high schools, colleges, and other
agencies providing vocational guidance, the im
plications o f these conclusions need not be labored.
The increasingly competitive situation expected
for the next few years—in an occupation which, in
any case, makes great demands on the student’s
ability and perseverance—may give pause to the
marginal student, but should not be allowed to
deter those with the aptitude for and realistic in
terest in this fascinating and rapidly growing pro
fession.
The Earnings of Engineers
The person considering a career in engineering
is interested in knowing what he can expect in the
way o f income from this profession. Do earn
ings, as in many other professions, increase with
experience? I f so, at what rate does this occur?
T o what extent does a man’s educational back
ground affect his earning capacity? What fields
o f engineering and what types o f work within a
field seem to offer the best income possibilities?
Do earnings differ from one industry or location
to another ? How do engineers fare under chang
ing economic conditions? This section discusses
the factors affecting the earnings o f engineers, and
throws some light on the foregoing questions.
Earnings in a profession like engineering are
undoubtedly influenced by many intangible fac
tors, including the ability and personality o f the
individual and his importance to the particular
company, the supply and demand situation in each
field, and even the wage and salary structure
which has been established fo r other workers in
the industry. Many o f these factors are too com
plex to be amenable to measurement in statistical
studies such as the Bureau o f Labor Statistics’
19351 and 19461
2 surveys on which this chapter is
based. Only a few relatively simple factors could
be measured in these surveys—the length o f each
engineer’s professional experience, his educational
attainments (in terms o f degrees earned), the type
o f work he is doing, and the industry in which he
is employed. In this section, the effect o f these
latter factors on earnings o f engineers w ill be
shown, but the fact that there are a host o f signifi
cant factors which could not be taken into account
in the figures must be borne in mind.
The 1946 survey from which most o f the statis
tical data in this chapter are taken was made by
the Bureau in cooperation with professional en
1 U. S. Department o f Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics, Em
ployment and Earnings in the Engineering Profession, 1929 to
1934, Bulletin No. 682, Superintendent of Documents, Washing
ton 25, D. C., 1941. 25 cents.
2 See Scope and Method o f the 1946 Survey o f the Engineering
Profession in appendix C o f this report.
gineering societies in 1946, and included reports
from nearly 25,000 engineers—including both
members o f professional societies and nonmem
bers. (A separate report was issued by the so
cieties on their members.)3 Inform ation was
reported for 3 widely differing years— 1939, 1943,
and 1946. Some data are presented, for compara
tive purposes, from the similar survey conducted
by the Bureau in 1935.
Because o f the many requests to the Bureau for
earnings information for the engineering profes
sion as a whole and fo r each major field o f en
gineering, over-all median salaries are presented.
However, it should be understood that such figures
are not considered meaningful in themselves.
W ithin this section is a discussion o f several
o f the factors affecting earnings o f engineers which
should convince the reader that over-all figures
have only lim ited value. The distribution o f en
gineers included in the survey by general field o f
employment and the median monthly salaries in
each field in 1946 are shown in the follow ing tabu
lation:
General field o f employment
Percentage
distrir
bution
Median
base
monthly
salary
1946
AU engineers reporting____________ 100.0
$392
Chemical__________________________ 12.5
Civil______________________________ 20. 0
Electrical--------------------------------------- 21. 7
Mechanical andindustrial_________ 29.3
Mining and metallurgical_________
5.9
O ther-------------------------------------------- 10.6
363
368
393
409
417
410
In order to emphasize the limited significance
o f earnings information for these broad fields, it
may be mentioned that chemical engineers, who as
a group had the lowest median salary, are found
to be actually the highest paid o f all the m ajor
types o f engineers when allowance is made fo r
length o f professional experience.
8 The Engineering Profession in Transition, Engineers Joint
Council, 33 West 39th St., New York, N. Y., 1947.
49
50
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
M a jo r Factors W hich Affect Earnings
Years of Experience
One o f the most significant o f all the factors
affecting earnings o f engineers is length o f experi
ence. This fact is, o f course, widely recognized
and has been amply demonstrated by surveys o f
various professions.4 The fact is well recognized
that the form al education preparatory fo r a pro
fession—just as the apprenticeship which pre
pares one for a skilled trade—merely brings the
worker up to a level o f competence sufficient to
enable him to begin practicing his profession.
The major part o f his learning and development
in the profession begins with his working career,
and throughout his working life he continues to
increase his competence by experience. It should
be emphasized, however, that the data do not per
mit o f definite statements as to the progression o f
salaries o f individuals. W hat is shown is a cross
section at one time, o f the salaries o f persons em
ployed in the field with varying amounts o f ex
perience.
In each field o f engineering, the rise in average
earnings with length o f experience is persistent
and amounts to a considerable increase over the
span o f an engineer’s working life (table 9 and
chart 9 ). The first 10 years show the greatest rise
in earnings; in 1946 the increase for each year’s
experience up to 10 averaged $10 to $20 (or $120
to $240 annual salary) depending on field o f engi
neering. A fter about 30 years o f experience (at
which time the average age o f engineers is over
50 years) there tends to be a leveling off o f aver
age salaries.
4U. S. Department o f Labor's Bureau o f Labor Statistics,
Factors Affecting Earnings in Chemistry and Chemical Engi
neering, Bulletin No. 881, Superintendent o f Documents, Wash
ington 25, D. C., 1946. Price 10 cents.
The Engineering Profession in Transition, Engineers Joint
Council, 33 W est 39th St., New York, N. Y., 1947.
U. S. Department o f Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Employment and Earnings in the Engineering Profession, 1929
to 1894, Bulletin No. 682, Superintendent o f Documents, Wash
ington 25, D. C., 1941. Price 25 cents.
U. S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f Foreign and Do
mestic Commerce, Incomes in Selected Professions, Comparison
o f Incomes in Nine Independent Professions, in Survey of Current
Business, May 1944, p. 15.
U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics, Eco
nomic Status of Ceramic Engineers, 1989 to 1947, July 1948.
Available free in mimeographed form from issuing office, Wash
ington 25, D. C.
That the amount o f increase in monthly earn
ings with years o f experience varies greatly among
engineering specialties is evident from table 9 and
chart 9. Entrance salaries in all fields in 1946
were very close together, ranging from $226 to
$247 per month. Yet median earnings o f chemi
cal engineers show an increase o f about $440 or
185 percent during the working span while earn
ings o f civil engineers increased by only about
$200 or 85 percent. Increases in the median earn
ings o f other types o f engineers over a period o f
35 or 40 years’ experience were approximately as
follow s: electrical—$315 (140 percent); mechani
cal—$310 (140 percent); mining and metallurgi
cal—$405 (165 percent); and other engineers—
$350 (150 percent). These differences in salaries
by type o f engineering are explained in part in
the follow ing analyses o f some o f the other fac
tors affecting earnings. However, part o f the ex
planation undoubtedly lies in the history o f each
field as discussed in the first part o f this report,
particularly as related to supply and demand.
For example, the relatively high earnings in
chemical engineering may reflect the fact that in
a period o f rapid expansion in the chemical in
dustry there was a scarcity o f men with such
training and promotions came early in their
careers. Similarly, the relatively low earnings
T
9 .— M e d ia n base m o n th ly sa la ry rates f o r each field
o f en gin eerin g e m p lo ym en t, b y yea rs o f exp erien ce, 1 9 \ 6
able
Years of experience
Chem
ical
Civil
Elec
trical
Me Mining
and
chan metal
Other
ical lurgical
All engineers reporting..
$363
$368
$393
$409
$417
$410
Less than 1 year............
1 yea r..........................
2 years... .......................
3 years..........................
4 yea rs........................
5 years_________ _____
6 years..........................
242
241
255
278
310
327
344
247
240
247
263
278
297
307
228
237
249
277
303
315
325
226
225
264
285
308
342
360
247
(9
0)
272
290
313
327
231
0)
283
290
311
310
330
7-8 years.. ...................
9-11 years......................
12-14 years...... .............
15-19 years.... ...............
20-24 years. ..................
25-29 years.... ..........
30-34 years................ .
35-39 years___________
40 years and over_____
375
399
452
474
552
598
655
640
680
327
345
356
369
382
407
427
428
438
347
366
409
418
454
502
513
545
509
380
408
442
455
492
518
514
534
520
337
404
417
478
516
570
608
592
650
356
370
396
443
445
501
528
539
580
Median years of experi
ence...........................
8.8
21.6
15.9
12.8
13.8
17.3
i Insufficient reports to compute median salary.
51
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
Chart 9.— Greatest Rise in Engineers’ Earnings Occurs in the First 10 Years of Experience
o o llars
Median Base
Monthly Salary Rates, 1946
do llars
UNITED STA TES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
reported by civil engineers may reflect the fact
that many o f them are employed by government
agencies in which salary scales are less flexible in
response to the supply and demand situation than
those in industry.
Average monthly earnings o f men with less than
5 years o f experience do not vary greatly among
the m ajor fields o f engineering. Chart 9 shows
a difference o f less than $30 in 1946 between the
highest and the lowest medians in the 6 engineer
ing fields fo r men with 3 years o f experience, but
the difference fo r those with 30-34 years’ experi
ence is more than $200. This pattern o f widening
differences in salary with length o f experience
prevails in all 3 years covered by the survey—1939,
1943, and 1946. (See appendix table D -13.)
This condition suggests that factors other than
length o f experience affect salaries o f engineers,
and that these factors come into play later in the
engineer’s working life.
This point is even more clearly brought out
when the distribution o f engineers’ earnings at
different points in their work history is examined.
In chart 10 and appendix table D -12 the 10th,
25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles o f this distribu
tion are shown, as well as the median. It is evi
dent from these data that mere increase in length
o f experience does not insure a substantial rise in
earnings. The lowest 10 percent o f engineers in
most fields earned, when they had 20 to 29 years
o f experience, relatively little more than did the
lowest 10 percent o f those who had less than 6
52
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Chart 10.— Salary Differences Within Each Field of Engineering Employment Increase With
Years of Experience
PERCENTILE LEV ELS OF BASE MONTHLY SA LAR IES, 1946
MONTHLY SALARY
*
*
$1000
—
-----
MONTHLY SALARY
Chemical
800 ~
600 -
400
200
-J__________ L-
$1000
Mechanical
800 -
600 -
400
200
$1000
Other
80 0
600
400
200
_L_
10
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OP LABOR
BUREAU OP LABOR STATISTICS
Years of Experience
15
20
25
* Over $1000
30
and Over
53
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
years’ experience. The earnings o f the highest 10
percent rose much more rapidly, and the difference
between the earnings o f the better-paid and the
lowest-paid engineers widens sharply with experi
ence. This brings out the point that the figures
on median earnings, discussed throughout this
report, actually conceal a wide spread in earnings,
particularly for the more experienced engineers.
The exact means by which the cumulation o f
professional experience results in increases in
earnings was not fully brought out by the survey.
Possibly the most common method is the promo
tion or advancement o f the engineer to positions
o f greater responsibility or difficulty; the effect
o f this is discussed in the follow ing paragraphs.
Many o f the salary increases take place without
promotions, however. It is common practice in
industry to recognize that a man’s value to his
company increases with experience, and to com
pensate him for this by salary raises. This prac
T
able
tice is manifest either in form al arrangements for
periodic salary increases, such as are found in some
firms and in government agencies, or in a more
inform al manner.
Occupational Status
The type o f work perform ed by an engineer
apparently has much to do with the amount o f
money he is able to earn. Since it has been shown
that length o f experience directly affects earning
capacity, it is important to examine earnings by
occupation in relation to years o f experience. For
this reason, the median length o f experience o f
each group is given with the median salary in
the follow ing discussion.
Top salaries in 1946 in all the m ajor fields o f
engineering went to engineers employed in non
technical administration-management jobs (table
10). It is evident that these jobs are attained only
after many years o f experience. There are rela
tively few engineers in nontechnical administrative
1 0 . — M edian base monthly salary rates and median years o f experience fo r each field o f engineering employment , by
occupational status, 19^6
Civil
Chemical
Occupational status
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and
Metallurgical
Other
Median Median Median Median Median Median Median Median Median
Median Median
years
years Median
years
years
years
years
base
base
base
base
base
base
of
of
of
of
of
of
monthly experi monthly experi
monthly experi
monthly experi
monthly experi
monthly experi
salary
salary
salary
salary
salary
salary
ence
ence
ence
ence
ence
ence
All engineers reporting..............................
$363
8.8
$368
21.6
$393
15.9
$409
12.8
$417
13.8
$410
17.3
Administration-management, nontechni
cal........................ ..................................
Administration-management, technical—
Analysis and testing..................................
Construction supervision..........................
Consulting, independent........ ................ -
750
479
270
370
20.0
13.7
7.2
10.5
493
448
330
351
407
23.4
24.5
13.8
21.7
26.0
513
493
310
362
407
21.9
20.3
12.0
18.6
22.0
576
516
343
409
502
17.4
17.5
6.3
15.5
25.5
570
501
306
23.3
18.1
8.4
508
496
327
387
460
19.3
20.1
9.0
19.8
30.0
393
342
345
270
381
22.4
19.0
20.8
9.8
15.4
421
353
369
273
375
18.6
12.9
8.9
7.7
15.8
458
365
391
275
345
18.1
11.0
10.1
7.3
13.0
496
361
381
295
17.5
14.6
9.4
12.0
379
310
23.2
20.2
329
318
330
326
359
15.8
16.0
9.6
15.1
18.1
342
318
313
364
392
10.7
10.9
7.3
14.1
10.4
18.3
487
405
336
355
363
24.2
5.7
9.0
5.5
7.0
Consulting, as employee of private A rm Design..........i ............................1..............
Development- ............................. .............
Drafting.....................................................
Editing and writing—................................
Estimating__________________________
Inspection..................................................
Installation
......_llir ri
Maintenance.................................... .........
Operation..................................................
Patents
_ _ _______________
Personnol-lahftr problems
..........
Production....... .........................................
Research in basic science...........................
Research, applied......................................
Safety engineering.....................................
Sales..........................................................
Teaching, college.......................................
Any occupational status not specified
above_____________ ____ ____________
i Insufficient reports to compute median.
<9
400
359
327
<9
13.9
6.8
11.9
(9
w
(9
<9
hS
fl)
(l)
m
h)
fl)
(1)
357
(i)
(1)
339
314
324
0)
408
324
320
12.0
0)
362
319
(9
23.8
19.8
(9
0)
6.5
5.8
6.6
(9
(9
(9
(9
<9 „
(9
(9
11.6
8.5
8.0
378
364
356
306
16.8
20.3
20.0
17.5
460
(i)
324
359
393
<9
407
348
336
(9
7.0
10.2
8.1
(9
17.4
17.9
10.0
(9
409
342
395
(9
14.7
14.5
11.1
(9
420
475
(9
35.0
19.6
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
324
6.8
(9
333
330
(9
(9
364
(9
14.1
327
403
574
312
349
361
(9
405
427
433
8.5
7.0
9.2
(9
18.8
20.6
(9
9.0
18.9
18.3
(9
(9
(9
(9
348
368
10.4
11.3
(9
12.0
22.1
366
399
344
17.0
15.7
18.9
17.5
369
19.8
54
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
jobs 5 as compared with technical administrationmanagement work, where more than a quarter o f
the engineers in each o f the m ajor fields were em
ployed in 1946. Earnings and length o f experi
ence o f engineers engaged in administrative-man
agement work were both well above the median
fo r all engineers in each field o f specialization.
Although there were considerable differences,
among the different fields o f engineering, in me
dian salaries earned in administrative work, it is
obvious that these jobs represent the top o f the
financial ladder in every field.
Consulting engineers who were employees o f
private firms had relatively high monthly earn
ings, with median salaries from $25 to $86 higher
than the medians for all engineers in their respec
tive fields o f engineering; however, their median
years o f experience were also higher. (Inde
pendent consulting work actually yielded the
highest income o f all the types o f work, but only
a part o f the total income o f men engaged in such
work is reported as base monthly salary; therefore
only annual income—which includes fees and
bonuses—is meaningful for this category. See the
part o f this section on annual income, p. 67.)
College or university teaching yielded median
monthly earnings in 1946 which varied from $824
fo r chemical engineers with a median o f 8.5 years
o f experience to $427 for mining and metallurgical
engineers with 22 years o f experience. It should
be borne in mind that base monthly salary o f
teachers probably represents only the pay received
during the regular school term and does not in
clude any income which may have been received
from publications, special research work, consult
ing practice, or vacation employment.6 Teaching
•Exam ination o f the reports from engineers reporting their
field o f employm ent as “ nonengineering” indicates that a con
siderable number who were engaged in nontechnical adm inistra
tion-management classified their w ork as outside the engineering
field, even though it may have been their trainin g and experience
as engineers w hich had qualified them fo r these top-flight admin
istrative positions. The net result is th at the proportion o f non
technical adm inistration-m anagem ent jobs fo r each field o f engi
neering is probably u nderstated; also the accom panying high
salaries paid on this type o f w ork were n ot included in the
medians fo r the fields o f engineering from w hich these executives
came.
•R ecognition o f the fa c t th at facu lty members often have
opportunities fo r additional incom e is made in reports such as
th at o f the Minimum Salary Committee o f the Georgia Society o f
P rofessional Engineers, A tlanta, Ga., 1948, in w hich the com m it
tee suggests th at salaries o f facu lty members should be % o f
the norm al minimum provided fo r 12 m onths continuous employ
ment.
apparently offers important compensations other
than monetary considerations. An interview in
quiry conducted for the President’s Commission
on Higher Education in 29 institutions revealed
that faculty members felt secure in their positions,
were reasonably certain o f old-age security, were
well pleased with the results they were achieving,
and frankly recognized the high prestige value o f
the profession.7 Nevertheless a report o f a survey
made in 1947 o f 143 engineering schools has this
to say concerning salaries o f faculty m em bers:8
It is rather serious that the over-aU median o f
average salaries o f associate professors in all types
o f institutions is less than $4,000, o f assistant pro
fessors is less than $3,400, and o f instructors is less
than $2,600. These can hardly be considered as satis
factory base incomes (even though for the academic
year only) for professional men with the experience
and competency required for the specific ranks.
Design work employs a sizable proportion o f
engineers in all the m ajor fields o f engineering
except mining and metallurgical. In each field
o f engineering, earnings in design work are some
what below the average, but median years o f ex
perience are also 2 or 3 years under the median fo r
the field. The highest salaries for design work
are paid in the mechanical engineering field; onefifth o f all mechanical engineers are so employed.
Some types o f work are especially important
in a particular branch o f engineering. F or ex
ample, nearly 18 percent o f the civil engineers
were engaged in construction supervision in 1946;
the median salary o f this group was about $350
per month, their median experience 22 years.
About 17 percent o f the chemical engineers were
in development w ork; their median salary was
$327, their median experience 12 years. About
16 percent o f the mining and metallurgical en
gineers were engaged in applied research and aver
aged $361 per month (median experience, 9
yea rs); chemical engineers, o f whom 14 percent
were in applied research, earned a median o f $324
in this type o f work (median experience about
7 years).
* President's Commission on H igher E ducation, Staffing
Higher Education , V ol. IV , p. 49, December 1947, Superintendent
o f Documents, W ashington 25, D. C.
P rice 25 cents.
8 Report on Present-Day Salaries of Members o f the Instruction
Staffs of Engineering Schools in United States and Canada,
Journal o f E ngineering Education, September 1947, p. 39.
55
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
It is clear that there is great variance in salaries
o f engineers by type o f work performed. W hile
a part o f this is due to differences in length o f ex
perience, examination o f the reports o f engineers
having approximately the same amount o f experi
ence shows a wide range o f earnings, depending
upon the occupational status. As table 10 shows,
mechanical engineers engaged in administration,
personnel work, and research earned relatively
more, considering length o f experience, than those
engaged in drafting, college teaching, operation,
inspection, and installation. Chemical engineers
engaged in administration, sales, and design
earned relatively more than those in analysis and
testing, operation, and teaching. In civil engi
neering, administration and sales work paid more,
considering experience, than inspection, opera
tion, development, construction supervision, and
maintenance work. Electrical engineers had
relatively higher earnings in administration, con
sulting, sales, patents, research, and development
than in inspection, maintenance, teaching, esti
mating, operation, and construction supervision.
In mining and metallurgical engineering, those
engaged in administration, sales, and research
had higher earnings relative to their experience
than those in operation, production, analysis and
testing, and teaching.
In summary then, it is apparent that type o f
work perform ed has great influence on the earn
ings received in engineering. Length o f experi
ence is evidently an important factor in attain
ing certain types o f jobs, while others are open
to young engineers. Considering earnings in re
lation to experience, some variations are found
among the fields o f engineering, but, in general,
administration-management, research, and sales
jobs pay relatively better than such work as in
spection, analysis and testing, operation, and col
lege teaching.
Educational Level
That there are wide differences in the educa
tional attainment o f engineers among the major
fields o f engineering and also within a field has
been shown in the earlier part o f this report in
table 6, page 36. In this section earnings are
examined in relation to educational level, experi
ence, and occupational status. Table 11 and chart
11 show that, by and large, earnings are higher
for those with advanced degrees. In most fields
differentials in earnings between holders o f the
master’s degree and holders o f the doctor’s de
gree are considerably greater than between those
with the bachelor’s and master’s degree. Because
o f the small numbers with advanced degrees in
some fields, it is impossible to show salaries at
all experience levels.
Table 11.—
M edian base monthly salary rates fo r each
field o f engineering employments by level o f education and
years o f experiences 1946
Years of experience
Mas Bach Incom
Doc
elor’s plete
tor’s
ter’s
no
degree degree degree and
college
CHEMICAL
All engineers reporting........... ................
Less than 9 years...............................
9-14 years—........................................
15-24 years.........................................
25 years and over...............................
$472
409
477
570
783
$384
341
421
539
635
$345
302
408
501
625
$396
280
403
444
612
Median years of experience.....................
13.1
8.8
7.7
15.0
All engineers reporting.............................
$414
$429
Less than 9 years. ............................. l oon / 312
9-14 years........ _....................... ......... / ooU \ 364
15-24 years...............-......................... \ 4gg / 416
25 years and over...............................
l 480
$367
290
353
386
446
$354
314
314
343
381
Median years of experience......................
19.7
25. T
CIVIL
24.0
22.1
ELECTRICAL
All engineers reporting.............................
Less than 9 years..............................
9-14 years...........................................
15-24 years.............................-..........
25 years and over...............................
$500
420
513
505
665
$425
355
430
475
490
$382
302
375
436
529
$395
323
360
409
471
Median years of experience......................
17.8
16.1
14.4
20.0
MECHANICAL
$448
All engineers reporting.............................
$524
Less than 9 years.............................. \ 1QQ / 370
9-14 years—........................................ f TOU l 448
15-24 years......................................... l KAA / 508
25 years and over....... ...................... / DO^fc \ 526
$394
321
416
483
551
$432
331
414
445
494
15.4
11.0
20.7
Median years of experience......................
19.0
MINING AND METALLURGICAL
AH engineers reporting.............................
Less than 9 years..............................
9-14 years..........................................
15-24 years.........................................
25 years and over...............................
1?
1?
Median years of experience......................
$448
$533
1
A / 319
SA
OU
\ 440
511
7U
410 /\ 537
$391
302
392
500
595
$423
283
407
427
538
15.4
12.0
19.2
16.3
OTHER
All engineers reporting............................
Less than 9 years..............................
9-14 years..........................................
15-24 years........................................
25 years and over..............................
Median years of experience.....................
1/
1r
$469
$464
ilA / 349
?xU
\ 394
RU
ftft
O
U /\ 518
576
$407
315
383
454
551
$397
314
366
406
449
16.4
15.7
20.9
18.3
56
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Chart 11.— Relation of Engineers’ Earnings to Education
MEDIAN BASE MONTHLY SALARY RATES BY LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. 1946
MONTHLY SALARY
MONTHLY SALARY
$800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Years of Experience
57
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
T a b l e 12.— Characteristics o f engineers as related to occupational status, by field o f engineering, 19 46
Occupational status
Per
Per
cent
cent
with
Me
Me
with
Per
dian
dian
ad
no
cent
years vanced degree
base
age
of
month
degrees
in
distri
ly
bution experi
engi
engi
salary
ence
neer
neer
ing
ing
Occupational status
Per
cent
with
Me
Per
dian
ad
cent years
vanced
age
of
degrees
distri
in
bution experi
engi
ence
neer
ing
100.0
8.8
24.2
6.7
$363
Administration-management,
nontechnical.............................
Administration-management,
technical...................................
Analysis and testing.....................
Consulting, employee.—.............
Design..........................................
Development ...................... —
2.0
20.0
20.4
14.8
750
27.0
3.7
2.2
7.7
17.4
13.7
7.2
13.9
6.8
11.9
24.3
9.3
20.7
33.5
23.0
7.8
9.2
10.3
4.9
5.0
479
270
400
359
327
Operation........................ ...........
Production........................... .......
Research in basic science..............
Research, applied. ............... —
Sales.................................. ..........
Teaching, college..........................
Retired, student, unemployed___
All other occupational statuses. __
4.1
8.2
.9
13.9
3.0
2.5
3.3
4.1
12.0
6.5
5.8
6.6
11.6
8.5
10.0
16.0
43.5
27.7
19.8
67.2
6.4
4.6
357
339
314
324
408
324
4.7
8.6
CIVIL
All engineers reporting............... .
100.0
21.6
Administration-management,
nontechnical________________
Administration-management,
technical_______ ___________
Analysis and testing.................
Construction supervision.............
Consulting, independent.........—
Consulting, employee..................
2.5
27.4
1.1
17.6
4.1
3.3
Design..........................................
Development...............................
Drafting.............................. ........
Editing and writing.....................
Estimating...................................
Inspection....................................
Maintenance................................
Operation.-.............................. .
Research, applied............ ..........
Sales.......... ....... ..........................
Teaching, college______________
Retired, student, unemployed___
All other occupational statuses. __
11.0
23.2
$369
23.4
9.3
27.8
493
24.5
13.8
21.7
26.0
22.4
10.3
10.9
6.0
14.9
18.8
23.8
17.4
32.5
22.5
18.8
448
330
351
407
393
20.4
2.0
2.4
.7
2.7
2.0
19.0
20.8
9.8
15.4
23.2
20.2
10.4
9.1
2.8
22.6
6.8
7.8
18.9
22.7
19.8
3.2
22.2
26.7
342
345
270
381
379
310
3.5
1.2
1.3
1.3
2.4
.3
3.8
23.8
19.8
16.8
20.3
20.0
3.3
4.0
36.2
9.4
58.2
30.4
24.0
10.3
7.5
1.0
362
319
378
364
356
All engineers reporting................
Administration-m anagem ent,
nontechnical......................... .
Administration-m an a ge m en t ,
technical.. ................................
Analysis and testing............ .......
Construction supervision.............
Consulting, independent............
Consulting, employee. ................
Design....... ....... ............. ...........
Development...............................
Drafting.......................................
Estimating...................................
Inspection....................................
Installation..................................
Maintenance................................
Operation.....................................
Production...................................
Research in basic science.... .........
Research, applied ........................
Sales. ............................. ..............
Teaching, college..................... .
Retired, student, unemployed__
All other occupational statuses. __
100.0
12.8
100.0
15.9
13.9
month-
engi
neer
ing
salary
Jy
17.4
12.7
19.4
$409
2.5
17.4
7.7
27.4
576
29.5
3.3
1.9
1.4
3.8
19.4
7.8
1.8
1.1
1.0
.8
2.2
1.8
3.0
17.5
6.3
15.5
25.5
18.1
11.0
10.1
7.3
10.7
10.9
7.3
14.1
10.4
9.0
5.5
7.0
14.7
14.5
13.0
8.6
12.4
19.2
16.6
8.4
12.1
3.6
7.2
4.8
5.9
7.0
7.1
7.6
24.6
21.3
6.4
56.7
22.3
6.7
24.8
27.2
17.9
22.5
16.9
21.3
25.7
31.8
9.8
19.0
17.7
24.0
3.2
9.1
16.0
3.0
516
343
409
502
458
365
391
275
342
318
313
364
392
336
355
363
409
342
1.0
5.9
5.5
2.7
.8
2.8
MINING AND METALLURGICAL
All engineers reporting................
Administration- m anagem ent,
nontechnical................ .............
Administration -management,
technical______________ _____
Analysis and testing....................
Consulting, independent. ............
Consulting, employee. ................
Development...............................
Operation.....................................
Production.......... ........................
Research, basic science...............
Research, applied_____________
Sales___________ ___________ _______
Teaching, college................ .........
Retired, student, unemployed.._
All other occupational statuses...
100.0
13.8
2.7
38.8
3.7
2.0
3.9
5.9
5.6
6.4
2.0
16.3
2.3
2.6
.6
7.2
23.1
14.5
$417
23.3
17.7
17.6
570
18.1
8.4
35.0
19.6
6.8
14.1
8.5
7.0
9.2
12.0
22.1
23.3
15.5
25.6
34.7
19.0
8.2
10.0
23.1
33.7
3.3
66.7
15.8
‘22.2
28.2
12.2
5.4
20.5
15.0
7.6
9.0
13.3
3.0
501
306
420
475
324
364
312
349
361
405
427
25.8
$410
ELECTRICAL
All engineers reporting.... .......... .
Me
dian
negree
MECHANICAL
CHEMICAL
All engineers reporting. ...............
Per
cent
with
no
OTHER
$393
All engineers reporting. ...............
100.0
5.2
19.3
7.7
26.5
508
33.1
1.9
4.1
1.6
20.1
9.0
19.8
30.0
15.0
2.4
5.4
16.7
26.3
9.8
31.9
36.6
496
327
387
460
496
361
381
295
338
17.3
13.5
Administration- m a n a g em en t,
nontechnical________________
Administration-m a n a g e m e n t ,
technical...................................
Analysis and testing....................
Construction supervision.............
Consulting, independent.... .........
2.0
21.9
6.4
26.6
513
26.3
2.8
3.3
1.2
20.3
12.0
18.6
22.0
14.3
5.5
5.1
21.5
20.2
18.0
24.8
27.7
493
310
362
407
Administration-management,
nontechnical......................... .
Administration-management,
technical___________________
Analysis and testing.....................
Construction supervision.............
Consulting, independent.............
Consulting, employee..............
Design.. ................................. .
Development................. .......... .
Drafting......................................
Editing and writing............. .......
4.3
16.5
11.1
.9
.8
18.6
12.9
8.9
7.7
15.8
18.7
10.6
15.4
421
353
309
273
375
Consulting, employee..................
Design..........................................
Development...... .........................
Drafting.................................. .
Estimating...................................
3.3
5.6
3.5
1.0
1.8
17.5
14.6
9.4
12.0
18.8
13.3
7.8
13.1
8.1
15.1
15.3
11.5
22.5
29.7
7.2
24.0
31.2
14.5
33.3
35.7
Estimating...................................
Inspection....................................
Installation..................................
Maintenance................................
Operation.....................................
1.5
1.2
1.4
3.2
3.7
15.8
16.0
9.6
15.1
18.1
2.8
6.9
9.5
4.6
4.1
11.3
20.7
15.9
31.6
28.7
329
318
330
326
359
Inspection....................................
Maintenance...............................
Operation....................................
Patents........................................
Production...................................
2.4
1.8
2.5
1.0
3.8
20.6
9.0
18.9
18.3
10.4
1.9
5.0
5.3
8.7
3.6
50.9
22.5
26.3
8.7
13.1
330
327
403
574
348
Production...................................
Research, applied....................
Sales________________________
Teaching, college................. .......
Retired, student, unemployed___
All other occupational statuses. __
.9
6.3
6.2
2.8
.7
2.9
7.0
8.1
17.4
17.9
24.8
6.5
70.7
14.6
11.7
13.1
.8
324
393
407
348
Research, applied.........................
Safety engineering_____________
Sales.. ........ ................................
Teaching, college..........................
Retired, student, unemployed___
All other occupational statuses...
5.4
5.4
7.0
2.9
.4
6.3
11.3
17.0
15.7
18.9
35.1
4.0
7.2
66.2
12.8
48.0
22.2
4.6
368
366
399
344
58
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Examination o f salaries for men with compa
rable amounts o f experience shows that, in most
cases, those with degrees earn considerably more
in the long run than do those who did not com
plete college. Only in the lowest experience
bracket do engineers with the least form al educa
tion have salaries comparable to graduates in the
same field. The relatively high over-all median
salary fo r those who did not complete college is
obviously the result o f the age composition o f the
group; it should be noted (table 11) that in
every field the median years o f experience, and
therefore the age, is highest fo r those without de
grees.
In chemical engineering—a field in which a rela
tively large number hold advanced degrees—
those with the doctor’s degree had a median base
monthly salary about $100 above those with the
bachelor’s degree through the first 10 years o f ex
perience, and after 25 years in the profession the
differential was about $160 a month.
C ivil engineers had less spread in earnings than
engineers in most other fields, but the fact that
those with the master’s and the bachelor’s degree
ultimately earned $100 and $65 more, respectively,
than those with incomplete or no college educa
tion, is good evidence that academic training is
an asset. Holders o f doctor’s degrees employed
in electrical engineering had consistently higher
salaries than those at other educational levels.
Highest salaries in mechanical and mining and
metallurgical engineering were also earned by
those with doctors’ degrees.
The factors discussed so fa r which appear to
affect earnings—experience, type o f work, and
education—are brought together in summary
fashion in table 12. The engineering student, in
particular, w ill be interested in knowing in what
types o f work the most engineers are employed
within an engineering specialty, and in which
jobs it is most necessary to have an advanced de
gree. A n appraisal o f the average salary for va
rious jobs, as related to both education and ex
perience, can also be made from table 12.
Industry
The distribution o f engineers by industry differs
greatly by field o f engineering as was seen earlier
in the section o f this report on employment trends.
(See also table D -9 in the appendix.) Salaries
also vary considerably for each field o f engineer
ing within an industry. The data available from
the 1946 survey (table 13) show no industry which
consistently pays either exceptionally high or ex
ceptionally low salaries, to all types o f engineers.
The range o f median earnings by industry is wide
for all engineering specialties—particularly fo r
“ other,” chemical, and civil engineering.
T a b l e 13.— M edian base monthly salary rates fo r each field
o f engineering employment, by broad industry field, 19 4 6
Industry field
Chem Civil
ical
Min
ing
Me
Elec chani
and Other
trical
metal
cal lurgi
cal
Agriculture and forestry........
Mining...................................
Construction..........................
0)
$420
380
$344
380
362
0)
$390
389
0)
$445
411
0)
$429
(0
$351
405
388
Manufacturing.......................
Food and textiles.............
Lumber and paper..........
Printing and publishing..
Chemicals........................
Petroleum and coal..........
368
381
357
0)
377
357
402
0)
0)
<*)
389
400
390
0)
0)
0)
385
348
412
454
410
0)
416
415
413
0)
0)
0)
8
422
460
500
0)
400
419
343
440
366
388
0)
368
390
379
450
355
408
374
340
0)
395
391
397
382
413
414
410
399
422
352
395
(0
415
432
439
423
0)
0)
317
312
340
378
0)
392
369
395
364
436
367
368
386
410
410
395
395
401
80)
420
484
419
392
411
Rubber, stone, clay, and
glass products..... ..........
Iron, steel, and nonferrous
metals...........................
Machinery......................
Transportation equipment.
Other manufacturing.......
Transportation.......................
Communications....................
Utilities..................... _...........
Other specified industry fields.
Industry fields not specified—
428
343
i Insufficient reports to compute median.
Chemical engineers are employed chiefly in the
chemical and petroleum industries. In 1946, these
two industries paid median salaries o f $377 and
$357, respectively. Highest earnings were in other
industries, in which relatively few o f these en
gineers find employment.
The construction industry, which furnishes em
ployment for the great m ajority o f civil engineers,
showed median monthly earnings o f $362 in 1946,
or slightly below the median for all civil en
gineers. The few civil engineers in some manu
facturing industries had the highest median
salaries.
Highest median salary in the electrical engineer
ing field ($436) was in the communications indus
try which includes telephone, telegraph, and the
relatively new field o f radio broadcasting and tele
vision. The other large industry fo r electrical
engineers—machinery manufacturing—paid a
median salary slightly below that o f the entire
group.
59
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
The branch o f the profession in which there was
least variation by industry was in mechanical en
gineering. The range was only from $388 to
$454, with median salaries o f $414 in the machinery
manufacturing industry and $413 in the iron and
steel industry, which together employed about a
fourth o f the mechanical engineers.
In two industries which employed most mining
and metallurgical engineers—mining and the pro
cessing o f iron, steel, and nonferrous metals—
median salaries were $429 and $422 respectively.
The group o f “ other” engineers seemed to be
less concentrated in one or two industries than
were the members o f any o f the m ajor fields. The
median salaries in industries employing the largest
numbers were lower than in several o f the indus
tries where only a few engineers were employed.
Altogether, on the basis o f the evidence available
in this survey, differentials in salary by industry
seem to lack significance—industry in itself does
not appear to be a determining factor in the
amount o f money an engineer earns. The effect
o f other factors upon earnings, such as length o f
experience, type o f work done, and level o f edu
cation, is so great that it is difficult to determine
whether differences in earnings among industries
are significant in themselves or can be ascribed to
differences in the experience or education o f the
engineers employed in the industries, or in the
types o f work they do. The sample was not large
enough to make it possible to examine earnings o f
comparable engineers in the various industries.
Class of Worker
Most engineers find employment with private
firms, organizations or institutions. However,
public employment is o f special importance to civil
engineers, one-half o f whom were so employed in
1946. The field in which public employment was
least important was chemical engineering; only
about 5 percent o f these engineers were employed
by public agencies. Earnings vary considerably
between private and public employment, as shown
in table 14.
In private employment, besides the employee
group, are the engineers in business fo r them
selves—the employer and the independent consult
ant. W hile these men may allow themselves a
specified amount as monthly salary, or may actu
ally draw a salary from another employer, it is
obvious that base monthly salary is no indication
o f their total income. A discussion o f the income
o f self-employed engineers w ill be found under the
section on annual income. (See p. 62.)
A comparison o f monthly earnings o f employees
o f private firms with those o f government em
ployees is interesting. (See table 14 and appen
dix table D -17.) Since it is known that length
T a b l e 14.— Percentage distribution o f engineers by median years o f experience , and median base monthly salary rates fo r each
field o f engineering employm ent, by class o f worker, 1946
Field of engineering
Chemical:
Percentage distribution............... ......
Experience (years)2_______________
Salary__________________________
Civil:
Percentage distribution......................
Experience (years)2_______________
Salary__________________________
Electrical:
Percentage distribution......................
Experience (years)2_______________
Salary_________________________
Mechanical:
Percentage distribution......................
Experience (years)2- ______________
Salary_________________________
Mining and metallurgical:
Percentage distribution
Experience (years)2_______________
Salary - ________________________
Other:
Percentage distribution......................
Experience (years)2_______________
Salary__________________________
1 Includes students, retired, etc.
« Rounded to the nearest full year.
852396°— 50------ 5
Total
Employers
eesof
private
firms
Independ
ent con
sultants
Government employees
Other1
Federal
State
100.0
9
$363
3.5
14
$427
86.9
8
$365
1.3
27
$500
2.8
8
$363
1.8
9
$314
100.0
22
$368
7.0
23
$496
38.6
20
$382
4.0
25
$406
19.7
19
$399
15.1
22
$319
100.0
16
$393
3.8
20
$465
79.2
15
$395
1.5
20
$350
9.8
11
$406
1.6
19
$358
100.0
13
$409
6.6
20
$574
80.0
12
$407
2.8
19
$496
7.0
9
$400
1.5
19
$339
100.0
14
$417
4.7
22
$495
80.0
12
$415
3.4
35
$440
7.7
16
$415
2.1
21
$378
100.0
17
$410
10.0
19
$558
65.1
16
$413
3.6
26
$495
11.0
16
$410
5.3
20
$349
County
Municipal
0.1
(8)
0.6
(8)
(8)
( 3)
Other
0.2
2.8
(8)
(8)
3.5
25
$316
10.0
24
$345
1.2
26
$400
0.9
0.1
<3)
(8)
1.8
20
$343
0.9
16
$343
1.3
(4)
(8)
(8)
0.7
24
$373
0.3
20
$370
1.1
0.1
0.2
1.8
1.2
22
$413
1.5
(8)
(8)
0.4
(8)
(8)
8Insufficient reports to compute median.
* Less than 0.05 percent.
1.9
20
$335
8
60
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
o f experience affects earnings, it is important to
take this factor into consideration when analyz
ing any aspect o f earnings. Engineers employed
by the Federal Government had median years o f
experience comparable to private firm employees
for most fields, and, likewise, salaries were gen
erally comparable. In civil and electrical engi
neering, however, median salaries in the Federal
Government were a little higher than those in
private employment despite the fact that median
years o f experience were less by 1 to 4 years.
Engineers employed by State governments had
median monthly earnings averaging nearly $60
less than Federal employees, although on the aver
age, they reported a greater amount o f experience.
Only in civil engineering were the numbers em
ployed by county and municipal governments o f
any consequence. These employees had lower
than average earnings. The large proportion o f
civil engineers in State and local employment may
explain, in part, the comparatively low over-all
salaries in this field o f engineering.
Employment Location
Table D -14, in the appendix, shows the median
salaries and the distribution o f engineers for the
principal States where engineers were employed
in 1946. The three Middle Atlantic States (New
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) furnished
employment for a fourth or more o f all engineers,
with New Y ork State having the largest number
in all fields except mining and metallurgical engi
neering. The average salary in New Y ork was
higher in each field o f engineering than the aver
age for the entire group. This is probably due in
large part to the high proportion o f administra
tion-management jobs in central offices located in
New York.
Highest salaries were reported by engineers lo
cated in the District o f Columbia. This may be
a result o f the many administrative positions held
by engineer employees in the Federal Government.
Because the District o f Columbia is an entirely
urban area, earnings o f engineers employed there
cannot be compared with States which include
rural areas and small towns with diversified in
dustries and relatively low living costs.
It was not possible to determine whether d if
ferences in salaries by States are significant in
themselves, or whether they merely reflect d if
ferences in types o f engineering positions, and in
the length o f experience o f the engineers employed.
Income in Addition to Base M o n th ly Salary
Am ong the factors affecting the total income o f
engineers is the amount o f money which they re
ceive in addition to their regular base salaries,
from such sources as overtime, fees, bonuses, and
other services in both engineering and nonengi
neering work. In addition to their base monthly
salary rates, engineers were asked in the 1946 sur
vey to report two other types o f data on their
earnings:
1. Monthly salary rates inclusive o f overtime
payments, but exclusive o f fees and bo
nuses.
2. Annual income from salaries or personal
services in both engineering and nonengi
neering work, including fees and bonuses.
Overtime was o f little significance in 1939 and
1946, but in 1943, a year o f heavy war production,
the overtime paid to engineers was considerable.
Table 15 shows that the younger groups profited
the most from overtime payments, with median
monthly salaries being increased by as much as
$45 to $50 in some fields at the 1-, 2-, and 3-year
experience levels.
There were wide differences in the effect o f over
time on earnings in the various fields o f engineer
ing. The increase in median monthly earnings
ranged from $15 fo r civil engineers to $30 fo r
mechanical engineers. The nature o f the work
performed and its relation to war production were
no doubt important factors in the amount o f over
time required in 1943. Since younger men were
in the jobs in which overtime payments were im
portant, the age composition o f the men in a field
o f engineering also affected the average amount o f
overtime paid.
Certain sources o f income, such as fees, bonuses*
and other extra payments fo r engineering or non
engineering services, were not included in the re
ports on monthly salary. However, the engineers
61
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
T able 15.— Comparison o f median monthly salary rales excluding and including overtime fo r each field o f engineering em
ploym ent, by years o f experience, 1943
Median monthly salary and overtime, by field of engineering employment
Years of experience
Civil
Chemical
Mining and metal
lurgical
Mechanical
Electrical
Other
Exclud Includ Exclud Includ Exclud Includ Exclud Includ Exclud Includ Exclud Includ
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
ing
overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime overtime
$278
$303
$313
$328
$313
$336
$326
$366
$332
$348
$331
$351
Less than 1 year-______ . . . . . .
1 year________ ________ . . . .
2 years___________ ______ —
3 years___________ -_____ —
4 years______ ___ -_____ ——
5 years________________ ——
177
208
222
244
264
266
214
237
252
270
282
300
183
198
220
231
241
246
204
243
269
264
269
263
186
204
219
240
247
266
214
238
268
275
277
305
179
211
235
259
272
281
219
252
285
305
308
315
203
198
216
233
261
295
219
213
236
265
262
302
193
213
239
256
255
273
218
234
271
284
265
312
6 years______ . . . . . . . . . __ ___
7-3 years_________-__ -__ —
9-11 years_________________
12-14 years________________
16-19 years________________
279
307
346
382
406
301
324
361
397
428
302
269
272
296
307
313
275
302
314
321
269
284
307
320
352
307
308
332
337
374
291
314
344
355
400
326
343
369
388
426
267
314
338
386
414
287
327
368
417
429
273
294
320
336
360
304
310
338
349
373
29-24 years________________
25-29 years..____ __________
30-34 years______ __________
36-39 years..............................
40 years and over___________
466
681
696
607
660
483
577
620
558
666
333
355
372
390
408
347
367
378
394
423
399
450
482
497
494
419
471
490
508
512
429
429
466
477
601
452
458
479
488
614
430
520
526
583
520
440
520
520
595
533
390
471
477
490
475
403
475
496
504
487
All engineers______________
were asked to include such income, as well as sal
ary and overtime payments, in their reports on
annual income. Annual income was reported for
1939 and 1943. (Since the survey took place dur
ing the year 1946, it was not possible to collect an
nual income data for that year.) The extent o f
income received from sources other than regular
salary and overtime pay may be appraised by com
paring the average annual income reported with
the figure computed by m ultiplying monthly sal
ary rates (including overtime) by 12—what might
be called “ annual earnings from salary and over
time.” This comparison is shown in table 16.
Engineers in all fields and at virtually all levels
o f experience had an average annual income in ex
cess o f their annual earnings as thus computed.
Income from fees, bonuses, and so forth, is there
fore a significant factor in the earnings o f engi
neers. The fact that annual income fo r some o f
the younger engineers is less than 12 times the
T able 16.— Comparison o f median total annual incom e 1 and median computed annual earnings from salary and overtime,2
f o r each field o f en gin eerin g em p lo ym en t, b y yea rs o f exp erien ce, 1 9 4 3
Chemical
Years of experience
Civil
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and metal
lurgical
Other
Earnings3
Earnings3
Earnings3
Earnings3
Earnings3
Earnings3
(salary
Total
(salary
Total
(salary
Total
(salary
Total
(salary
(salary
Total
Total
income1 and over income1 and over income1 and over income1 and over income1 and over income1 and over
time)
time)
time)
time)
time)
time)
All engineers...........................
$3,673
$3,636
$4,087
$3,936
$4,196
$4,020
$4,485
$4,272
$4,480
$4,176
$4,501
$4,212
Less than 1 year......................
1 year......................................
2 years....................................
3 years....................................
4 years......................... ..........
5 years....................................
2,509
2,800
2,984
3,260
3,378
3,578
2,568
2,844
3,024
3,240
3,384
3,600
2,467
2,825
3,031
3,133
3,300
3,200
2,448
2,916
3,108
3,048
3,108
3,156
2,523
2,869
3,203
3,280
3,438
3,541
2,568
2.856
3,216
3,300
3,324
3,660
2,580
3,023
3,400
3,667
3,737
3,933
2,628
.3,024
3,420
3,660
3,696
3,780
2,667
2,733
3,000
3,111
3,350
3,525
2,628
2,.556
2,832
3,060
3,144
3,624
2,522
2,883
3,350
3,467
3,473
3,760
2,616
2,808
3,252
3,408
3,180
3,744
6 years___________________
7-8 years.............................. —
9-11 years............................ —
12-14 years........ .................—
15-19 years-------------------------
3,624
3,932
4,660
4,871
5,247
3,612
3,888
4,332
4,764
5,136
3,800
3,324
3,770
3,816
3,951
3,756
3,300
3,614
3,768
3,852
3,748
3,838
4,189
4,259
4,681
3,684
3,696
3,984
4,044
4,488
3,937
4,309
4,637
4,854
5,229
3,900
4,116
4,428
4,656
5,112
3,564
4,104
4,314
5,000
5,256
3,444
3,924
4,296
5,004
5,148
3,564
3,800
4,146
4,557
4,732
3,648
3,720
4,056
4,188
4,476
20-24 years------------------------25-29 years------------------------30-34 years..............................
35-39 years..............................
40 years and over.... ...............
6,107
7,800
7,850
6,360
8,100
5,796
6,924
7,440
6,696
7,980
4,314
4,713
4,703
4,984
5,220
4,164
4,404
4,536
4,728
5,076
5,156
5,756
6,075
6,600
6,240
5,028
5,652
5,880
6,096
6,144
5,808
5,869
6,325
6,500
7,629
5,436
5,496
5,748
5,856
7,368
5,775
7,950
7,350
7,650
7,125
5,280
6,240
6,240
7,140
6,396
5,400
5,963
6,390
6,300
6,525
4,836
5,700
5,952
6,048
5,844
1Includes income received from salaries, overtime, personal services, fees,
and bonuses, both engineering and nonengineering work.
3 Computed by multiplying median monthly salary, including overtime,
by 12 (excludes fees, bonuses, and any income from nonengineering work).
62
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
monthly salary indicates that some engineers did
not work the full 12 months.
Income from fees and bonuses appears to in
crease with additional experience. A fter about
5 years o f experience engineers reported a notice
able amount o f extra income, and in most cases
it attained greatest importance for engineers who
had about 25 to 35 years o f experience. There is
great variation among engineering fields in the
amount received above salary. For example at
the 25-29 year experience level the difference be
tween median annual income as reported and me
dian annual earnings including overtime as com
puted, ranges from about $100 for electrical
engineers to $1,700 for mining and metallurgical
engineers. Such differences may reflect the num
bers engaged in consulting or other independent
work in which fees and bonuses are significant.
It is interesting to see in what type o f employ
ment engineers earn the greatest amounts beyond
their base salaries. Table 17 shows median an
nual income as reported for 1943 compared to base
annual salary (computed without overtime) for
engineers in private and those in public employ
ment. A s might be expected, those in private
employment had somewhat more income from
sources other than salary than did engineers in
public employment. However, it is the employers
and independent consultants who had the really
significant additional income. Since men in these
positions are known to be concentrated in the
higher experience brackets, and therefore receive
only a small amount o f overtime pay (see table
15), it can be assumed that their additional income
is derived largely from such sources as fees and
bonuses. On page 59 o f this report, it is pointed
out that monthly salary fo r employers and con
sultants lacked significance. The annual incomes
shown in table 17 are a more accurate reflection o f
the earnings o f these engineers.
T a b l e 17.— Comparison o f median total annual incom e 1 and median computed annual base salary 2 {excluding overtime)
fo r each field o f engineering employm ent, by class o f worker, 1948
Median annual income and median annual base salary
Civil
Chemical
Field of employment (class of worker)
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and
metallurgical
Other
Total
Total
Total
Base
Base
Base
Total
Total
Base
Base
Total
Base
income1 salary* income1 salary* income1 salary * income1 salary * income1 salary* income1 salary *
Total.........................................................
$3,673
$3,336
$4,087
$3,756
$4,196
$3,756
$4,485
$3,912
$4,480
$3,984
$4,501
$3,972
Private employment.................................
Employer...........................................
Employee of a private firm. - .............
Independent consultant......................
3,706
6,000
3,667
00
3.372
4,860
3.372
ft
4,701
10,088
4,548
5,438
4,152
6,204
4,080
4,500
4,377
7,950
4,333
5,500
3,876
6,264
3,840
4,716
4,642
10,200
4,542
9,100
4,020
7,440
3.960
6,240
4,528
7,500
4,388
9,700
4,008
5,360
3,960
3,840
4,721
8,550
4,535
6,960
4,152
7,092
4,056
5,196
Public employment...................................
Employee of Federal Government----Employee of State government - .........
Employee of county government-.......
Employee of municipal government__
Employee of other public authority—.
3,433
3,556
3,150
3,132
3,108
3,096
ft
3,760
3,795
3,889
ft
3,611
3,633
3.336
3.336
3,456
ft
3,348
3,288
3,348
3,300
3,756
ft
3.960
(3)
4,308
4,400
3,960
3,864
3,888
3,804
3,958
4,044
3,633
8
3,480
3,552
3,312
3,288
3,612
4,212
3,791
3,690
4,120
1
3,721
3,899
3,414
3,486
3,819
4,240
(3)
(3)
8
3,667
5,150
3,600
3,624
3,492
(3)
3,480
4,920
1Includes income received from salaries, overtime, personal services, fees,
and bonuses in both engineering and nonengineering work.
* Computed by multiplying base monthly salary by 12 (excludes overtime,
ft
4,250
<*>
ft
fees, bonuses, and any income from nonengineering work),
3Insufficient reports to compute median.
Trends in Earnings
The influence o f general economic conditions on
engineers’ earnings is o f interest to members o f
the profession and prospective students. Keports
on remuneration and other pertinent data were
collected for 1939 and 1943 as well as 1946 in the
most recent survey made by the Bureau, and for
1929,1932, and 1934 in the previous survey.9 Thus
®U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics,
Employment and Earnings in the Engineering Profession 1929
to 19Sit, Bulletin No. 682, Superintendent o f Documents, Wash
ington 25, D. C., 1941. Price 25 cents.
the information available covers a period in which
there were significant changes in the National econ
omy—1929, a year in which earnings were high
and there was little unemployment in any o f the
professions; 1932 and 1934, severe depression years
with attendant low salaries, unemployment, and
work relief; 1939, a year in which the country was
recovering from the depression; 1943, a war year;
and 1946, a postwar year with full employment
and continuing shortages o f technical manpower.
63
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
M O N T H L Y SALARIES, 1 9 2 9 -4 6
Since the earnings range o f engineers is so wide,
and so great a variety o f factors affect those earn
ings, figures for fields o f engineering employment
are o f limited significance. However, it is o f in
terest to examine table 18 and note the general
effect o f economic conditions on average monthly
salaries. From 1929 to 1934 engineers in all fields
suffered decreases in median salaries ranging from
$60 to $123 a month or about 22 to 38 percent, de
pending upon field o f specialization. Engineers
who were most dependent on manufacturing in
dustries apparently had the greatest decreases.
From 1934 to 1939 there was an upswing in earn
ings, but increases were not sufficient to bring
average salaries back to 1929 levels. As a matter
o f fact, over the decade from 1929 to 1939 earnings
decreased by from 8 percent to nearly 33 percent,
depending on field o f engineering.
Earnings advanced further after 1939 as first
the defense production period and then the war
boosted the demand fo r engineers. By 1943, aver
age monthly salaries had advanced beyond the
1929 level fo r all but chemical and mining and
metallurgical engineers.
By 1946, earnings had advanced further in all
fields. From 1939 to 1946 they advanced by $125
to $150, or over 50 percent in every field. Over
the entire 17-year period (1929-46) median
monthly earnings increased by 11.3 percent for
chemical engineers, 24.9 percent for mining and
metallurgical engineers, 32.9 percent fo r civil en
gineers, 31.5 percent fo r mechanical engineers, and
42.9 percent for electrical engineers.
There is considerable evidence that earnings o f
engineers have increased since 1946. A survey o f
members o f the Institute o f Ceramic Engineers
showed an increase from 1946 to 1947 o f 6.3 per
cent in median base monthly salaries for that
T
able
group.101 Scattered reports from schools o f engi
neering indicated that graduates in 1948 were re
ceiving monthly salaries from $10 to $75 higher
than those offered graduates in 1947. A survey
made o f business and industrial concerns in late
1948 regarding the employment o f college and
university graduates revealed that 121 companies
paid an average monthly salary o f $261 for start
ing engineers. A similar survey a year earlier
indicated an average starting salary o f approxi
mately $235 per month.11 Reports from a survey
o f Stanford University engineering graduates,
who received degrees during the school year June
1947 to June 1948, showed average starting sal
aries o f $261 a month for engineers with the bache
lor’s degree and $297 for those with the master’s
degree.121
3 Most beginning engineers employed by
the Federal Government received a salary increase
from about $225 to $250 a month in 1948.
Eighty-six companies, employing large num
bers o f engineers, indicated that the percentage
increase in salary that had occurred between
August 1946 and the end o f 1948 was 20 percent.
It was believed that salaries o f younger engineers
increased by a greater percent than those o f more
experienced engineers.18
10 Economic Status of Ceramic Engineers, 19S9 to 1947.
Mimeographed report available on request to the U. S. Depart
ment o f Labor's Bureau o f Labor Statistics, W ashington 25,
D. C.
11 Trends in the Employment of College and University Grad
uates in Business and Industry, School and College Placement,
March 1949, p. 57.
12 Stanford University, An Employment Survey of Stanford
University Engineering Graduates Who Received Degrees During
the School Year June 1947 to June 1948, Stanford University,
Calif., December 1948. Mimeographed. 12 pp.
13 American Society o f Engineering Education, A Survey of
Teachers* Salaries in Engineering Schools and a Comparison of
These With Salaries Paid to Engineers in Nonteaching Employ
ment, June 1949, p. 81.
18. — Comparison o f median base monthly salary rates, by field o f engineering employm ent fo r specified years
Median monthly earnings
Field of engineering employment
1929
Chemical................ ............. .............
Civil ..................................................
Electrical...........................................
Mechanical................. .......................
Mining and metallurgical........ ...........
$326
277
275
311
334
1932
1934
1939
1943
$251 $203 $220 $278
229 205 244 313
232 215 253 313
246 215 258 326
274 241 267 332
Amount of increase or decrease
Percentage increase or decrease
1934- 1939- 1929- 1934- 1929- 1929- 1934- 1939- 1929- 1934- 19291946 192934
39
46
39
46
34
39
46
39
46
46
46
$363 -$123
368 -72
393 -60
409 -96
417 -93
$17 $143 -$106
39 124 -33
38 140 -22
43 151 -53
26 150 -67
$160
163
178
194
176
$37 -37.7
91 -26.0
118 -21.8
98 -30.9
83 -27.8
8.4
19.0
17.7
20.0
10.8
65.0 -32.5
50.8 -11.9
55.3 -8 .0
58.5 -17.0
56.21-20.1
1
78.8
79.5
82.8
90.2
73.0
11.3
32.9
42.9
31.5
24.9
64
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Chart 12.— How Engineers’ Salaries increased With Years o f Experience Under Varying
Economic Conditions
0
5
10
UNITEO ST A T E S D E P A RTM E N T OF LA BO R
BUREAU OF LA BO R S T A T IS T IC S
15
20
25
30
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
35
40
*
45
50
ond over
INSUFFICIENT REPORTS TO COMPUTE MEDIAN
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
65
Chart 12.— How Engineers’ Salaries Increased With Years o f Experience Under Varying
Economic Conditions— Continued
A more recent survey o f industrial companies
and governmental agencies concerning their 1949
employment programs fo r engineering graduates
revealed the follow ing median monthly starting
rates, depending on field o f engineering; bache
lor’s degree—$250 to $275, master’s degree—$275
to $315, doctor’s degree—$295 to $400. The same
survey showed that engineering graduates who
had been out o f school fo r 10 years in late 1948
were receiving 20 percent higher salaries than
graduates with similar experience in 1946.14
It has been mentioned earlier in this report
14 See footnote 4, p. 11.
that the educational level o f engineers has risen
noticeably in the last 15 or 20 years. In order
to eliminate the possible bias in earnings data
caused by differences in education, chart 12 (see
also appendix table D -6 ) presents median base
monthly salary for 1929,1934, and 1946 fo r those
engineers with the bachelor’s degrees, the most
common educational preparation among engineers.
Because o f the high proportion o f engineers at
this level o f education, average salaries o f those
with the bachelor’s degree differ very little from
average salaries when engineers at all edu
cational levels are combined.
The manner in which earnings o f engineers at
66
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOB ENGINEERS
Chart 13.— Engineers’ Salaries Over a 17-Year Period
MEDIAN BASE MONTHLY SALARY RATES AT 3 EXPERIENCE LEVELS*
Monthly Salary
Monthly Salary
EXPERIENCE
■
25 Years
------------ 10 Years
o-oo-o-o-o-o Less Than I Year
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABO R
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
*D A T A FOR 1929, 1932 AND 1934 A RE FOR
THOSE W ITH BACHELOR DEGREE ONLY.
67
THE EARNINGS OF ENGINEERS
the different experience levels were affected by
economic conditions is best demonstrated by chart
13. In all fields o f engineering, beginner’s sal
aries were cut less from 1929 to 1934, both in dol
lars and percentagewise (about $35 or 26 percent)
than were those o f more experienced engineers.
Entrance salaries were also the first to regain
their predepression level, and rose, from 1934 to
1946, by approximately $130 or over 100 percent.
Engineers at the 10-year experience level re
ceived, in 1934, approximately $100 or 30 percent
less than similarly experienced engineers in 1929.
In most fields it was a decade or more before sal
aries o f engineers with 10 years o f experience
had risen to the 1929 average.
A N N U A L INC
The trend in annual income over the 14-year
period beginning in 1929 can be clearly seen in
table 19. From 1929 to 1934 income decreased
considerably in all major fields. Chemical engi
neers experienced the greatest decrease in median
incomes (46 percent). Income o f civil engineers
declined least, both in dollar amount and percent
agewise (30 percent). Annual incomes, particu
larly in the years 1932 and 1934, were affected
considerably by periods o f unemployment. B y
1939, incomes had risen substantially in all fields
T able
19.— C om pa rison
Field of engineering
employment
Chemical..........................
Civil................................
Electrical........................
Mechanical......................
Mining and metallurgical.
VIE, 1929-43
but the averages were still less than they had been
a decade earlier. In the next 4-year period (193943) increases o f approximately $900 to $1,200
brought them above the 1929 medians, except for
the chemical engineering field where the influx
o f young engineers kept the average income figure
low in relation to other fields. It is evident that
over the entire period covered by the two surveys,
economic conditions caused earnings in all fields
o f engineering to move in the same general
direction.
o f m ed ia n annual in com e, b y field o f en gin eerin g em p loym en t, fo r specified y ea rs
Median annual income
1929
Economic conditions appear to have affected
older engineers—those with 25 years o f experi
ence—in about the same manner as those at the
10-year level, although the percentage decrease
in earnings from 1929 to 1934 was somewhat less
in most fields fo r the more experienced group.
It should be pointed out that this discussion is
limited to the effect o f economic conditions on
actual reported earnings at different experience
levels. Unemployment imposed hardships on
these groups in differing degrees. It is known
that many graduates were not able to enter the
profession during the thirties, thus salary data
tell only a part o f the depression story for the
beginning group o f engineers.15
1932
Amount of increase or decrease
1934
1939
1943
$3,803 $2,625 $2,047
3,291 2,545 2,297
3,277 2,509 2,214
3,699 2,681 2,324
4,010 3,061 2,626
$2,756
3,089
3,214
3,269
3,450
$3,673
4,087
4,19%
4,485
4,480
Percentage increase or decrease
1929-34 1934-39 1939-43 1929-39 1934-43 1929-43 1929-34 1934-39 1939-43 1929-39 1934r-43 1929-43
-$1,756
- 994
-1,059
-1,375
-1,384
$709 $917 -$1,047 $1,626 -$130 -46.2
792
998 -202 1,790
796 -30.2
982
996
-63 1,978
919 -32.3
945 1,216 -430 2,161
786 -37.2
824 1,030
-560 1,854
470 -34.5
34.6
34.5
44.9
40.7
31.4
33.3 -27.5
32.3 -6 .1
30.6 -1 .9
37.2 -11.6
29.9 -14.0
79.4
77.9
89.2
93.0
70.6
-3 .4
24.2
28.0
21.2
11.7
Implications for Guidance
The extent to which a prospective student is
influenced in choosing a field o f work by the mone
tary returns which he expects is not known, but
there has always been a demand fo r this informa
tion from persons seeking vocational guidance.
Certainly greater weight should be given to other
more important considerations—such as general
interest and ability—but a young person does want
to know what he may expect in the way o f a be
ginning salary and opportunities fo r advance
ment. Similarly, older engineers want informa
tion about prevailing rates fo r jobs at higher
15 u. s. Department o f Labor’s Bureau o f Labor Statistics,
Employment and Earnings in the Engineering Profession, 1929 to
19$b, Bulletin 682,, pp. 92-119, Superintendent o f Documents,
W ashington 25, D. C., 1941. Price 25 cents.
68
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
levels, and such information sometimes is an im
portant factor in job changes.
The section o f this report which discusses earn
ings shows what has happened to the average in
come o f engineers over a period o f 17 years under
varying economic conditions. It also demon
strates that earnings are affected by such factors
as length o f experience, education, kind o f work
done, type o f employer, and that they vary sharply
with general economic conditions.
W hile statistical surveys, such as those made in
1935 and 1946, are useful in showing what the
average person may expect by way o f remunera
tion in the engineering profession, caution should
be exercised in applying such findings to individ
ual cases. The salary range is great. Many en
gineers never aJvan^beyoiTd the earnings level
o f the average clerical or factory worker; in 1946,
as many as one-fourth o f the engineers with 6 to
11 years o f experience averaged less than $330
monthly. On the other hand the highest paid 10
percent o f the engineers with 5 years5 ©r less ex
perience had higher median earnings than the
lowest 10 percent o f the group with 30 years’ or
more experience. _So it- isjevident that, while ex
perience does increase earning capacity, it does not
do so for everyone. It is perfectly possible for
a man with a degree iougngineeiAng to remain in
low salaried jobs.
Young people who are spending their time and
money to attain a college education should know
that they can gain an engineering degree without
having the capacity to advance far up the profes
sional ladder. I f they give up the chance to be
top-notch artisans, good foremen, or able sales
men merely to become mediocre engineers, they
are paying a high price for their status as profes
sional workers. Nor is it merely a matter o f ab
solute incompetence. There are successive ceiling
levels, and fairly considerable numbers who are
capable o f perform ing jobs at a higher level are
bound to find themselves remaining in routine as
signments. On the other hand, the top o f the
profession is so well rewarded both in terms o f
remuneration and job content that it is well worth
sacrifice and struggle to attain it. Furthermore
it is still possible, although increasingly difficult,
for a man not trained in college to supply himself
with a background o f knowledge sufficient to gain
a foothold and to advance in engineering.
In this report, little emphasis has been placed
on the differences in earnings among the various
fields o f engineering. Many o f these differences
may be explained by the age distribution, educa
tional level, or type o f work done by engineers
in each field. However, the supply and demand
situation in the various fields has no doubt in
fluenced earnings to a great extent. The rapid ex
pansion o f industries using certain types o f en
gineers may create scarcities o f experienced men
and result in high salaries being paid by employ
ers who are competing for the services o f these
men. So it must not be concluded that the pattern
o f differences in earnings among fields o f en
gineering, as shown in the 1946 survey, w ill neces
sarily continue in the future.
O ccupational M o b ility of Engineers
W hat is the extent o f occupational flexibility in
engineering? A re engineers able to obtain em
ployment in fields other than those in which they
received their form al education? Do engineers
shift among the different fields o f specialization
within engineering, as well as to and from occu
pations outside the field ? T o what extent do they
move among industries and from one State to
another ? Finally, how often do they change func
tions within a field and what are the patterns o f
such shifts, if any?
These questions are o f practical interest. The
young man who is thinking o f entering the pro
fession may be interested in his ability to get a
job in another branch o f engineering if he should
be unable to find employment in the branch in
which he majors in college. Educators in the
field may be concerned with the flexibility o f the
engineering force o f the Nation—its ability to
adapt to changing economic or m ilitary needs, and
the implications, if any, for engineering education.
T o those responsible for recruitment and employ
ment o f technical personnel, information on the
movement o f engineers among industries may be
o f interest.
The 1946 Survey o f the Engineering Profession
provides some information on the occupational
m obility o f individuals between 1939 and the other
two survey years, 1943 and 1946. From the point
o f view o f assessing the m obility o f engineers, these
years are well chosen. The first was a year in
which the Nation’s economy had not yet recovered
from a depression; the second, one o f full m obili
zation for w ar; the third, a postwar year o f high
employment levels. The over-all demand for en
gineers greatly increased during the intervening 7
years, and the character o f the demand shifted,
with changing emphasis on the various types o f
engineering work. Follow ing a peak in construc
tion activity in 1942, needs fo r civil engineers
dropped, to recover somewhat in 1946. The con
version o f metalworking industries to production
o f munitions in late 1941 and early 1942 called for
mechanical and electrical engineers—particularly
the form er—to do the required plant lay-out, de
sign, and development work. The operation o f
new shipyards, and plants making aircraft, mu
nitions, explosives, synthetic rubber, aviation gaso
line, and many other products created many new
jobs for mechanical, electrical, chemical, and met
allurgical engineers, while the need to expand
output o f metals by the working o f less profitable
ores made for increased demand for mining en
gineers. Research on products such as weapons
and drugs needed during the war called for highly
trained engineers in certain specialties, as well as
physicists, chemists, and other scientists.
These changing industrial needs resulted in
shifts o f men among engineering fields. As activ
ity increased in certain industries and declined
in others, and as plants and research centers were
built in new locations— often far from prewar
centers o f manufacturing activity—the need arose
for engineers to move from one industry or State
to another.
Relationship Between Education and Employment
One o f the more significant aspects o f occupa
tional m obility among engineers is the ability o f
some members o f the profession to find employ
ment in a branch o f engineering other than the
one in which they received their education. Dur
ing their working lives, more than 20 percent had
changed to a field o f engineering employment
other than that in which they were educated.
These changes are made possible by the fact that
the core o f basic engineering training is common
to all fields.
The educational background o f the men em
ployed in each field in 1946 is shown in table 20-A .
As would be expected, the m ajority o f those em
ployed in each specific field were educated in that
field. However, between 10 and 36 percent o f the
engineers employed in each field had received
their education in some other field.
A greater proportion o f those educated in min
ing or metallurgical engineering changed to some
other employment field than did those educated
in any other field. These changes appear to have
been made easier by the fact that mining engineer69
70
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
T a b l e 2 0 -A .— Percentage distribution o f engineers within 1946 em ploym ent fields, by field o f education
Field of engineering employment
Field of education
Total
Chemical
Total reporting.................................................................
Chemical.........................................................................
C iv il..............................................................................
Electrical..........................................................................
Mechanical.......................................................................
Mining and metallurgical................................................
Other engineering................................................... ........
Nonengineering1.................. ..........................................
Civil
Mining
Electrical Mechanical and metal
lurgical
Other
Nonengi
neering em
ployment
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
14.5
21.7
22.9
24.1
5.3
7.1
4.4
90.5
2.0
.8
2.3
1.1
1.0
2.3
1.4
86.4
2.0
2.7
1.8
1.5
4.2
.9
2.4
5.6
7.1
70.3
1.3
9.1
4.2
16.7
4.4
2.6
4.7
64.2
3.3
4.1
8.7
18.0
14.2
16.8
4.6
30.9
6.8
17.8
18.2
21.6
18.9
6.4
9.9
7.2
1.3
87.3
4.0
.2
2.0
4.3
i Includes respondents who indicated no college training in engineering but who may have had such training in a nonengineering field.
ing training and experience is so varied that it
gives some men an opportunity to qualify for
mechanical and civil engineering.
There was considerable movement out o f chem
ical engineering but relatively less movement into
that field. More than 26 percent o f the respond
ents educated in chemical engineering were em
ployed in other fields in 1946, principally in min
ing and metallurgical, “ other”, and mechanical
engineering. In contrast, only 10 percent o f the
men employed in chemical engineering were edu
cated in other fields. This may be explained in
part by the fact that there were more graduates
in chemical engineering than in any other single
field, except mechanical, from 1941 to 1944. Per
haps another factor was the more comprehensive
content o f the chemical engineering curriculum,
as compared to the relatively little background in
chemical engineering given in the curricula for
other fields.
The proportion o f men with training in the
same branch o f engineering in which they were
employed in 1946 was highest in chemical (90.5
percent), electrical (87.3 percent), and civil engi
neering (86.4 percent). Mechanical and mining
and metallurgical engineering had relatively fewer
men with training in their respective employment
fields. Only 70 percent o f the engineers employed
in mechanical engineering had been educated in
that field—the remainder having been drawn
chiefly from among those educated in electrical,
civil, or “ other” engineering. This is explained
in part by the great wartime and postwar demand
for mechanical engineers and in part by the fact
that industrial engineers were asked to report their
field o f employment as mechanical, while many
such men who had received degrees in industrial
engineering reported this under “ other fields o f
education.” Only 64 percent o f those employed
in mining and metallurgical engineering had been
trained in these fields; nearly 17 percent had ma
jored in chemical engineering.
A clear-cut analysis o f the movements to and
from “ other” engineering and nonengineering
fields o f employment cannot be made because the
manner in which the individual respondents
classified themselves, if engaged in a specialized
field o f engineering, is not known. F or example,
a sanitary engineer may have regarded his field
o f employment either as civil engineering or as
“ other” engineering, making it difficult to estab
lish the relationship between education and em»
ployment fields fo r this group. Likewise, it was
found that some few engineers who had advanced
to administration-management jobs classified
themselves as in nonengineering employment, thus
losing the relationship to their field o f engineering
education.
Schools o f engineering may ask the question in
another w ay: T o what fields o f engineering em
ployment did the graduates o f each course go?
This is answered in table 20-B. Between 19 and
31 percent o f the men trained in each field o f en
gineering were employed in some other field in
1946.
The smallest proportion o f transfers from a field
o f basic education to some other field o f employ
ment occurred among mechanical engineering ma
jors, probably because o f the great wartime de
mand in this field. Narrowing the discussion to
the five m ajor fields, chart 14 on page 72 shows the
flow o f engineers from the branch in which trained
to other fields o f employment.
71
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OP ENGINEERS
T a b l e 20-B.— Percentage distribution o f engineers educated in each field , b y 1 9 4 6 em ploym ent
Total
Field of education
Total reporting__
„
OhAmical _ _
.
Civil
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and metallurgical
Other engineering..
Norioogineering l
_
_
_ _
_______________
_ _
___
__
_ _ _
.
. __
Chemical
Oivil
Electrical
Meehan*
ical
Mining
and metal*
lurgical
Other
Non
engineer
ing
100.0
11.8
19.3
20.4
27.8
5.7
10.2
4.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
73.5
1.1
.4
1.1
2.6
1.7
6.1
1.9
76.7
1.7
2.2
6.4
4.1
18.3
1.3
1.2
77.8
3.4
.7
5.6
20.2
4.7
7.3
8.6
81.3
6.7
35.3
26.5
6.5
1.2
.6
1.1
68.9
2.6
5.3
6.2
8.4
6.3
7.1
8.9
44.0
15.7
5.9
4.1
4.6
3.8
5.8
6.7
7.9
* Includes respondents who indicated no college training in engineering but who may have had such training in a nonengineering field.
Transfers Among Fields of Employment
Movement o f the respondents from one field o f
engineering to another and between nonengineer
ing and some engineering field reflects both the
changing character o f the demand for engineers
and the extent to which the basic engineering ed
ucation and actual experience in one field enable
an engineer to carry on the work in another branch
o f the profession.
Only those reports with a general field o f em
ployment indicated fo r all three survey years were
used for the analysis o f movements between fields
o f employment, therefore all engineers with less
than 7 years o f experience were excluded. Re
ports from respondents who were in the armed
forces or outside the continental United States
were also excluded. The shifts that are shown to
have taken place were notable in view o f these ex
clusions, for it is likely that the younger engineers
who were omitted were among the most mobile
members o f the profession.
The follow ing tabulation indicates the net effect
o f the shifts that took place, by showing the per
centage distribution o f the engineers by field o f
employment in each o f the 3 years.
1946
Percent
1989
Percent
1943
Percent
Chemical_______ ___
Civil------------------------Electrical___________
Mechanical________
Mining and metaUurg ic a l-------------------Other engineering—
Nonengineering---------
9.0
23.0
20.5
25.7
9.0
21.4
20.9
28.1
8.9
21.5
20.6
27.0
5.8
10.9
5.1
5.7
10.9
4.0
5.6
11.1
5.3
Total reporting____
100.0
100.0
100.0
16,765
16,765
16,765
Field of employment
Total number re
porting —
Employment in mechanical engineering gained
the most between 1939, before preparation for na
tional defense began, and 1943 when war produc
tion really began to roll. The field o f electrical
engineering also showed a slight net increase in
employment by 1943. Civil engineering de
creased considerably by 1943, by which time war
construction had passed the peak and government
controls had curtailed construction activities.
The number employed in mining and metallurgi
cal engineering also declined, and some respond
ents who had been in nonengineering work in 1939
had entered engineering employment by 1943.
From the war to the postwar period (1943-46)
the net changes in employment field were not
great. The mechanical engineering field showed
some decrease, but the number leaving did not off
set the increase between 1939 and 1943. The
chemical, electrical, and mining and metallurgi
cal fields o f employment also showed slight net
decreases from 1943 to 1946.
Percent of respondents in 1989 who were in—
Same field Same field 1989 Different
all survey
and 1946, but field each
survey
years— 1989,
different
year
Field of employment
1948,1946
field 1943
Total------------------- __ 86.5
2.1
0.9
Chemical _______ — 88.2
Civil
______ . _ 86.2
E lectrical----------- __ 91.6
Mechanical______ __ 92.1
Mining and metallurgical-------------- - - 85.8
Other engineering.__ 80.7
Nonengineering — 50.0
1.5
3.1
1.3
.9
1.1
.9
.4
.5
1.5
2.7
6.2
1.1
1.3
3.9
A summary o f the shifts made by individuals is
given in the preceding tabulation which shows
the percent o f those employed in 1939 who were in
the same field in all three survey years, the percent
72
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Chart 14.— Engineers Educated in One Branch of Engineering But Employed in Another
M IN IN G
Educated In
A METALLURGICAL
Engineering
Educated In
CHEMICAL)
Engineering
Educated in
ELECTRICAL.
Engineering
Educated in
M
e c h a n ic a l
KEY
Englnwrlng
Other Engineering
Employed fat*
Mechanical
Electrical
Civil
Chemical
V
Mining and
Metallurgical
Employment as o f 1946
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OP LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
73
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OF ENGINEERS
who moved to another field during the war but
returned to their original field by 1946, and the
percent who indicated three different employment
fields.
W hile the great m ajority o f the engineers re
mained in their prewar field o f employment
throughout the period, from 8 to 14 percent o f
those in each o f the five m ajor branches o f engi
neering in 1939 transferred in one o f the subse
quent years. Am ong these only a small fraction—
between 1 and 3 percent—returned to their prewar
fields by 1946. The balance o f those who shifted
during the war remained in the fields to which
they had transferred, except a small group who
shifted among three or more different branches in
the 7-year period. The greatest degree o f stabil
ity was shown by those employed in mechanical
and electrical engineering. These are the fields in
which there was greatest expansion o f the need for
engineers during the w ar; those employed in them
tended to remain there.
The changes in employment field are shown in
greater detail in table 21. O f those who changed
their field o f employment between 1939 and 1943,
the greatest percentage went into mechanical en
gineering, and the fewest left this branch. Very
significant is the fact that there were some shifts
made among all fields.
Some o f the changes in field o f employment
between 1943 and 1946, as shown in the second
section o f table 21 represent what we can assume
to be a return to an original field after the war,
as presented in column 2 o f the tabulation on page
71. Probably the most significant shifts were
those into mechanical engineering. Despite the
fact that the exodus from mechanical engineer
ing (7.5 percent) was greater than that from any
other o f the five major fields, more o f those who
transferred out o f other branches entered mechan
ical engineering than any other field o f engineer
ing. The greatest percent o f those changing field
T a b l e 21.— Percentages o f respondents 1 who shifted or remained in same field o f employm ent, 1989, 1948, and 1946
Engineering
Field of employment
Total re
porting
Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Mining
Mechani and
metal
cal
lurgical
Other
Nonengi
neering
Field of employment in 1946
in im
Total reporting_______________ ____________________
100.0
9.0
21.4
20.9
28.1
5.7
10.9
4.0
Chemical................... ................................... ..................
Civil.................................................................................
Electrical—____ __________________________________
Mechanical................................................. .....................
Mining and metallurgical................................................
Other engineering.............................................................
N onengineering.......................................... .....................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
91.8
.4
.2
.5
1.3
.8
6.7
.2
89.6
.3
.4
1.2
2.5
5.3
.4
1.1
94.5
1.5
.5
2.9
11.0
2.8
5.2
2.8
95.5
3.4
5.7
13.3
1.4
.3
.1
.1
90.5
.7
2.4
1.6
2.1
1.2
1.2
2.0
85.2
6.8
1.8
1.3
.9
.8
1.1
2.2
54.5
Field of employment in 1946
In 1946
Total reporting____ ______________________________
100.0
8.9
21.5
20.6
27.0
5.6
11.1
5.3
Chemical___________________ ________ _______ _____
Civil_____________ __________________ ________ ___
EWf.rir»ftl
Mechanical................................. .... .......... ........... .........
Mining and metallurgical.................................................
Other engineering.............................................................
Nonengineering................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
94.7
(*)
.1
.4
.6
.7
2.3
.2
95.3
.3
1.9
.7
2.3
3.8
.4
.3
95.4
1.3
.1
1.0
2.3
1.1
1.2
1.5
92.5
1.5
1.6
3.0
.3
.3
.9
1.3
1.0
1.6
1.6
90.5
3.9
2.4
1.6
1.7
2.0
2.1
3.5
83.9
.3
93.4
.4
.8
Field of employment in 1946
In 19S9
Total reporting.................................................................
100.0
8.9
21.5
20.6
27.0
5.6
11.1
5.3
Chemical..........................................................................
Civil....................................... ...................... ................
Electrical..........................................................................
Mechanical.................................... .............................. .
Mining and metallurgical.................................................
Other engineering.............................................................
Nonengineering................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
89.7
.5
.2
.5
1.8
.9
6.4
.4
89.2
.3
.6
1.6
2.9
5.3
.5
1.2
92.9
1.6
.5
3.0
10.6
2.6
4.1
2.7
93.0
3.2
5.2
11.8
1.4
.3
.1
.3
87.3
.8
2.5
2.3
2.3
1.5
1.8
2.8
83.4
7.2
3.1
2.4
2.3
2.2
2.8
3.8
56.2
1Percentages based on 16,543 respondents who were employed in all 3 survey years.
2 Less than 0.05 percent.
74
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
between 1943 and 1946 went to nonengineering em
ployment.
Shifts made by individuals from their 1939
field o f employment to their 1946 field o f employ
ment are shown in the third section o f table 21.
It appears that around 5 to 10 percent o f those in
each o f the m ajor engineering branches in 1939
had changed to one o f the other engineering fields
o f employment by 1946, and that the changes made
were similar to the changes made from field o f
basic engineering education to field o f employ
ment, but in smaller proportions. O f those who
changed from their 1939 employment field by
1946, the greatest percent from most fields trans
ferred to mechanical engineering. About 2 to 3
percent from each field o f engineering went into
nonengineering work over the period.
In summary, several points stand out in the
analysis o f shifts among fields o f engineering em
ployment :
1. It was possible for at least a few engineers
to shift from each field to every other field.
There is some transferability o f basic en
gineering knowledge among all major
fields.
2. O f those in each o f the five m ajor fields in
1939, between 8 and 14 percent had made a
transfer by 1943 or 1946. Few o f the en
gineers who shifted during the war had
returned to their original field by 1946.
3. Mechanical engineering was the benefici
ary o f more o f the shifting, both during
and after the war, than any other major
engineering field. Civil engineering lost
the greatest proportion during the war, and
by 1946 had gained few, aside from men
who had been civil engineers in 1939.
Transfers Among Class-of-Worker Categories
The engineering profession, though originally
composed largely o f those in private practice, now
consists mainly o f salaried employees o f private
firms. Government employment o f engineers has
also assumed considerable importance.
Movement o f engineers from 1939 to 1946 is dis
cussed in this section on the basis o f their reports
on class-of-worker status. The percentage distri
bution o f the respondents by class o f worker for
each survey year, showing the net result o f the
changes made by individuals, is as follow s:
me
1939
Percent
194$
Percent
Percent
Private industry_____________
Employers_________________
Employees of private firms. _
Independent consultants___
Public employment__________
Federal Government_______
State government__________
County government_______
Municipal government
Other public authority_____
N onengineering______________
Student______________________
Retired______________________
Unemployed_________________
73.5
4 .9
66.5
2. 1
21. 7
8 .9
6 .7
1. 1
4 .0
1.0
3 .7
.8
.1
.2
74.5
4 .8
68.0
1. 7
22. 5
12.7
5. 1
.7
3 .2
.8
2 .9
(2)
.1
(2)
75.6
6 .6
66. 1
2 .9
20. 1
9 .9
5 .2
.9
3 .3
.8
3 .7
(2)
.3
.3
Total reporting__________
100.0
100.0
100.0
Total number reporting_
16, 667
16, 667
16, 667
Class of w orker1
1 Excludes those respondents having less than 7 years’ experience, those in
military service, and those who were off-continent.
1 Less than 0.05 percent.
The proportion o f engineers who were em
ployees o f private firms and o f the Federal Govern
ment increased between 1939 and 1943, while in
all other class-of-worker categories there were de
creases. From war to postwar, 1943 to 1946, the
proportion engaged as employers and independent
consultants increased, while the employees o f priv
ate firms decreased to slightly below the 1939
level. The proportion in public employment also
decreased somewhat during the period, to a point
below the 1939 level.
The follow ing tabulation shows the much larger
amount o f transferring by individual engineers
from one class-of-worker status to another which
underlay the net changes just discussed.
From the first column it is evident that pro
portionately fewer engineers who were employed
in private industry in 1939 changed from one class
o f worker to another during the years covered by
the survey than did the engineers in public employ
ment. Only 15 percent o f the privately employed
made changes, but as many as 37 percent o f the
public employees did so. Among engineers in pri
vate industry in 1939, the group classified as em
ployees showed a greater degree o f stability than
the self-employed group. It is notable that, al
though employment o f engineers in the Federal
service increased during the war, as many as 33
percent o f the engineers in this field in 1939 were
75
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OF ENGINEERS
out o f it in one of the subsequent years, and only 1.6
percent had returned by 1946 after having been out
o f Federal service in 1943. Over 40 percent o f the
engineers on State and county engineering staffs
in 1939 left for other employment, and only 4 to 6
percent o f them had returned by 1946. This turn
over undoubtedly was associated with salary levels
(see appendix table D -1 7), as well as the falling
off o f construction activity during the war.
Class of worker
Percent of engineers surveyed in 1989
who were in—
Same cate
gory 1989
Same cate and 1946 A different
gory in
but differ category
each sur
1989, 1948, ent cate
and 1946 gory 1948
vey year
Total reporting--------------- ____
78. 3
3 .2
portions from other local government agencies)
than it did upon the engineering staffs o f private
firms, only 5 percent o f whom shifted to Federal
employment. However, these percentages do not
reveal the actual magnitude o f movement o f en
gineers between government and private industry.
More than twice as many engineers in the sample
moved from private industry to Federal Govern
ment as moved in the opposite direction (645 com
pared with 294), though in proportion to the total
number o f engineers employed in 1939, the Gov
ernment’s losses were much greater than those o f
private industry (20 percent and 5 percent, re
spectively) .
2 .5
T
Private industry_____________
Employers_______________
E m p loy ees o f p riv a te
firms__________________
Independent consultants.
85.3
75.4
3 .0
6.4
1. 1
3 .5
86.8
59.7
2 .5
11.0
.8
7 .2
Public e m p lo y m e n t.________
Federal Government_____
State government_______
County government_____
Municipal government___
Other public authority___
62.8
67.4
58.4
55. 9
64. 2
53.2
3 .6
1. 6
6.2
4 .0
3 .6
2 .3
6.1
4 .2
6 .7
9 .6
7 .5
9 .9
Nonengineering_____________
S tu d e n t____________________
Retired. ___________________
Unemployed--------------------------
54.0
_
55. 6
--
6 .4
2. 2
11. 1
10. 5
5 .5
13.2
11. 1
10. 5
The second column indicates that 3 percent o f
the engineers changed their class-of-worker status
during the war but returned to their prewar status
by 1946. The proportions who did this were larg
est among independent consultants, employers, and
Stafce government employees.
The shifts from one class o f worker to another
made by individual engineers between 1939 and
1943,1943 and 1946, and 1939 and 1946 are shown
in table 22 (abridged from appendix table D -2 1).
O f the engineers in each category o f public em
ployment in 1939 about one out o f five went into
private industry during the war, principally as
employees o f private firms. Relatively, the Fed
eral Government made fa r greater inroads between
1939 and 1943 upon the engineering staffs o f State
and local government agencies (taking 13 percent
o f State government employees and similar pro
852396°— 50------6
2 2 . — Percentages o f respondents who shifted or
remained in same class-of-worker status, 1939, 194$,
and 1946
able
[Abridged from appendix table D-21]
Private in
dustry
Total1
Source of employment report
(class of worker)
ing
Total i
In 1989
Private industry...........
Employees of pri
vate firms______
Public employment___
Federal Govern
ment__________
State government - _
Fed
State
eral
Gov govern
ern ment
ment
100.0
92.9
84.6
6.4
5.3
0.6.
100.0
100.0
93.3
19.7
92.0
18.7
6.0
79.6
4.9
38.6
.6
21.0
100.0
100.0
19.8
18.9
18.9
18.4
79.4
80.4
77.0
13.0
1.2
65.0
Class of worker in 1946
100.0
96.0
84.4
2.3
1.0
0.7
100.0
100.0
96.0
16.7
92.1
13.1
2.3
81.5
1.0
40.4
.7
20.9*
100.0
100.0
22.9
9.6
18.5
7.0
74.9
89.5
70.8
1.6
2.4
86.0
In 1989
Private industry...........
Employees of pri
vate firms............
Public employment___
Federal Govern
ment____ ____
State government. _
Em
ployees
of pri Total i
vate
firms
Class of worker in 1948
In 1948
Private industry...........
Employees of pri
vate firms______
Public employment___
Federal Govern
ment__________
State government..
Public employment
Class of worker in 1946
100.0
93.3
81.8
4.6
3.4
0.7
100.0
100.0
93.6
23.1
89.3
19.3
4.4
74.9
3.1
32.8
.6
21.3
100.0
100.0
24.6
20.9
21.1
17.8
73.2
76.9
69.0
8.3
1.0
64.7
i The selected items do not add to totals. See table D-21 for all
components.
From 1943 to 1946 (second section o f table 22),
approximately 23 percent o f the engineers in the
Federal Government and from 6 to 10 percent o f
those in municipal, county, and State agencies
went into private industry, mainly as employees.
76
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
In contrast, only about 2 percent o f the engineers
who were in private industry during the war
changed to public employment after the war.
The changes made by engineers from 1939 to
1946 are shown in the third section o f table 22.
The engineers who were employees o f private firms
in 1939 were the most stable group over the 7-year
period: nearly 90 percent o f them were in this
same category in 1946. One-fourth o f the engi
neers in public employment in 1939 had moved to
some other type o f employment by 1946, princi
pally becoming employees in private firms. W hile
69 percent o f the engineers in the Federal Gov
ernment in 1939 were also employed there in 1946,
one out o f five had become employees o f private
firms in 1946. This pattern o f movement among
engineers in the other categories o f public em
ployment was similar except that from 6 to 10
percent (8 percent fo r employees o f State govern
ments) had moved to Federal employment by 1946.
Transfers Among Industry Fields
The ability o f engineers to move from one in
dustry to another is o f interest to those consider
ing entering the profession who may want to
know how widespread their employment oppor
tunities are, and to what extent their future op
portunities are limited by the prospects within a
particular industry. It is also o f interest in eval
uating the ability o f the engineering manpower o f
the country to adapt to changing industrial de
mands—particularly in a crisis such as war.
Distribution o f engineers by industry o f course
varies from one branch o f the profession to an
other, as indicated earlier in the report. (A lso
see appendix table D -9.) The wide dispersion o f
engineering employment makes possible the shifts
among industries discussed in this section.
As a result o f expanding war needs, the manu
facturing industries claimed a greater proportion
o f the engineers in each field in 1943 than in 1939.
A ircraft and parts manufacturing drew large
numbers o f mechanical engineers. The propor
tion o f chemical engineers increased the most in
the manufacturing o f chemicals and allied prod
ucts, and the proportion o f electrical engineers in
creased the most in machinery manufacturing.
A t the same time there were decreases in the pro
portion o f engineers in a number o f other industry
fields, notably mining, construction, utilities, and
such manufacturing industries as food products
and paper and allied products.
By 1946, as civilian production was being re
sumed, the proportion o f engineers in manufac
turing industries had declined somewhat from the
1943 level. However, with the exception o f chemi
cal engineers, the proportion o f engineers in each
branch o f the profession engaged in manufactur
ing industries was greater in 1946 than in 1939.
The follow ing tabulation, covering 16,453 en
gineers who reported employment in industry fo r
1939,1943, and 1946, shows the proportion o f the
1939 respondents who indicated the same industry
all three survey years, those who changed to a
different industry in 1943 but returned to their
1939 industry by 1946, and those who changed to
Industry field*
Percent of respondents in 1989 who
were in—
Same
Same
industry
industry
1989 and Different
in 1989, 1946, differ- industry
1948, arid ent industry each survey
19 46
194 S
year
Total reporting---------------
75.5
3 .6
4 .3
Agriculture, forestry_____
Mining__________________
Construction-------------------
61. 5
80.4
75. 6
2.2
1.4
4 .6
8.9
3 .4
3 .4
Manufacturing---------------Food, textiles_______
Lumber, paper products______________
Printing and publishing----------------------Chemicals and allied
products__________
Petroleum and coal
products__________
76.9
65.0
3.1
3 .8
4. 1
7 .0
7 0.9
5 .3
6. 6
55.1
41
12.2
78.7
40
2 .5
72.7
R3
5 .9
76.0
a2
3 .8
77.8
80.5
2 .4
3 .2
4 .6
3 .3
78.7
1.7
2 .5
72.6
3 .9
5 .2
82.5
88.9
74.4
64.9
69.9
1.7
2 .4
2 .8
6 .4
3 .6
3 .9
1.7
5. 1
6 .5
5 .6
Rubber, stone, clay,
and glass products.
Iron, steel, nonferrous
metal products____
Machinery__________
Transportation equipment_____________
Other manufacturing
industries_________
Transportation__________
Communication_________
Utilities_________________
Service industries________
Other industry fields_____
1Excludes those respondents having
less than 7 years' experience,
those in military service, and those who were off-con tinent.
77
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OF ENGINEERS
another industry by 1943 and to a third industry
by 1946.
More than three-fourths o f these engineers were
employed in the same industry group in all three
survey years. The greatest degree o f stability
was found in the communication industry which
held 90 percent o f its engineers throughout the
7-year period. Machinery, chemicals, transporta
tion, and mining held more than 80 percent o f
their engineers throughout the period. On the
other hand, such industries as food and textiles,
printing and publishing, and service industries
(such as ventilating and air conditioning installa
tion firms) lost more than a third o f the engineers
working for them in 1939.
A s would be expected, the amount o f movement
among industries was greater than among fields
o f engineering employment or class-of-worker
categories. One-fourth o f the engineers here con
sidered made at least one industry change and 4
percent were employed in a different industry in
each o f the three survey years. A small propor
tion o f those who had left their prewar industry
by 1943 had returned to it by 1946.
T
able
2 3 .—
Movement o f individual engineers from one in
dustry to another between the survey years is
shown in table 23 (abridged from appendix
table D -2 2 ). It can be seen that as employment
in manufacturing industries increased during the
war, engineers were drawn from all m ajor indus
try fields. As many as 10 percent o f the engi
neers in construction and utilities and nearly 20
percent o f those in service industries in 1939 went
into manufacturing industries by 1943. The
manufacturing industries which expanded—the
metalworking industries and chemicals—drew en
gineers not only from nonmanufacturing indus
tries but from other manufacturing industries
such as food and textiles, lumber and paper prod
ucts, and coal and petroleum products. A t the
same time, however, there was some small shift in
the opposite direction, from such industries as ma
chinery and transportation equipment manufac
turing to food, lumber, and service industries.
In the transition from war to postwar the shifts
from one industry to another were not as numer
ous as during the period between 1939 and the
war year 1943. However, a large number who
Percentages o f respondents who shifted or remained in same industry field, 1989, 1948, and 1946
[Abridged from appendix table D-22]
Manufacturing
Industry field
Total i
reporting
Total i
Service
Chemicals Petroleum
Transpor industries
and allied
and coal Machinery
tation
products
equipment
products
In 1939
Manufacturing.....................................................................................
Chemical and allied products........................................................
Petroleum and coal products.........................................................
Machinery.....................................................................................
Transportation equipment............................................................
Service industries.................................................................................
Industry field in 1943
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
94.3
94.6
93.4
93.8
96.7
19.7
10.6
84.7
4.7
.5
.2
1.8
In 1943
<rh
1
!I
Manufacturing.....................................................................................
Chemicals and allied products.......................................................
Petroleum and coal products.........................................................
Machinery.....................................................................................
Service industries.................................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
16.1
.7
2.4
4.7
89.7
6.6
1.2
1.0
1.2
1.5
.6
70.0
91.6
94.3
93.0
93.9
83.0
6.7
10.5
86.3
1.7
.3
1.0
.8
7.9
1.2
87.5
.5
.6
.1
26.1
1.5
1.4
89.4
4.6
2.3
14.0
.4
.6
.8
69.2
.8
2.7
2.7
1.6
2.0
5.6
88.8
13.3
.4
1.6
2.8
80.2
3.7
2.8
1.8
3.2
3.3
2.4
71.2
Industry field in 1946
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1 The selected items do not add to totals. See table £>-22 for all components.
26.3
2.1
1.6
85.6
3.7
4.9
Industry field in 1946
In 19S9
Manufacturing.....................................................................................
Chemicals and allied products.......................................................
Petroleum and coal products.........................................................
Machinery.....................................................................................
Transportation equipment.—.......................................................
Service industries..........................................— ....... -........................
8.4
1.0
80.3
.4
.2
.6
91.4
93.9
88.7
91.4
90.6
18.6
10.5
82.6
5.6
.6
.4
1.8
8.2
1.1
76.0
.3
.4
.6
26.3
2.6
2.0
83.8
4.7
6.1
78
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
had been in transportation equipment manufac
turing in 1943 had transferred to other manufac
turing industries, construction, and service in
dustries by 1946.
When the shifts made by the individual engi
neers are considered, it appears that about 20
percent o f the respondents were in different in
dustries in 1946 than in 1939. W hile there is no
single pattern in these shifts, there was a tendency
to move into durable-goods manufacturing indus
tries. In 1946, the metalworking industries—
machinery, iron and steel and nonferrous metal
products, and transportation equipment—had a
considerable number o f engineers who had been
in another industry in 1939.
Engineers appear to have changed their indus
try more readily than their general field o f em
ployment or their class-of-worker status. Most
o f the changes appeared to be in response to the
shifting industrial demands o f the war and post
war periods. A t the same time there was some
small movement o f individual engineers away
from the expanding industries to those which
were, on the whole, losing engineers.
T able
24.—
Changes in Employment Location
The war years were marked by great movements
o f population in response to the growth o f de
fense industries and military establishments.
These population movements follow ed long-term
trends in migration.
Like other workers, engineers moved a great
deal during this period in response to changing
economic opportunities. Data on distribution o f
engineers by State for each branch o f the pro
fession in each o f the three survey years are shown
in appendix table D-10. The net changes in the
distribution o f engineers among the States are
shown in table 24. A s may be expected, there was
expansion in the Pacific and South Atlantic re
gions (particularly in the District o f Colum bia),
moderate decrease in the Great Plains States,
particularly those in the W est North Central re
gion which also lost in general population. The
great industrial region o f the Middle Atlantic
and East North Central States retained about the
same number o f these experienced engineers over
the period.
Percentage distribution o f engineers, by State, 1939, 1943, and 1 9 4 6
1
[Includes only those who indicated an employment location all three survey years]
Engineers employed in—
Engineers employed in—
Employment location
Employment location
1943
1939
1939
1946
16,365
16,365
16,365
100.0
100.0
100.0
Middle Atlantic.....................................
New York _
.
____ _
32.1
16.8
10.1
5.2
31.2
15.7
9.8
5.7
32.0
16.7
9.8
5.5
East North Central
Ohio____
_ ____ _ _
Illinois............................................
Michigan______________________
Indiana.......................................... .
Wisconsin_____________________
23.8
7.7
6.9
4.3
23.2
8.1
6.4
4.0
23.2
8.0
6.5
2.7
2.2
2.7
2.0
4.1
2.5
2.1
Pacific......................... .........................
California_____________________
Washington________________
Oregon.............................................
9.1
7.1
1.3
.7
9.7
7.4
1.6
.7
10.3
7.9
1.6
.8
South Atlantic. __
____
District of C olum bia__
8.7
2.2
1.6
1.3
1.1
10.5
3.3
1.7
1.6
1.0
.8
.6
.6
.6
10.0
2.9
1.7
1.5
.3
.3
7.7
7 .8
4 .8
2.0
Total reporting—number....... - .............
Total reporting—percent
Pennsylvania
N ew Jersey
M ar viand
Virginia.
W est Virginia
Georgia
North Carolina
Florida
Delaware........ ................................
South Carolina
New England
Massachusetts _
Connecticut . . ..
Rhode Island...................................
.7
.6
.5
.4
.3
8.1
5.0
1.8
.5
4.7
2.0
.4
.9
.9
.6
.6
.6
.4
1943
New England—Continued
Maine..................... .......................
New Hampshire________________
Vermont
0.4
.2
.2
0.3
.2
.1
0.3
.2
.1
West North Central__ _____________
Missouri____ _________________
Minnesota_____________________
Iowa...............................................
Kansas________________________
Nebraska_____________________
South Dakota______ _____ ______
North Dakota.................................
6.4
2.2
1.5
1.0
.8
.5
.2
5.7
2.0
1.4
.7
.9
.5
.1
.2
.1
5.6
2.0
1.5
.8
.7
.4
.1
.1
West South Central........ .....................
Texas........ .....................................
Oklahoma____ _______________
Louisiana_____________________
6.0
3.7
1.2
.'8
.3
6.1
3 .8
1.1
.9
.3
3 .8
1 .0
.8
.3
Mountain..............................................
Colorado. _____________________
Montana__ ___________________
Utah..............................................
Arizona.____ _________________
New Mexico___________________
Idaho_________________________
Wyoming_______ ______ —..........
Nevada______ ______ __________
3.0
1.0
.4
.4
.4
2.8
.9
.3
.5
.3
1 .0
.3
.4
.3
Arkansas
_
_.
_
_
East South Central „
2.8
Tennessee.......................................
Kentucky
Alabama
Mississippi
_ _
...
.3
.2
.2
.1
.
.......
1.0
.8
.7
.3
1Excludes those with less than 7 years in the profession, those in military service, and those outside the continental United States.
1946
.3
.2
.1
.2
3.1 (
1.3
.8
.7
.3
5.9
2.7
.3
.2
.1
.1
2.5
1.0
.8
.5
.2
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OF ENGINEERS
Engineers changed their employment location
even more frequently than they changed the in
dustries in which they were employed. A pproxi
mately 70 percent o f these respondents reported
themselves employed in the same State in all three
survey years; the remaining 30 percent made one
or more changes over the period. The proportion
o f those employed in a given State in 1939 who
were in that State in 1943 and 1946 appears to
have a direct relationship to the number o f re
spondents employed in a State; i. e., in States
where a relatively large number o f engineers
were employed, the proportion o f engineers who
stayed in the same State through 1946 was large,
while in States where a relatively few engineers
were employed in 1939 only one-half or less stayed
in the same State through 1946.
The changes made by the 30 percent o f the en
gineers who shifted employment location follow ed
several patterns. Some 13.5 percent o f all engi
neers moved to another State between 1939 and
1943 and remained there through 1946, while 5.9
percent o f the engineers were in the same State
in 1939 and 1943, but moved to a different State
by 1946. About the same number (5.9 percent)
were in a different State in each o f the three sur
vey years, and an additional 4.6 percent indicated
a change in employment location between 1939
and 1943—possibly a war production job—but re
turned to their 1939 employment location by 1946.
The amount o f shifting which lies behind the
small net changes in the number o f engineers in
a State, as shown in table 24, may be illustrated
by the movement o f engineers into and out o f
Ohio between 1939 and 1943. The net increase o f
66 engineers in the sample was brought about by
the transfer o f 280 engineers from 34 other States
into Ohio, while 214 engineers transferred from
Ohio to 32 other States. The m ajority o f these
changes were between Ohio and other States in
the East North Central region and the neighbor
ing Middle Atlantic region.
Summary
M obility among members o f the engineering
profession is o f many types; these occupational
shifts are made in response to changing economic
conditions, demands o f employers, the engineers’
personal wishes or needs, and other factors. Data
79
on five types o f movement o f engineers have been
presented in this report; namely, changes o f em
ployment location, industry, class o f worker, field
o f employment, and from a specialized field o f
education to a different field o f employment. A
greater proportion o f engineers— about 30 per
cent—moved from one employment location
(State) to another, during the 7-year period cov
ered by the 1946 survey, than were involved in
any o f the other changes analyzed. About 25
percent o f the engineers changed industry field,
22 percent changed from one class-of-worker cate
gory to another, and about 14 percent transferred
from one branch o f engineering to another during
the 7-year period. More than 20 percent o f all
respondents had made a change at some time dur
ing their working life to a field o f employment
other than the field in which they received their
basic education.
Nearly a third o f the engineers changed their
employment location from one State to another
between 1939 and 1946. More than twice as many
engineers changed employment location in the 4year period, 1939 to 1943, as moved during the 3year period, 1943 to 1946. These movements were
proportionately more numerous among those en
gineers located in States where a relatively smaller
number o f engineers had been employed in 1939,
and conversely, the engineers in those States with
a relatively large engineer population were less
prone to change the State o f their employment.
The amount o f shifting o f employment location
within a State is not known but may have been
considerable in those States which furnish em
ployment fo r large numbers o f engineers.
The changes made by engineers among industry
fields appear to reflect the high wartime demands
and employment opportunities for engineers in
the “ heavy” or durable goods industries. Between
1939 and 1943 about a fifth o f the engineers in the
service industries shifted to manufacturing in
dustries in response to curtailment o f civilian
goods production and the emphasis on war pro
duction. Between 1943 and 1946 the most signifi
cant movement was from transportation equip
ment manufacturing to service industries in re
sponse to the conversion to peacetime pursuits.
Comparison o f the prewar and postwar industry
fields o f individual engineers indicated that a fifth
were in a different industry in 1946 from that re
80
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
ported fo r 1939. Transfers to machinery, iron,
steel, and nonferrous metals products manufactur
ing were fairly numerous. About 30 percent o f
the engineers in the service industries in 1939 had
transferred out by 1943, but almost all o f them
were replaced by engineers from other industries
by 1946.
Changes made by engineers among the class-ofworker categories during the period covered by
the survey indicate to some extent the principal
sources o f employment for engineers during
the war and postwar years. Between 1939 and
1943 the proportion o f engineers who were em
ployees o f private firms and o f the Federal Gov
ernment increased at the expense o f local govern
ment and other class-of-worker categories. About
a fifth o f the engineers in each category o f public
employment in 1939 had gone into private indus
try by 1943. On the other hand, only 5 percent o f
the engineers who had been in private industry
in 1939 moved to Federal Government job s; from
10 to 15 percent o f those who had been in other
types o f public employment shifted to Federal
Government jobs. However, while in percentage
terms private industry made greater inroads upon
Federal Government engineering staffs than vice
versa, the actual number o f engineers who shifted
from private to Federal employment was twice
as great as the number o f Federal employees who
went to private jobs.
As the war drew to a close and peacetime pat
terns were reestablished, about 23 percent o f the
engineers in Federal employment and from 6 to
10 percent o f those in municipal, county, and State
agencies in 1943 moved to private industry by 1946.
In contrast, only about 2 percent o f the engineers
in private industry during the war shifted to pub
lic employment by 1946.
Over the entire period, 1939 to 1946, employees
o f private firms were the most stable group; nearly
90 percent o f them reported no change in their
status. About 30 percent o f the engineers in Fed
eral employment in 1939 had moved to some other
class-of-worker status by 1946; 20 percent became
employees o f private firms. Engineers in the other
categories o f public employment follow ed a similar
pattern, except that from 6 to 10 percent had
moved to Federal employment by 1946.
There was some shifting o f engineers among all
the basic fields o f engineering employment during
the period 1939 to 1946. Between 8 and 14 per
cent o f the members o f each o f the major fields
o f engineering in 1939 left their fields, and few
had returned to their original fields by 1946. The
greatest proportion o f those who shifted from their
1939 employment field went into mechanical en
gineering by 1946. Civil engineering lost the
greatest proportion during the war and regained
few by the end o f the survey period.
The ability o f members o f the profession to
change from one field o f engineering to another
is also reflected in the fact that during their work
ing lives as many as one out o f five engineers had
changed to a field o f engineering employment other
than that in which they were educated. As would
be expected, the m ajority o f those in each employ
ment field were educated in that field. However,
there were a number employed in each branch o f
engineering whose education had been in another
field—ranging from 10 percent o f those employed
in chemical engineering to as high as 36 percent o f
those employed in mining and metallurgical en
gineering. Electrical and civil engineering em
ployment included comparatively few (13 and 14
percent, respectively) whose education was in some
other field. About 30 percent o f those employed
in mechanical engineering were educated in other
fields—mainly electrical, civil, or “ other” en
gineering.
Among those educated in each field, from 19 to
31 percent were employed in some other field in
1946. The greatest proportionate change was
among the mining and metallurgical engineering
majors who transferred mainly to civil, mechani
cal, or “ other” engineering employment. More
than 26 percent o f those educated in chemical en
gineering had taken jobs in other fields, principally
mining and metallurgical, mechanical, and “ other”
engineering. The smallest proportion o f trans
fers to some other employment field was among
those educated in mechanical engineering, possibly
because o f the wartime demand in this field.
W hile it is not known at what time the survey
respondents made the change from their basic field
o f education to a different field o f employment,
there is evidence that this condition is not neces
sarily one brought about during a period o f short
ages o f engineers. A survey o f members o f en
gineering societies showed as many as 15 percent
OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY OF ENGINEERS
who had made such a change during their work
ing lives up to 1939.1
Thus it appears that the engineering profession
is a flexible one, offering opportunities to transfer
from one field o f specialization to another, from
one industry and employer to another, and to
various locations o f employment. The signifi
cance o f the movement which occurred during the
7-year period cannot be evaluated because there
are no data on m obility in other periods which
might provide norms for the engineering profes
sion. Surveys o f other occupations or future sur
veys o f the engineering profession may provide
some basis for evaluation o f the volume and types
o f movement made by the respondents to the 1946
survey. Exploration o f additional factors associ
ated with m obility, such as age, years o f experi
ence, and educational level, in relation to the five
types o f occupational shifting considered in this
report would help in understanding the m obility
o f engineers. Such information would be o f
value to engineers themselves, as well as to those
interested in manpower utilization, training, and
career guidance.
1 The Engineering Profession in Transition, Engineers Joint
Council, 33 West 39th St., New York, N. Y., 1947, p. 14.
81
It is obvious that there are certain advantages
in follow ing an occupation in which there are
opportunities for some movement. The individ
ual may be able to satisfy his desires concerning
the location o f his employment and may be better
able to adjust to changing economic conditions.
There may also be adverse considerations in these
changes, such as having to leave a community in
which the engineer has become advantageously
situated, or in having his home life and his chil
dren’s schooling interrupted.
The young person contemplating entering the
engineering profession should be aware o f the
amount and kind o f movement possible. In order
to equip himself to adjust more easily to chang
ing conditions or to advance his career he may
wish to acquire the broadest possible educational
preparation consistent with an adequate back
ground fo r the specialty he intends to follow . A t
the same time, however, he is faced with the con
flicting trend toward a high degree o f specializa
tion in each field, accompanied by the demand for
more graduate education. This presents an indi
vidual with a dilemma which he must try to re
solve in terms o f his own interests in a particular
field and his desire for employment flexibility.
Professional Societies and O rgan izatio n s1
Many organizations have been formed over the
past century which have as a basis a common
interest in scientific and technical subjects or pro
fessional problems. Today it is estimated that
more than 60 national and more than TO independ
ent State, regional, and local engineering organi
zations are functioning in the United States.
Some are purely technical in nature; others are
interested prim arily in the economic, educational,
or social aspects o f engineering. In addition,
there are many engineering clubs and various joint
organizations o f the council type.
Some o f the major branches o f engineering are
represented by several national bodies, termed the
“ Founder Societies” . Their names and dates o f
organization are as follow s: American Society o f
Civil Engineers, 1852; American Institute o f Min
ing and Metallurgical Engineers, 1871; American
Society o f Mechanical Engineers, 1880; and Amer
ican Institute o f Electrical Engineers, 1884.1
2 In
addition, an organization, representing another
major branch o f engineering, was founded in
1908; the American Institute o f Chemical E ngi
neers.3 These 5 engineering societies are repre
sented in another organization, The Engineers
Joint Council, which was form ed several years
ago.
The Society for the Promotion o f Engineering
Education, now called the American Society for
Engineering Education, was founded in 1893.
This society, composed o f teachers and represent
atives o f engineering schools and industries, is
interested mainly in the advancement o f the stand
ards and methods o f professional training.
Another organization, the National Council o f
State Boards o f Engineering Examiners, founded
1 Detailed descriptions and discussions o f engineering organi
zations are found in the following publications: Esther Lucille
Brown, The Professional Engineer, Russell Sage Foundation,
1936; Organizations of Engineers in the United States of Amer
ica, a paper presented before International Technical Congress
in Paris, France, September 1946 (C. E. Davies, Secretary,
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 29 West 39th St.,
New York, N. Y.)
2 All of these organizations are located at 25-33 West 39th St.,
New York, N. Y.
* Located at 50 East 41st St., New York, N. Y.
82
in 1920, is a limited membership council, con
cerned with the certification and registration o f
engineers.
Together these seven bodies form ed the Engi
neers’ Council for Professional Development in
1932, which deals with professional problems o f
all branches o f engineering and is interested in
such questions as standards and ethics o f the pro
fession, student selection and guidance, and ac
creditation o f engineering curricula and the stimu
lation o f recent graduates to continue and expand
their training.4* The Engineering Institute o f
Canada is also a member o f this organization.
The membership o f the National Society o f P ro
fessional Engineers (founded 1934) 5 is limited to
those who are legally registered or licensed en
gineers. Emphasis in this organization is placed
on the advancement o f the professional status as
well as the social and economic welfare o f the
engineer.
There are listed below some o f the other national
organizations to which many engineers belong,
with their dates o f organization; most o f these con
sist o f specialists in a particular industry or phase
o f engineering. They are active in advancing the
science and techniques in their fields, and some
have made notable contributions by establishing
standards generally accepted in their industries.
The list below is by no means complete but was
selected to show the diversity o f engineering in
terest,
American Chemical Society (1876).
American Water Works Association (1881).
National Association o f Power Engineers (1882).
American Railway Bridge and Building Association
(1891).
Society o f Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
(1893).
American Society of Heating and Ventilating En
gineers (1894).
American Public Works Association (1894).
American Society for Testing Materials (1898).
American Railway Engineering Association (1899).
4 This organization is located at 29 West 39th St., New York,
N. Y.
* Located at 1121 15th St. NW., Washington, D. C.
SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Society of Automotive Engineers (1904).
American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (1904).
American Concrete Institute (1905).
Illuminating Engineering Society (1906).
American Society of Agricultural Engineers (1907).
Association of Iron and Steel Engineers (1907).
American Society o f Sanitary Engineering (1908).
American Institute o f Consulting Engineers (1910).
The Institute of Radio Engineers (1912).
American Association of Engineers (1915).
Society o f Motion Picture Engineers (1916).
American Welding Society (1919).
American Society o f Metals (1920).
American Society o f Safety Engineers (1921).
Association o f Consulting Management Engineers,
Inc. (1929).
Institute of Traffic Engineers (1930).
American Society of Tool Engineers (1932).
83
Institute of Aeronautical Sciencies, Inc. (1932).
American Society of Photogrammetry (1934).
Society for the Advancement of Management (1936).
Institute o f Ceramic Engineers (1938).
Society o f Experimental Stress Analysis (1942).
National Association of Corrosion Engineers (1943).
American Society o f Lubrication Engineers (1944).
American Society of Body Engineers, Inc. (1945).
American Institute o f Industrial Engineers (1946).
Some engineers are members o f unions, such as
the International Federation o f Technical En
gineers, Architects and Draftsmen’s Unions, A F L ,
and the United Office and Professional Workers o f
America, CIO. Also some are members o f in
dependent professional collective bargaining or
ganizations.
Registration and Certification of Engineers1
T o do some but not all kinds o f engineering
work a person must be a “ registered engineer.”
There are laws providing fo r registration or li
censing o f engineers in all 48 States and five Terri
tories (but not in the District o f Colum bia). In
general, the purpose o f the laws is to ensure that
engineering work which involves the safeguard
ing o f life, health, or property shall be done by
registered engineers. Most o f the laws provide
fo r the registration o f those qualified to practice
engineering and forbid any other persons from
practicing engineering or using any title or de
scription tending to give the impression that they
are “ professional” engineers.
The various laws differ as to just who is re
quired to be registered. In some States only civil
or structural engineers are required to register.
In others, only the engineer who approves or
draws up the plans for the construction o f a
bridge or an electric light and power station is re
quired to register. Subordinate engineers who
work under the approving engineers and whose
name would not be affixed to the plan or approval
would not be required to register. A t the present
time, well over 100,000 engineers are registered by
various boards—approximately a third o f all en
gineers in the United States. Most o f those reg
istered now are civil engineers but registration o f
others is growing and in some States registration
is virtually a requirement fo r public employment.
A general definition o f “ professional engineer”
found in most State laws is, “ a person who by rea
son o f his special knowledge o f the mathematical
and physical sciences and the principles and
methods o f engineering analysis and design, ac
1 Much o f this section is based on the publication Organization
o f Engineers in the United States o f America, a paper presented
before the International Technical Congress, Paris, France, Sep
tember 1946. (C. E. Davies, Secretary, American Society of
Mechanical Engineers, 29 West 39th St., New York, N. Y .)
84
quired by professional education and practical ex
perience, is qualified to practice engineering, as
attested by his legal registration as professional
engineer.” Professional education is obtained
through graduation from an accredited curricu
lum or the equivalent. The amount o f practical
experience required varies by State, but usually
is 4 years.
The term “ practice o f engineering” is usually
defined as “ any professional service or creative
work requiring education, training, and experi
ence and the application o f special knowledge in
the mathematical, physical, and engineering sci
ences to such professional services or creative
work as consultation, investigation, evaluation,
planning, design, and supervision o f construction
fo r the purpose o f assuring compliance with speci
fications and design in connection with any public
or private utilities, structures, buildings, ma
chines, equipment, processes, works, or projects.”
The registration laws are under constant change
and improvement; the major engineering societies
have from time to time attempted to set up “model”
laws and definitions. The National Council o f
State Boards o f Engineering Examiners was or
ganized to assist the individual State boards which
are established to administer the laws. This or
ganization has established a National Bureau o f
Engineering Registration which facilitates inter
state registration.
Detailed information on various registration
laws, addresses o f boards o f examiners and other
information may be obtained from either the Na
tional Council o f State Boards o f Engineering
Examiners, Carolina L ife Building, Colum
bia, S. C .; the National Society o f Professional
Engineers, 1121 Fifteenth Street NW., Washing
ton, D. C .; or individual State boards o f engi
neering examiners.
A p p e n d ix A . Census D a ta on Engineers
Throughout this report basic data on engineers
as reported by the Bureau o f the Census have been
used. This source is the only one which gives
numbers in the profession over a period o f years,
and also includes characteristics such as age and
education. Most agencies, including the Engi
neers Joint Council,1 have accepted the Census
figures on engineers. However, the question has
been raised whether the Census figures, which are
based on the individual’s report (or a relative’s
report) as to his occupation, are completely accu
rate. W ith respect to engineers, for example, it
becomes important to evaluate whether there was
any significant inaccuracy resulting from the
natural tendency fo r people to overrate their
status.
Every effort has been made by the Bureau o f
the Census to lim it the technical engineer cate
gory to those engaged in or seeking work at the
professional level. Enumerators were instructed
in 1930 to “ distinguish carefully the different
kinds o f engineers by stating the full descriptive
titles, as civil engineer, electrical engineer, loco
motive engineer, mechanical engineer, mining en
gineer, stationary engineer, etc.” 1
2 Separate codes
o f classifications were assigned to these occupa
tional returns so that it was possible to eliminate
locomotive engineers, stationary engineers, and the
like, from the group o f technical engineers. A
comparison o f Census figures with those from the
Interstate Commerce Commission on railroad em
ployment fo r 1940, makes it apparent that loco
motive engineers were not included in the profes
sional engineer classification o f the Census. In
1940, a further attempt was made to lim it the
group to professional workers by excluding all
persons under 35 years old returned as technical
1 The Engineering Profession in Transition, Engineers Joint
Council, 33 West 33th St., New York, N. Y., 1947, pp. 57-60.
3 General Report on Occupations. Fifteenth Census of the
United States: 1930, U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of
the Census, Washington 25, D. C., p. 30.
engineers unless they had at least 4 years o f col
lege education.
The Bureau bf the Census recognizes that it
loses a considerable number o f men who are
trained professional engineers and who are doing
engineering work, but are classified on the Census
schedules as vice presidents, executives, managers,
superintendents, builders, contractors, etc.3• This
same circumstance also affects many other profes
sional occupations. Persons in the engineering
profession usually view administrative and man
agement positions as the highest possible attain
ment o f an engineer, and do not consider that one
who has advanced to such a position has left the
profession. The reports o f engineers to the 1946
survey substantiate this; approximately a third
o f all engineers employed in that year stated that
they were in administrative positions. Since such
men consider themselves to be engineers, a great
many must have reported themselves as such to
the Census also, and therefore are included in the
basic data on employment trends and death and
retirement rates as discussed in this report.
Nevertheless, there is probably some loss to the en
gineering profession—as the profession is meas
ured by Census data—resulting from advancement
o f men to administrative positions. An allow
ance for this loss, as well as other transfers out, is
made in the section o f this report on losses to the
profession.
W hile Census material represents the only com
prehensive data in the field o f occupations, users
o f these data should realize their limitations, as
indicated in the text and footnotes o f the various
Census publications. In comparing statistics o f
different census years, there are two important
considerations which complicate the use o f sta
tistics on “experienced workers.” These m ajor
factors are: (1) Differences between the “ gainful
• Comparative Occupation Statistics, 1870-1940, U. S. De
partment of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, p. 24, Washing
ton 25, D. C., 1943.
85
86
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
worker” concept o f 1930 and previous censuses,
and the “ labor force” concept o f the 1940 Census,4
and (2) differences in classification o f occupations.
The change in concept from “ gainful workers”
to “ labor force” leads to a considerable difference
in the treatment o f seasonal workers, retired
workers, new workers, and institutionalized per
sons. The net effect o f these differences is that
the “ gainful worker” figures o f the earlier cen
suses must be reduced by a relatively small amount
and the “labor force” figures o f 1940 raised
slightly to make them comparable in concept.
The Bureau o f the Census has done this fo r the
1930 male and female labor force as a whole, but
4 The principal difference between the concept of “ gainful
worker” and “labor force” is that “ gainful workers” include all
persons who were reported as usually following a gainful occu
pation, regardless of whether working or seeking work at the
time of the Census; whereas “ labor force” includes only persons
working or seeking work as of a particular week to which the
Census refers.
not by occupation. (F or a detailed discussion o f
these adjustments, see Sixteenth Census o f the
United States: 1940, Population, Comparative
Occupation Statistics fo r the TJrdted States, 1870
to 19Jfi, pp. 11-16.)
W hile occupational classifications differed in
relatively minor aspects in the earlier Censuses,
the classification adopted fo r 1940 differed con
siderably fo r some occupations. Although ad
justments have been made by the Bureau o f the
Census to take care o f differences in classification
insofar as possible, certain limitations neverthe
less exist. One o f these limitations, the exclusion
o f some engineers in administrative jobs, is dis
cussed above. Another change in classification—
that o f excluding surveyors from the civil engi
neering group in 1940—was adjusted by the Bu
reau o f Labor Statistics in the 1930 and earlier
figures as explained in appendix B o f this report.
A p p e n d ix B. A n a ly s is of Changes in the Engineering Profession, 1930—4 0
Appendix table B -l presents an analysis o f the
movements both into and out o f the engineering
profession during the decade, 1930-40.
Column 1 is based on data from the 1930 Census
o f Population. The 1930 Census figures on engi
neers include surveyors; therefore the original
number reported was adjusted to reduce the total
to one comparable with 1940. This was accom
plished by applying the 1940 ratio o f surveyors
to civil engineers to the 1930 civil engineer total.
The number o f losses over the decade, owing
to death and retirement (column 2 ), was then
calculated by applying separation rates from the
Bureau o f Labor Statistics preliminary “ tables
o f working life expectancy” to the 1930 age com
position o f the engineers. The separation rates
used are those fo r all urban white males in the
United States. It should be pointed out, how
ever, that loss rates in the engineering profession,
particularly those resulting from retirement, may
be lower than those for the total urban white male
population. The survivors in 1940, in their prop
er age brackets for that year, are shown in column
3 (column 1 minus column 2 ).
The total number o f engineering graduates in
the decade (see appendix table D -3 ), less those who
died or retired, were then added to the engineers
surviving to 1940 (column 4 ). Median age at
graduation was assumed to be 23 years.
The computed labor force o f engineers in 1940
(column 5, the sums o f columns 3 and 4) can be
compared to the actual labor force (including
those employed and those unemployed) as shown
by the 1940 Census. The last column o f the table
presents the differences between the computed and
the actual labor force in 1940 at various age levels.
The plus figures represent net transfers into the
profession o f persons other than graduates in the
decade, and the minus figures, net transfers out
o f the profession. It should be emphasized that
these are net differences; actually the number o f
transfers out in the age groups below 35 was some
what higher than the 51,000 shown because some
persons in these age groups probably transferred
in at the same time. This also applies to the d if
ferences shown in the age groups above 35; the
26,000 shown represents a minimvm o f transfers
between 1930 and 1940 in these age groups.
The last column suggests that at least 50,000
engineers and engineering graduates o f the 193040 decade left the profession by 1940, and that
at least 26,000 persons who were not engineers in
1930, and who were not graduated from engineer
ing schools during the decade entered the profes-
T a b l e B - l .— Changes in the engineering profession, 1980-40 1
Age (in years)
Total ___ ___
_
9 0 -2 4 9 R -9 Q
an-su
3 K -3 Q
A O -4 4
F O -F A
5 5 -5 9
fiO -fU
7 0 -7 4
75 and over_________________________
ITnirnown
Number of
engineers in
1930 (gainful
workers)8
Deaths and
retirements to
1940 of 1930
engineers
Survivors in
1940 of 1930
engineers (by
age in 1940)
(1)
(2)
(3)
215,386
23,744
38,424
34,508
31,452
28,499
22,734
15,226
9,226
6,109
3,133
1,410 |
741
180
35,777
Computed8
labor force
in 1940
Actual labor
force in
1940 *
Difference
(actual
minus
computed)
(5)
(6)
(7)
108,410
288,019
261,687
-26,332
13,260
57,350
37,800
13,260
57,350
60,618
36,618
31,989
28,244
24,481
18,096
10,430
13,189
32,343
34,348
45,503
39,071
34,195
28,730
18,054
9,550
-71
-25,007
-26,270
+8,885
+7,082
+5,951
+4,249
-42
—880
6,704
926
1,806
2,519
3,208
4,018
4,638
4,796
4,842
4,313
22,818
36,618
31,989
28,244
24,481
18,096
10,430
4,682
6,782
6,782
29
151
151
1Sources of data and description of the table are presented in the accom
panying text.
8 See footnote 4, p. 86.
179,609
Graduates
1930-40 (less
those who died
or retired)
(by age in 1940)
(4)
-78
-151
8 Sum of columns 3 and 4.
* U. S. Department of Commerce, U. S. Bureau of the Census, Sixteenth
Census of the United States, 1940, Population, vol. Ill, pt. 1, table 65.
87
88
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
sion by 1940. Inspection o f the data on gradu
ations and on the growth o f the profession during
the 1920’s strongly suggests that the m ajor part
o f the 26,000 or more entrants were persons who
had not been graduated from engineering schools.
Several factors help to explain both types o f
movements. First, in the age groups below 35,
the transfers out were in most cases the result o f
poor employment conditions existing during a
great part o f the thirties. The incidence o f un
employment among young engineers was described
in the section on civil engineers (see p. 15).
Most o f those transferring in were probably
men who were employed in subprofessional jobs
in 1930, such as draftsmen, surveyors, and others
who advanced to engineering positions by 1940.
A smaller number o f persons who held administra
tive or other professional positions in 1930, may
also have entered the engineering profession by
1940.
Other types o f transfers in the older age groups
were the immigration o f foreign-born engineers
(examination o f immigration data shows this to
be a small factor) and the return of American en
gineers to the United States from foreign employ
ment.
There are several technical factors which m ight
affect the accuracy o f these computations. First
is the fact that the “gainful workers” concept o f the
1930 census probably included some persons which
the labor force concept o f the 1940 census ex
cluded—particularly older persons (appendix A ).
An adjustment fo r this difference would have the
effect o f increasing the “ plus” figures slightly fo r
some o f the age groups over 35, in the last column.
Secondly, the death and retirement rates for all
white urban males may be slightly higher than
those for engineers, as pointed out above. Any
reasonable adjustment which might be made in
these rates to make them applicable to engineers
would have the effect o f reducing the “ plus” figures
slightly fo r some o f the age groups over 35, in the
last column. These small differences would tend
to offset each other.
A p p e n d ix C. Scope and M e th o d of the 1946 Survey
Most o f the statistical data on earnings and the
economic status o f engineers presented in this re
port are based on two surveys o f the engineering
profession made by the Bureau o f Labor Statis
tics. The first, made in 1935 at the request o f the
American Engineering Council, covered the years
1929, 1932, and 1934.1 This report described the
economic status o f engineers over a period in
which general economic prosperity was follow ed
by a serious depression. The second survey was
made in 1946 in cooperation with the Engineers
Joint Council, representing six leading engineer
ing societies, and the National Roster o f Scientific
and Specialized Personnel. It covered the years
1939,1943, and 1946; a period in which the economy
o f the country experienced first a recovery from the
depression, then the war, and finally a postwar
period o f high employment levels. Thus infor
mation is available on the impact o f a wide variety
o f economic conditions upon the status o f the en
gineering profession. This section describes the
scope and method o f the 1946 survey.
The questionnaire for the survey was designed
by the three cooperating agencies, drawing upon
the experience o f the previous survey as well as
that gained in two surveys o f the chemical profes
sion in 1941 and 1943.1
2 The questionnaire called
fo r information on experience, earnings, employ
ment status, and education (see facsim ile o f ques
tionnaire, pp. 96 and 97). It was completely precoded to make it easy for the respondent to fill it
out and to minimize clerical work in handling the
completed questionnaires. In order to encourage
the broadest response, the questionnaire was com
1U. S. Department o f Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Em
ployment and Earnings in the Engineering Profession, 1929 to
1934, Bulletin No. 682, Superintendent of Documents, Washing
ton 25, D. C., 1941. Price 25 cents.
2 The Economic Status of the Members of the American Chemi
cal Society, 1942, by Andrew Fraser, Jr. (available in Chemical
and Engineering News, issues of October 25, November 25, Decem
ber 10, and December 25, 1942, or in reprint form from the Mack
Printing Co., Easton, Pa.
U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Factors
Affecting Earnings in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Bulle
tin No. 881, Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C.,
1946. (Reprinted from Monthly Labor Review, June 1946, with
additional data.) Price 10 cents.
pletely anonymous, with no way o f identifying
the respondent.
In order to obtain a representative cross section
o f the approximately 300,000 engineers in the
United States in 1946, the files o f the National
Roster were used to provide a mailing list. The
National Roster had approximately 200,000 per
sons registered as engineers. Their names had
originally been obtained from the professional so
cieties, State boards o f engineering examiners,
schools o f engineering, and from the occupational
questionnaires which were filled out in connection
with Selective Service registration by all civilian
men aged 18 to 64. A ll persons whose names had
been obtained as being engineers or engineering
graduates were sent National Roster registration
forms, which called fo r information on education
and professional experience. When these form s
had been returned to the National Roster they
were screened in order to make sure that every
registrant was qualified as an engineer, fo r the
purpose o f establishing an active file o f all persons
who might be capable o f doing professional work
in connection with the war effort. (A s it later
developed when results o f the survey were ana
lyzed, some o f these registrants were not employed
in engineering; these were separately tabulated in
the survey).
The 200,000 registrants in the Roster files were
grouped for the purpose o f the survey according
to educational level, age, and engineering spe
cialty, and 20 percent o f the names in each cell
were used as a mailing list for the survey. The
Engineers Joint Council wished to obtain in for
mation on the economic status o f all members o f
its six constituent societies and so the question
naire was sent to its own mailing list o f 86,900
society members. In order to avoid sending two
questionnaires to the same person the sample se
lected from the National Roster files was matched
against the Engineers Joint Council mailing list.
Names found on both lists were eliminated from
the National Roster mailing, but the questionnaires
sent to these engineers were identified as being in
the Roster sample, and, after their returns were
89
90
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
Comparison of Returns With National
Mailing List
tabulated for the purposes o f the Engineers Joint
Council, they were included in the tabulations o f
the National Roster sample.
Altogether, approximately 42,000 question
naires were mailed in September 1946 to persons
registered with the National Roster. A total o f
24,695 questionnaires were returned, representing
a 58.8 percent response. A return as high as this
to a voluntary questionnaire testifies to the inter
est o f the members o f the profession in such a
survey and their willingness to cooperate. A sim
ilarly good response was obtained from the en
tire membership o f the constituent societies o f
the Engineers Joint Council. The data on this
group were published in a report by the Engineers
Joint Council.3 The data from the precoded
schedules were transferred to punch cards and
all basic tabulations were made by machine. Re
spondents who were in the armed forces, who were
outside the continental United States, or who were
engaged in nonengineering work fo r the year be
ing tabulated were excluded except where indi
cated.
In order to determine how well the returns
represented the entire engineering profession, two
types o f comparisons were m ade: The returns were
compared with the National Roster m ailing list,
which was selected on a representative basis from
the 200,000 registrants, to see if there was any bias
in response to the survey; they were also com
pared with the data on engineers reported to the
1940 Census o f Population, to determine how well
they represent the entire profession.9
The distribution o f the returns compared very
closely with that o f the mailing list with respect
to general engineering field, as shown in the fo l
lowing tabulation.
General engineering field:
O -l .—
Mailing list
____
Chemical__________
C iv il___________
_ — .
____
Electrical_________
M echanical___ _
— .
Mining and metallurgical___
Other______________________
Total p e rce n t----
---------
Total number_________
- __
Returns
1 1 .8
1 2 .4
2 3 .8
2 0 .3
1 9 .9
2 1 .4
2 7 .1
29.3
6 .8
5 .9
1 0 .6
1 0 .7
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
4 2 ,0 0 0
1 2 2 ,0 2 4
1 Excludes 1,107 returns with field not reported, 1,118 reporting
employment in nonengineering field, 215 in the armed services,
and 231 off-continent.
The returns appear to have a small underrepre
sentation o f civil and mining and metallurgical
engineers and overrepresentation o f mechanical
and electrical engineers. However, inform ation
from the survey itself showed that there was some
shifting o f engineers from the civil and mining
and metallurgical engineering fields into mechani
cal and electrical engineering during the period
1939-46, table 21. It is, therefore, to be ex
pected that some men who were classified in the
form er fields at the time o f registration with Na
tional Roster had shifted to mechanical and elec
trical engineering employment by 1946.
A comparison o f the distributions by age group
fo r each general field o f engineering employment
(table 0 —1 and chart C -l) also shows close cor
respondence between the returns and the mailing
list. Proportionately, the number o f returns from
9 The Engineering Profession in Transition, prepared by An
drew Fraser, Jr., for the Engineers Joint Council, 1947. This
report may be obtained from the Engineering Joint Council, 33
W est 39th St., New York, N. Y.
T a ble
Roster
Percentage com parison o f m ailing list and distribution o f respondents in each field o f engineering em ploym ent,
by age group in 1946
Chemical
Total
Civil
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and
metallurgical
Other
Age group
Mailing Sample Mailing Sample Mailing Sample Mailing Sample Mailing Sample Mailing Sample Mailing Sample
returns list
returns list
returns list
list
returns list
returns list
returns list
returns
Total.................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
29 years and under............................
30-39 years.........................................
40-49 years.........................................
50-59 years............ ............................
60 years and over.............................
19.2
30.4
29.3
13.6
7.5
20.1
32.0
26.7
14.1
7.1
45.1
34.0
13.5
5.6
1.8
40.2
35.7
15.3
6.3
2.5
7.9
23.1
35.9
19.7
13.4
9.3
24.2
34.1
20.4
12.0
16.8
31.3
35.2
11.6
5.1
19.2
33.2
31.0
12.4
4.2
22.8
32.0
26.0
12.7
6.5
24.4
35.5
22.2
12.4
5.5
17.4
34.1
24.1
14.1
10.3
20.6
35.5
21.3
15.2
7.4
11.8
34.7
32.7
14.5
6.3
11.8
34.3
32.6
16.0
5.3
91
SCOPE AND METHOD
Chart C—1.— Comparison of M ailin g List and Respondents, by A ge Group in 1946
Percent
Percent
Percent
Percent
and
under
ond
over
29
and
under
30-39
40-49
Age Group
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
852396*
50-59
60
29
ond and
over under
30-39
40-49
50-59
60
and
over
92
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOE ENGINEERS
Table C-2.—
Percentage com parison o f m ailing list and respondents in each field o f engineering em ploym ent,
by educational level
Engineering educational level
Civil
Chemical
Total
Electrical
Mail
ing
list
Re
spond
ents
Matt
ing
list
Re
spond
ents
Mail
ing
list
Re
spond
ents
Total.................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Doctor’s or master’s degree...............
Bachelor’s degree..............................
Incomplete and no college.................
8.6
66.8
24.6
14.6
66.7
18.7
16.4
71.2
13.4
24.2
69.1
6.7
iT
64.3
29.6
11.0
65.7
23.3
8jT
69.7
21.7
younger engineers in the civil, electrical, mechani
cal, and mining and metallurgical fields was
slightly greater than their representation in the
mailing list; whereas the number o f returns from
the older group o f chemical and “ other” engineers
was the greater. The greatest deviation between
proportions in the returns and in the mailing list
was 4.9 percent in the 29-years-and-under age
group for chemical engineers.
Comparison o f the distribution by level o f edu
cation for each o f the fields (table C -2) shows
the proportion o f respondents with the bachelor’s
degree to be in agreement with the proportion o f
those showing the bachelor’s degree on the mail
ing list. However, the returns from engineers
with advanced degrees (doctor and master) were
considerably higher than their representation in
the mailing list, the excesses ranging from 4.6 per
cent fo r “ other” engineers to 10.1 percent fo r min
ing and metallurgical engineers. The propor
tions o f returns from those with incomplete or no
college education were below the proportions in
the mailing list by about the same amounts as
the doctor and master returns were above the
proportions in the m ailing list.
The fact that the response to the survey repre
sents a group with a higher proportion o f ad
vanced degrees than was shown in the m ailing
list may be accounted for, in part, by the method
by which the Roster set up its registry. Many o f
the registrations were from college seniors who
had not yet received their degrees. Although
these registrants were recircularized by the Roster
and requested to report any changes in status,
such as additional education, it is possible that
many did not respond and, therefore, continued
to appear on the Roster files in the incomplete
college group. When they returned their ques-
Mail
Re
ing
spond
list
ents
Mechanical
Mining and
metallurgical
Other
Matt
ing
list
Re
spond
ents
Mail
ing
list
Re
spond
ents
Mail
ing
list
Re
spond
ents
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
13.9
68.8
17.3
6.4
66.3
27.3
12.7
67.9
19.4
13.0
68.3
18.7
23.1
62.4
14.5
89
62.5
28.6
13.5
60.6
25.9
tionnaries fo r the survey, however, they indicated
that they had a bachelor’s or higher degree. Like
wise, persons who registered before they received
their advanced degrees may not have reported this
change in educational level to the Roster. It may
also be that those engineers with the greatest
amount o f training tend to have greater interest
in the profession as a whole and respond better
to surveys o f the type made by the Bureau. The
bias introduced by the overreporting o f engineers
with advanced degrees and the underreporting o f
those without degrees was not considered o f suffi
cient magnitude to warrant weighting o f the
returns.
Comparison of Returns With Census Data
The 1940 Census o f Population gives inform a
tion on engineers which makes possible some com
parisons with the data concerning their status in
1939 which was reported by engineers in the 1946
Survey o f the Engineering Profession. A pproxi
mately 260,000 persons were classified by the cen
sus as engineers in 1940, and were grouped in 6
general engineering fields: Chemical, civil, elec
trical, mechanical, industrial, and mining and
metallurgical. A fter eliminating from the cen
sus report those who would have been lost to the
profession through death and retirem ent4 from
1940 to 1946 (and would therefore not have re
ported in 1946), the comparison o f the census dis
tribution o f engineers by field with that o f the
respondents to the 1946 Survey o f the Engineer
ing Profession (based on their reports as to their
status in 1939) is as follow s:
4 Estim ates o f deaths and retirements based on preliminary
tables of working life expectancy for urban white males prepared
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
93
SCOPE AND METHOD
Field o f engineering
1940 Census
survivors
in 1946
Percent
all “ government” engineers (unless otherwise
specified) were classified as civil engineers; ce
ramic engineers were classified as chemists.
The results o f the analysis o f the survey data
cannot be much affected by the number o f re
spondents in each field so long as each field is con
sidered separately. However, presentation o f
data for the engineering profession as a whole
may give a distorted picture if the component
fields are not in proper proportion.
Another comparison which can be made be
tween Census data and 1946 Survey data is that
o f age composition. Table C-3 and chart C-2 show
the age distribution o f the survey sample to be
younger than the census distribution in all fields.
The fact that the ages o f engineers in the Census
are as o f A pril 1,1940 and those o f the survey as
o f about October 1939 would result in a slightly
younger age distribution in the survey (in both
cases, age at last birthday was requested). A n
other factor which may have tended to produce
a bias toward older engineers in the Census is ex
plained in the follow ing excerpt from a Census
publication: 5
1946 Survey
{1989 reports)
Percent
4.6
Chemical ______________ _
33.6
Civil______________
___ E lectrical------------------------— 21.6
36.3
Mechanical and industrial.3.9
Mining and metaUurgical.Other___________ ______
—
9.5
24.9
21.5
26.3
6.3
11.5
All engineers--------- — 100.0
100.0
The chief reason fo r the differences in the above
distributions is believed to lie in the methods used
in classifying the engineers. In the 1946 Survey
each respondent classified him self as being in
one o f the 5 fields shown above or in the broad
category o f “other” engineering, or in nonengi
neering. A s many as 11.5 percent o f the respond
ents classified themselves as “ other” engineers,
with no indication as to the type o f engineering
work done. F or example, an agricultural, re
frigerating, or automotive engineer may have
classified himself among “ other” engineers. In
the census, each engineer reported his specialty in
his own terms to the enumerator. When the
enumerators’ records were reviewed in the Bu
reau o f the Census, classification o f persons re
ported as engineers was done uniform ly by clerks
with specific rules in this regard. F or example,
all agricultural, refrigerating, and automotive en
gineers were classified as mechanical engineers;
At the
returned
technical
years o f
1940 Census, persons under 35 years old,
as technical engineers, were not coded as
engineers unless they had had at least 4
college education. An examination o f a*
* Comparative Occupation S tatistics fo r the United States,
1870 to 1940, p. 24, U. S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f
the Census, Washington 25, D. C., 1943.
T a b l e C-3.— Percentage comparison of 1940 Census survivors 1 and 1946 Survey respondents, by age in 1989, for each field o f
engineering employment by age group
Percentage in field of engineering employment
Age groups
Civil
Total
Electrical
Mechanical
Other
1940 Census 1946 Survey 1940 Census 1946 Survey 1940 Census 1946 Survey 1940 Census 1946 Survey 1940 Census 1946 Survey
(1939
(1939
survivors
survivors
survivors
(1939
survivors
(1939
survivors
(1939
in 1946
reports)
in 1946
in 1946
reports)
reports)
reports)
in 1946
in 1946
reports)
Total--------------- ------------------
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
20-24 years 8------------------------25-29 years................................
30-34 years................................
35-39 years..................... ...........
40-44 years................................
45-49 years................................
50-54 years................................
55-59 years................................
60-64 years................................
65 years and over......................
5.8
14.0
14.7
19.0
15.8
13.0
9.8
4.8
2.0
1.1
10.1
19.0
18.0
18.2
12.8
8.6
6.9
4.2
1.4
.6
3.8
12.1
14.9
19.3
15.0
13.6
11.2
6.1
2.4
1.6
5.7
13.8
16.7
19.9
13.5
10.9
10.4
6.2
1.9
1.0
5.8
11.7
16.9
22.0
16.9
11.2
9.6
3.7
1.6
.6
8.9
17.5
21.6
21.3
13.2
7.9
5.5
2.6
1.0
.5
6.2
14.6
13.1
17.2
16.7
14.5
9.7
4.7
2.2
1.1
13.4
20.6
16.9
16.7
12.9
7.7
6.1
3.9
1.3
.5
11.7
25.0
14.2
17.3
11.6
9.5
5.0
3.6
1.1
1.0
12.6
23.4
17.4
15.8
11.6
8.1
5.6
3.8
1.3
.4
i 1940 Census figures minus the number of deaths and retirements to 1946
based on preliminary tables of working-life expectancy for urban white males,
prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
* Those under 20 years of age were included in this age group, which added
less than 0.5 percent to any one field.
94
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOE ENGINEERS
Chart C—2.-—Comparison of 1940 Census Survivors in 1946 and Survey Respondents for 1939
Percent
EACH FIELD OF ENGINEERING
BY AGE GROUP
Percent
Age Group
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
SCOPE AND METHOD
small sample o f the coded schedules showed that the
operation of this rule resulted in a considerable num
ber—possibly as many as 12,000—of the persons who
were returned as technical engineers not being coded
as technical engineers.
College education o f engineers was reported to
the Census in two categories—those having 1 to 3
years o f education and those with 4 or more years.
Therefore, it is not possible to make strict com
parisons with Survey educational data, which show
highest degree received. The fact that amount o f
education was reported in the Survey as o f 1946
also makes comparison with census material diffi
cult. However, it is significant that only 62 per
cent o f the engineers reporting to the census in 1940
had 4 or more years o f college, while as many as 81
percent o f the engineers included in the 1946 Sur
vey reported degrees in engineering in 1946. The
proportion o f engineers with degrees did increase
substantially from 1940 to 1946; some 95,000 engi
neers were graduated in this period and, allowing
fo r deaths and retirements o f older engineers, it
may be estimated that at least 70 percent o f the
engineers in 1946 were graduates.
One reason for the survey showing higher edu
cational attainment lies in the age composition, as
discussed above. Since it is known that a higher
portion o f young engineers hold college degrees
than do older engineers, it follow s that a sample
with an overrepresentation o f those in the younger
age groups also shows higher educational attain
ment.
95
Summary
In order to evaluate the accuracy o f the survey
as a measure o f the economic status o f engineers,
comparison has been made o f the responses with
both the National Roster mailing list and Bureau
o f the Census data. It was found that the re
spondents in the survey include a slightly higher
proportion o f younger engineers than does the
profession as a whole and a higher proportion o f
those with advanced degrees. It was also found
that the respondents by field o f engineering did
not fully correspond to the Census and National
Roster data. However, the methods employed in
presenting the results o f the survey completely
eliminate the effect o f the bias in the distribution
by age and field o f engineering—since most tables
show each field o f engineering separately and,
in nearly every case, the data on earnings are
tabulated separately for engineers with different
lengths o f experience. Some o f the earnings tab
ulations are affected to a very small extent by the
overrepresentation o f graduate engineers. The
effect o f this bias upon earnings may be judged
by table 11 which presents earnings by education.
It is not likely that a presentation o f earnings dis
regarding experience and education would be dis
torted to any extent, because the high proportion
o f younger and hence lower-paid engineers would
probably be offset by the too-high proportion o f
graduate engineers who earn, on the average, more
than those with less education.
96
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
THE 1946 SURVEY OF THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION
Committee on the Economic
Status of the Engineer
ENGINEERS JOINT COUNCIL
in Cooperation With the
Budget Approval No. 44—4626
Approval Expires 11/30/46
Bureau of Labor Statistics
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Washington 25, D. C.
N ote 1.—Questions 2 to 6 inclusive require merely that you circle one and only one of the code numbers.
1. Age last birthday (in years):
2. Sex: Male........... ........................... ......................................
Female....... . . ............................................................ .
(Circle one and only one of these two code numbers)
3. Year of entering profession: Indicate below the year in which you
drew your first salary in your professional field.
1899 (or before)—
04
06
08
09
02
05
19—00
01
03
07
11
14
16
19
10
12
13
15
17
18
29
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
20
32
33
34
35
36
38
39
30
31
37
41
44
45
46
40
42
43
(Circle one and only one of these forty-eight code numbers)
1
2
4. Formal education in a nonengineering field: If you received educa
tion in a nonengineering field indicate below the highest educational level
reached by you (excluding honorary degrees).
Doctor.........._............ .........
1 I Master........... . . ....... ................
2
Bachelor...................... ....... 3 I Incomplete college. ...................
(Circle one and only one of these four code numbers)
4
5. Formal education in a basic engineering field: Indicate below the highest educational level reached by you in a basic engineering field (excluding honor
ary degrees).
Educational level
Incomplete
college
No college
Doctor
Master
Basic engineering field
Bachelor
training
training
Chemical engineering................................................................................................... —
11
12
13
14
15
21
Civil engineering...............................................................................................................
22
23
24
25
Electrical engineering........................................................................................................
31
32
33
34
35
41
Mechanical engineering.....................................................................................................
42
43
44
45
Mining and metallurgical engineering................ .............................................................
51
52
53
54
55
Any other engineering field...............................................................................................
61
62
63
64
65
(Circle one and only one of these thirty code numbers)
6. Veteran status:
Are you a veteran of World War II?
Yes.......................................................................... 1
No__.........................................................
(Circle one and only one of these two code numbers)
2
N ote 2.—In answering questions 7 to 10 inclusive, do not insert any code numbers for years prior to the one when you drew your first salary in your pro
fessional field which y ou circled in question 3.
7. Employment location: Insert in box for the appropriate year or years one and only one code number corresponding to the location in which you were
employed for the major part of that year.
1946 |
|
1939 □
1943
State
Alabama...................
Arizona.....................
Arkansas_____________
California..................
Colorado...................
Connecticut..............
Delaware..................
District of Columbia.
Florida.....................
Georgia.....................
Idaho........................
Illinois.—.................
Indiana.....................
Code
No.
.. 73
96
.. 61
.. 43
.. 94
.. 36
21
89
.. 28
.. 27
.. 92
.. 13
12
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2)
Code
Code
No.
State
State
No.
Iowa................................ ............ 52 Nevada............................ ............ 98
32
Kansas
............ 57 New Hampshire_______
Kentucky........................ ............ 71 New Jersey..................... ........... 02
Louisiana........................ ............ 62 New Mexico.................... ............ 95
Maine............................. ............ 31 New York....................... ............ 01
Maryland........................ ............ 22 North Carolina________ ............ 25
TWassao.bnsftt.t.s .
M ic h ig a n
34
14
North D a k o ta .. ___
Ohio
Minnesota....................... ...........
Mississippi........ ............. ............
Missouri.......................... ............
Montana...................... ............
Nebraska......... ............... ............
51
74
53
91
56
Oklahoma........................ ............
Oregon............................. ............
Pennsylvania.................. ............
Rhode Island.................. ............
South Carolina................ ............
K4
.....
11
63
42
03
35
26
Code
State
No.
South Dakota.............................. 55
snnessee..................................... 72
Texas....................
64
Utah............................................ 97
Vermont...................................... 33
Virginia________________
23
Washington.............................
41
West Virginia.............................. 24
Wisconsin.................................... 15
Wyoming..................................... 93
U. S. Territories and Possessions. X6
Foreign Countries..........................R7
8. Annual income: (Respondents who circled one of the years 44 to 46 inclusive in question 3 will please omit question 8.) For the years 1939 and 1943 in
sert in box for the appropriate year or years the code number of the income bracket that contains your annual income from salaries or personal services in both
engineering and nonengineering work, including fees and bonuses.
1943 I—
I
1939 I
I
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2)
Code
Income bracket
No.
Under $1,200............................... 01
$1,200 and under $1,400................ 02
$1,400 and under $1,600................ 03
$1,600 and under $1,800................ 04
$1,800 and under $2,000................ 05
$2,000 and under $2,200................ 06
$2,200 and under $2,400................ 07
$2,400 and under $2,600................ 08
Code
Income bracket
No.
$2,600 and under $3,000................. 09
$3,000 and under $3,400................ 10
$3,400 and under $3,800................ 11
$3,800 and under $4,200................ 12
$4,200 and under $4,600................ 13
$4,600 and under $5,000................ 14
$5,000 and under $5,400................ 15
$5,400 and under $6,000.......
16
Code
Income bracket
No.
$6,000 and under $6,600................ 17
$6,600 and under $7,200................ 18
$7,200 and under 7,800.................. 19
$7,800 and under $8,400................ 20
$8,400 and under $9,000................ 21
$9,000 and under $9,600................ 22
$9,600 and under $10,200 .............. 23
$10,200 and under $12,000............. 24
Code
Income bracket
No.
$12,000 and under $13,800.............. 25
$13,800 and under $15,600............. 26
$15,600 and under $17,400............. 27
$17,400 and under $19,200. ............ 28
$19,200 and over........................... 29
9. Rate of earnings (monthly salary rates): Insert in box for the appropriate year or years one and only one code number of the salary bracket that contains
your monthly salary rate for the time actually employed in engineering work, (a) Exclusive of fees, bonuses, and overtime payment; and (b) exclusive of fees
and bonuses, but inclusive of overtime payment. Important: Repeat codes in ( d) if (b) happens to be the same as (a).
(a) Exclusive of fees, bonuses, and overtime payment.
(b) Exclusive of fees and bonuses, but inclusive of overtime payment.
1946 1
1
1943 1
1
1939 1
1
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2)
Code
Code
Salary bracket
Salary bracket
No.
No.
$170 and under $180___ . . . . 09
Under $100......... ................. ........ 01
$100 and under $110.............. ........ 02
$180 and under $190___ . . . . 10
$110 and under $120.............. ........ 03
$190 and under $200___ . . . . 11
$120 and under $130.............. ........ 04
$200 and under $220___ . . . . 12
$130 and under $140.............. ........ 05
$220 and under $240___ . . . . 13
$140 and under $150............. ......... 06
$240 and under $260___ . . . . 14
$150 and under $160.............. ........ 07
$260 and under $280___ . . . . 15
$160 and under $170________------- 08
$280 and under $300— . — 16
1946
1943
□
1939
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2)
Code
Code
Salary bracket
No.
Salary bracket
No.
$300 and under $320___ . . . . 17
$570 and under $620........... 25
$320 and under $340___ .. . . 18
$620 and under $680........... 26
$340 and under $370___ . . . . 19
$680 and under $750___ — . 27
$370 and under $400___ . . . . 20
$750 and under $850___ .... 28
$400 and under $440___ . . . . 21
$850 and under $1,000__ — . 29
$440 and under $480___ . . . . 22
$1,000 and over.................. 30
$480 and under $520___ . . . . 23
$520 and under $570----- . . . . 24
(OVER)
97
SCOPE AND METHOD
10. Employment status: Insert in box for the appropriate year or years one and only one code number corresponding to your major activity during the year
with respect to your (1) general field of employment; (2) class of worker; (3) industry field in which employed; and (4) occupational status.
(1)
General field of employment: (If unemployed in any of these years insert the code number for the field in which seeking work):
1946 1
|
1943 |______|
1939 |
|
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2).
General field of employment
Code
No.
1
2
3
4
Chemical engineering... ..........................................
Civil engineering.....................................................................................
Electrical engineering (include radio)......................................................
Mechanicrl engineering (include aeronautical and industrial)................
(2)
General field of employment
Mining and metallurgical engineering.....................................................
Any other engineering field......................................
Nonengineering field...................................
Class of worker:
1946 [
1
1943 |
|
1939 j
|
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2.)
Class of worker
Class of worker
Engaged in engineering as:
■‘VoEmployer.......................................................................................... 01
Employee of a private firm, organization or institution (exclude
private consulting work)................................................................ 11
Independent consultant.................................................................... 12
Employee of Federal Government.................................................... 21
Employee of State government......................................................... 22
Employee of county government- .................................................... 23
(3)
Code
No.
6
6
7
Engaged in engineering as—Continued
Employee of municipal government................
Employee of other public authority.................
Member of the armed forces.............................
In nonengineering work as member of armed forces
In nonengineering work as civilian.........................
Student....... ............... ............................. .............
Retired....................................................................
Unemployed...........................................................
Code
No.
24
25
26
27
31
41
51
61
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Industry field in which employed:
1943 |
1946
|
1939 [
|
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2.)
Code
Industry field in which employed
No.
Agriculture and forestry..............................................
100
Mining:
Coal....................
201
Crude petroleum and natural gas..........................
202
Ferrous...............
203
Nonferrous metals............. ........... ................... ....... _..................... 204
Other mining industries not specified................................................. 205
Construction:
Bridges................................................................................................301
Buildings.............................................................................................302
Highways...................................................................................... - 303
Sewerage................................ - ......................................................... 304
Surveying............................................................................................305
Waterways..................................
306
Waterworks.................................................................
307
Other construction not specified..................................
308
Manufacturing:
Food and kindred products... ............................................................. 401
Textile mill products, excluding rayon and allied products. .................402
Lumber, furniture, and lumber products............................................ 410
Paper and allied products....................................................................411
Printing and publishing....................................................................420
Chemicals and allied products, including rayon and allied products.. 430
Petroleum and coal products:
Petroleum refining...................
440
Other petroleum and coal products industries not specified____ 441
Rubber products...........................................................................450
Stone, clay, and glass products. ................................................... 451
Iron and steel and their products:
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills................... —....... 460
Other iron and steel industries not specified................................. 461
Nonferrous metals and their products.............................
4624
Industry field in which employed
Manufacturing—Continued
Code
Machinery:
Electrical machinery and equipment..............
470
Other machinery industries not specified..................
471
Transportation equipment:
Aircraft and parts.........................................................................480
Automobiles and automobile equipment.....................................481
Other transportation equipment industries not specified............. 482
Other manufacturing industries not specified.....................................490
Transportation:
Railroads, including railroad repair shops.......................................... 501
Other transportation industries not specified......................................502
Communication:
Telephone (wire and radio).................................................................601
Radio broadcasting and television...................................................... 602
Telegraph (wire and radio)................................................................. 603
Utilities:
Electric light and power................................................................... 701
Water and sanitary services.............................................................. 702
Gas works and steam plants............................................................... 703
Other industry fields:
Refrigerating, heating, and ventilating............................................... 801
Wholesale and retail trade.................................................................. 802
Insurance and appraisal......................................................................803
Finance, taxation, and real estate....................................................... 804
Education.......................
805
Legal..
Professional and trade organization.................................................... 807
Other service industries not specified.................................
808
Any industry field not specified- ..............................................................900
Unemployed....................................
001
(4) Occupational status:
1943
Occupational status
Administration-management, nontechnical-..
Administration-management, technical..........
Analysis and testing.......................................
Construction, supervision...............................
Consulting, independent-...............................
Consulting, as employee of private firm..........
Design. ..........................................................
Development....................................... ..........
Drafting..........................................................
Editing and writing........................................
Estimating— ...............................................
Inspection.......................................................
Installation.....................................................
Library and information service.....................
Maintenance.....................................-............
Operation........................................................
(Before inserting code numbers please refer to note 2.)
Code
No.
.
01
.
.
.
.
.
03
04
05
06
07
. 02
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Occupational status
Patents............................
Personnel-labor problems.
Production......................
Research in basic science.
Research, applied............
Retired............................
Safety engineering...........
Student..............................................
Teaching, college or university...........
Teaching, other..................................
Unemployed......................................
Any occupational status not specified.
Code
No.
. 17
. 18
. 19
. 20
21
. 22
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
(LS 47-582)
A p p e n d ix D. Supplementary Tables
Table D—1.— Num ber
o f engineers in the United States
by field o f engineering, 1 9 1 0 -4 8
Year
Total
1910.............
1920.............
1930.............
1940.............
1948 3...........
84,177
129,939
215,386
261,428
350,000
Civil
Electrical
Mechani
cal 1
15,125
26,806
57,259
55,667
73,647
15,385
39,950
57,617
95,346
130,436
46,737
56,488
88,540
89,042
90,092
,
6,930
6,695
11,970
21,373
56,843
D - 3 . — Number o f engineering degrees awarded in the
United States, 1920-52 ( Baccalaureate and first pro
fessional degree)
able
Academic year ending
June 30
1920.................................
1921..................................
1922--...............................
1923.................................
1924.................................
1925..................................
1926__..............................
1927..................................
1928.................................
1929..................................
1930.................................
1931..................................
1932.................................
1933.................................
1934.................................
1935.................................
1936................................
1937................................
1938...............................
1939................................
1940. ................................
1941................................
1942__..............................
1943..................................
1944.................................
1945.................................
1946.................................
1947.................................
1948.................................
1949.................................
1950. ................................
1951. ................................
1952.................................
U. S. Office of
Education1
4,716
5,855
7,268
7,496
7,731
7,558
7,389
7,510
7,633
7,513
7,395
8,885
10,374
10,897
11,419
11,024
10,629
10,834
11,039
12,694
13,808
14,318
14,847
14,450
12,785
(*)
(•)
(*)
*31,096
•43,604
(*)
<*)
<*)
Journal of
Engineering
Education 1
2*4
(*)
(*)
(*)
(*)
(*)
V7
f*i
i*S
(*)
(*)
(*)
v)
ft
(*)
8,847
7,881
8,245
8,697
12,408
11,358
12,709
14,987
14,145
12,118
7,645
10,440
18,592
28,763
(*)
(*)
(*)
(*
Estimated
total *
5,000
6,100
7,500
7,700
8,000
7,800
7,600
7,800
7,900
7,800
7,700
9,200
10,700
11,300
12,000
11,600
11,200
11,400
11,600
13,300
15,100
15,200
16,000
15,300
13,500
8,500
11,500
21,000
32,000
44,000
1 *47,000
*36,000
*29,000
1From Biennial Surveys of Education in the United States, Statistics of
Higher Education, U. S. Office of Education; data for uneven years estimated
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the basis of a method used by the U. S.
Office of Education.
2 Journal of Engineering Education, annual statistics on engineering enroll
ments and graduates, Dec. 1935 to Feb. 1949.
8 Graduates estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics with adjustment
(approximately 5 percent) for schools not reporting each year.
4 Estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the basis of enrollments
reported in the Journal of Engineering Education, Feb. 1949, for the
academic year 1948-49.
8 Federal Security Agency, U. S. Office of Education, Earned Degrees Con
ferred by Higher Educational Institutions, 1947-48, Cir. No. 247, Nov. 1948,
Washington 25, D. C.
•Federal Security Agency, U. S. Office of Education, Higher Education,
Oct. 15, 1949.
♦Not available.
98
able
D -2 .—
Estimated changes in the engineering pro
fession, 1940-48
Other 2
1Includes industrial and aeronautical engineers.
2Includes chemical, mining and metallurgical engineers.
*Estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (see appendix table D-2).
Total rounded.
Source: U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Civil en
gineers; data 1910 to 1930. Adjusted by Bureau of Labor Statistics to exclude
surveyors.
T
T
Item
Number of engineers, April
1940 *.......................................
Deduction for deaths and
retirements, 1940-482........
Graduations, 1940-488. ........
Excess of number of entrants
without engineering de
grees over number of engi
neers or engineering grad
uates leaving profession
for other employment4___
Estimated number of engineers,
April 1948 *..............................
Percent increase, 1940-48___
Total
Civil
261,428
89,042
Me
chan
ical
(includ
ing
Elec
trical indus
trial
and
aero
naut
ical)
55,667
95,346
Other
(includ
ing
chem
ical,
mining
and
metal
lurgi
cal)
21,373
-43,000 -16,200 -7,700 -15,600 -2,500
116,100 17,550 21,180 42,400 34,970
15,500 -1,300
350,000
33.9
90,092
1.1
9,300
3,000
73,647 130,436
32.3
36.7
4,500
56,843
165.9
* Includes those employed, those seeking work and those on public emer
gency work. Source: Bureau of the Census.
2 Calculated by Bureau of Labor Statistics from 1940 age composition
(Census) by means of preliminary tables of working life expectancy for white
males in urban communities.
8 Table D-3, and table 8 on p. 39.
8 Rough estimate on the basis of examination of data on occupational
mobility of engineers from the 1946 survey of the engineering profession and
other information at hand.
6Total rounded; the break-down by field of engineering which represents
estimates only is shown to the last digit for the convenience of the reader in
following the table.
T
D —4 . — Growth o f the engineering profession and
major industries employing engineers, and ratio of workers
per engineer, 1890-1948
able
Year
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
___________
1948.................................
Engineers
Number of Manpower
in selected per 100,000
engineers1 industries2
workers
26,833
41,087
84,177
129,939
215,386
261,428
350,000
7,800,000
10.459.000
14.461.000
18.075.000
19.949.000
20.399.000
24.300.000
344
393
582
719
1,080
1,282
1,440
Workers
per
engineer
290
255
172
139
93
78
69
i Gainful workers, 1890 to 1930 (adjusted for surveyors, see appendix B)
labor force in 1940 (including 245,288 employed and 16,140 unemployed
based on decennial census data; labor force in 1948 estimated by Bureau of
Labor Statistics (see appendix table D-2).
* Manufacturing, mining, construction, transportation, and public utili
ties. All figures except 1948 based on decennial census data. Includes
gainful workers, 1890 to 1930; labor force in 1940. Includes unemployed and
self-employed as well as employees. Source for 1890 to 1940: Industrial Com)sition of Manpower in the United States, 1870-1940. Source for 1948:
ureau of Labor Statistics (adjusted to same basis as 1940).
g
99
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
T a b l e D -5 . — M ed ia n age and m edian years o f experience, by educational level fo r each field o f engineering em ploym ent, 1 9 48
Field of engineering employment
Educational level
Chemical
Age
Doctor........ ..............................................
M aster................................................ .
Bachelor....................................................
Incomplete college....................................
No college.............................................
Not reported.............................................
36
31
31
35
41
39
Civil
Experi
ence
13.2
8.8
7.7
14.8
22.5
18.1
Age
48
45
42
47
51
56
Experi
ence
Age
41
39
38
42
44
36
25.0
22.6
19.8
25.4
28.1
32.5
Mining and
metallurgical
Mechanical
Electrical
Experi
ence
18.1
16.5
14.5
19.8
20.2
14.4
Age
41
39
34
43
47
37
Experi
ence
19.2
15.8
11.4
20.0
24.9
15.0
Age
40
40
36
41
48
43
Other
Experi
ence
Age
16.5
15.9
12.3
18.1
26.1
18.9
38
42
39
45
44
42
Experi
ence
15.9
18.8
15.7
21.4
19.1
16.1
T a b l e D -6. — Percentage distribution, by educational level in each occupational status, for each field o f engineering employ
ment, 1946
Occupational status
Total
percent
Doctor
Master Bachelor
Incom
plete
college
No col Total
percent
lege
CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
Doctor
Master Bachelor
Incom
plete
college
No col
lege
CIVIL ENGINEERS
Total........................................................
100.0
5.7
18.5
69.1
5.8
0.9
100.0
1.2
9.8
65.8
19.4
3.8
Administration-management, nontech
nical............ ............... ..........................
Administration-management, technical—.
Analysis and testing_________________
Construction supervision
Consulting, independent..........................
Consulting, as employee of private firm ..
Design....... ..............................................
Development_______________________
Drafting
Fruiting and writing
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
5.6
6.5
3.1
9.1
10.0
6.9
4.4
4.6
14.8
17.8
6.2
22.7
20.0
13.8
29.1
18.4
64.8
67.9
81.5
50.0
46.6
69.0
61.6
72.0
100.0
83.3
11.1
6.2
8.2
18.2
16.7
8.6
4.4
4.3
3.7
1.6
1.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.9
.8
.7
1.7
2.1
.8
7.4
9.5
10.9
5.3
13.2
16.7
9.6
9.1
2.8
22.6
62.9
65.9
71.7
61.5
62.6
62.4
70.7
68.2
77.4
74.2
24.1
20.6
8.7
25.8
17.0
13.9
16.3
19.3
16.0
3.2
3.7
3.2
8.7
6.7
5.5
4.9
2.6
3.4
3.8
Estimating_________________________
Inspection__________________________
Installation_________________________
library and information service _ _ . _
Maintenance _
... .
_.
Operation
Patents____________________________
Personnel-labor problems
Production.. _______________________
Research in basic science______________
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
10.0
10.0
14.3
10.0
5.1
7.8
71.0
65.5
70.0
20.5
25.6
30.0
L7
1.1
11.1
5.5
.9
100.0
100.0
1.3
15.4
33.3
5.6
10.0
30.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.7
33.3
2.0
4.0
66.3
72.0
25.0
18.0
5.4
6.0
.9
8.7
15.1
34.8
70.0
85.7
100.0
33.4
83.3
83.6
53.8
100.0
79.4
56.5
4.1
.5
100.0
100.0
7.7
12.5
15.4
62.5
76.9
25.0
Research, applied.....................................
Retired
_ _ ......
Safety engineering___________________
Sales..-____________________________
Student____________________________
Teaching, college or university_________
Teaching, other______________________
Unemployed
Any occupational status not specified
above____________________________
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
5.4
22.3
4.1
40.0
20.0
8.6
18.2
32.8
1.9
18.2
7.5
53.5
80.0
45.4
83.1
66.7
40.8
8.6
20.0
27.3
7.5
33.3
1.0
100.0
6.3
87.5
6.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.4
6.2
2.3
38.8
67.6
60.0
70.0
71.6
50.0
32.8
.6
10.0
13.6
29.5
28.4
66.7
8.3
100.0
100.0
25.0
6.7
1.7
.5
.7
16.7
13.6
44.6
100.0
9.1
8.9
1.7
9.1
72.7
9.1
9.1
65.2
22.3
3.6
100
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
T a b l e D —6.— Percentage distribution, by educational level in each occupational status, for each field o f engineering employ
ment, 1946 — Continued
Occupational status
Total
percent
Doctor
Master Bachelor
Incom
plete
college
No col Total
lege
percent
Doctor
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
Total........................................................
100.0
Administration-management, nontechnical............ -..................... ............. .....
Administration-management, technical...
Analysis and testing__________________
Construction supervision.........................
Consulting, independent..........................
Consulting, as employee of private firm ..
Design......................................................
Development-....................................... .
Drafting ___ _ . . . . . . .
_ r_ _
Editing”and writing _
______
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Estimating.. . _
r ______ _ .
Inspection. .................. ..........................
Installation
. . .
_ ____
Library and information service________
Maintenance. _
___
_
_. _
Operation.................................................
Patents............ ............................. - .........
Personnel-labor problems_____________
Production___ I______ ______________
Research in basic science..........................
100.0
100.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Research, applied_____ ______________
Retired.________ ___________________
Safety engineering
Sales.
Student............................... .......... .........
Teaching, college or university _ . . .
Teaching, other........................ —............
Unemployed.
_
__
_
_
Any occupational status not specified
above................................ - ..................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
11.8
68.7
13.9
3.5
100.0
1.8
1.1
6.3
12.4
6.5
3.8
16.9
17.7
9.9
14.2
67.0
65.5
76.5
70.1
50.8
10.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.3
1.9
74.1
73.1
77.5
62.2
16.0
17.2
14.1
17.2
18.5
13.1
12.9
9.9
12.5
24.3
85.9
72.4
74.6
8.5
19.0
12.7
1.7
3.2
63.8
67.2
77.3
60.0
85.4
46.6
23.7
19.3
4.5
7.9
9.4
16.7
2.4
3.3
9.3
2.4
41.7
63.5
60.0
77.8
80.4
72.0
28.5
53.3
50.0
4.4
80.9
1.3
4.6
1.0
.7
1.2
8 .1
1.7
.6
2.8
5.2
9.5
4.6
3.5
18.2
20.0
16.7
16.7
6.2
18.6
40.0
23.1
11 .1
6.6
8.0
47.6
20.0
100.0
66.2
100.0
20.0
12.2
11 .1
9.6
20.0
3.0
3.9
7.6
9.2
2.0
2.4
1.6
10.0
5.4
2.8
3.5
.8
20.0
6.7
10.3
4.4
8.3
Total...................... ..................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
6.2
17.9
1.4
20.5
24.6
30.0
17.6
64.7
60.9
62.3
70.0
46.2
53.1
30.0
75.6
28.6
42.8
28.6
6.9
2.2
6 .1
10.2
17.7
17.4
13.3
10.0
Estimating ___.. . „ _ . ...
__ _
Inspection
.......
Installation......... .................... ................
Library and information service..............
Maintenance________________________
Operation__________ ________________
Patents....................................................
Personnel-labor problems_____________
Production........ .................. ...................
Research in basic science..........................
100.0
100.0
5.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
28.6
100.0
100.0
23.1
Research, applied.....................................
Retired........................ ............ ...............
Safety engineering....................................
Sales
Student.....................................................
Teaching, college or university....... .........
Teaching, other............... ........................
Unemployed.............................................
Any occupational status not specified
above__ ______ ___________________
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
62.4
8.2
10.0
10.6
18.2
23.1
100.0
70.5
100.0
57.1
71.3
75.0
69.3
57.3
20.0
8.8
2.9
4.4
28.2
12.2
40.0
5.4
100.0
3.5
6.4
21.7
18.9
9.9
16.0
14.0
7.7
11.5
2.7
18.5
64.9
64.7
84.7
62.8
53.6
65.5
69.1
71.0
75.1
59.3
11 .1
5.7
3.4
.5
2.5
7.2
4.3
4.6
2.5
2.7
3.7
1.6
4.3
3.2
5.9
67.1
63.4
84.3
24 3
28*. 6
5.9
14
3.2
3.9
1.4
.9
4.3
6.2
17.4
5.4
16.4
14 1
12.4
8.7
4.3
20.7
4.9
5.3
4.3
2.2
8.2
74.0
75.2
65.3
95.7
68.4
72.2
1.6
1.6
3.2
18.1
16.7
69.6
6.7
16.7
23.5
14*0
13! 6
2.4
2.6
.7
.6
.9
7.4
11.1
8.6
2.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
5.9
.5
11.7
5.6
1.1
22.3
20.0
13.6
17.9
14.4
18.6
100.0
66.6
3.3
9.4
64.7
77.6
72.8
40.3
40.0
59.3
40.0
18.8
12.5
14.1
67.4
10.9
6.5
21.0
4.8
~
5.1
3.9
5.9
13.6
45.0
20.0
100.0
62
1.8
5.9
2.0
1.2
OTHER ENGINEERS
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
=
2.3
=
.9
2.9
11 .2
6.8
12 .1
2.6
2.4
4.3
15.0
13.3
7.8
10.5
6.7
33.3
1.1
1.7
2.4
1.9
60.7
"
4.8
=====
65.8
58.7
87.8
62.7
46.7
62.7
61.0
72.4
66.7
46.7
21.4
22.4
9.8
25.5
28.3
17.3
23.4
13.2
33" 3
13.3
57.1
47 2
50.0
26.2
39.6
12! 5
50.0
17.5
6.4
8.3
6.7
7.8
1.3
3.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
28.6
1.2
2.4
28.6
8.6
26.5
52.1
11 .1
1.7
4.0
37.0
16.8
11.0
4.6
28.6
ll! 1
21.4
11.8
11.8
14.3
16.4
4.1
15.0
3.8
15.9
2.5
25.0
50.0
2.5
5.3
8.7
72.5
68.4
82! 6
80.0
83.3
42.8
8.0
1.0
100.0
30.0
13.3
12.5
10.0
12.3
87.5
12.5
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
14.3
53.9
14.3
11 .1
48.0
70.6
71.4
29.2
57.1
77.8
75.0
10.0
100.0
1.0
11 .2
61.3
100.0
15.0
8.8
12.9
17.8
2.3
=====
67.9
60.0
83.4
62.5
30.3
100.0
3.3
25.0
48.5
12.2
No col
lege
10.9
2.5
3.2
MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS
Administration-management, nontech
nical____ _________________________
Administration-management, technical. _.
Analysis and testing................................
Construction supervision . .____ . _
Consulting, independent..........................
Consulting, as employee of private firm ...
Design......................................................
Development___________________ ____
Drafting.................... ................. ..............
Editing and writing. „
_. __ _ ...
Incom
plete
college
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
2 .1
1.9
Master Bachelor
3.0
.6
6.6
9.5
11 3
12! 5
50
22.8
8.'5
10.0
10.0
1.2
8.7
11.9
5.4
1A 3
5.1
101
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
T a b l e D - 7 . — Percentage distribution fo r each field o f engineering em ploym ent, by class o f worker fo r each occupational status,
1946
P riv ate in d u stry
O ccu p ation al status
T o ta l
p u b lic
and
p rivate
T o ta l
P u b lic em ployees
E m p lo y
E m p lo y
ers and
ees o f
in d ep en d
p rivate
e n t co n
firm s
sultants
T o ta l
F ederal
State
C ou n ty
M u n ic i
pal
O ther
C H E M IC A L E N G IN E E R S
A ll ch em ical engineers..........................................................
100.0
94.3
5.2
89.1
5.7
2.9
1.9
0.1
0 .6
0 .2
A riminiRtratton-manftgftment, n on tech n ica l_________
A dministrqtinn-mftTiftgftmfinf.' tech n ical............ ...........
A nalysis and testin g
___ _1___ ___________________ ;_
O n nstm ctinn supervision ........
C on su ltin g, in d ep en d en t_____________________________
C on su ltin g! as em p loy ee o f priva te firm ____________
D esign
____________ ~ __ ______________________
D ev elopm a n t . ___ ____
_ _ ____________________
■Drafting
.
E d itiu g ftn d w r itin g
_
_
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
98.0
94.9
91.3
95.0
100.0
100.0
99.0
97.2
100.0
83.3
12.3
7.7
2 .2
5.0
100.0
5.7
1.6
1.7
85.7
87.2
89.1
90.0
2 .0
5.1
8 .7
5 .0
2 .0
2 .9
2 .2
5.0
.6
4 .3
.1
1.5
1.1
1.1
1.0
2 .8
2 .4
.2
16.7
16.7
E stim a tin g
_
_ _ _
In sp ection "
In sta llation ___________________________________________
L ib r a r y and inform ation service_____________________
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
91.7
100.0
100.0
78.6
98.1
83.3
50.0
97.5
76.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
90.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
56.7
100.0
85.7
P aten ts
___________________ - ______________________
P ersonnel-labor p rob lem s
_ __
P ro d u ctio n ___________________________________________
R esearch in b asic sc-i^noe
R esearch, applied
_
__ ____ ______
Safety engineering____________________________________
Sales - ______________________________________________
S tu den t _____________________________________________
T ea ch in g , college o r u n iv ersity
T ea ch in g , oth er____________________________________ _
A n y occupational status n o t specified a b o v e
2 .8
.5
2.9
8 .3
1.7
94.3
97.4
95.5
100.0
83.3
100.0
91.7
100.0
100.0
78.6
95.3
83.3
50.0
97.0
76.2
.5
8.3
.5
.2
8.3
21.4
1.9
16.7
50.0
2.5
23.8
14.3
1.0
16.7
2.5
19.0
4 .8
9 .2
6 .2
2 .4
7.1
.9
50.0
87.9
100.0
91.7
100.0
55.0
43.3
41.7
85.7
I i.3
14.3
.3
.3
1 .6
C IV IL E N G IN E E R S
A ll c iv il engineers...................................................................
100.0 ;
49.2
11.0
38.2
50.8
19.7
15.7
3 .8
10.3
1.3
A d m inistration-m anagem ent, n on tech n ica l.................
A dm in istration -m an agem en t, tech n ical........................
A n a ly sis and testing
C on stru ction , s u p ervision __________ ______ __________
C onsu ltin g, independent.
C onsu ltin g, as e m p loy ee o f p riva te fir m ____________
D e s ig n ............. ...........................................................................
D e v e lo p m e n t......................................................................... D r a ftin g . .................................. ............. .................................
E d itin g a n d w ritin g__________________________________
100.0
m o
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
55.1
40.3
19.0
49.2
98.0
96.2
47.6
32.0
60.4
37.5
21.4
10.4
33.7
29.9
19.0
41.4
1 .5
91.2
45.9
26.9
54.9
33.3
44.9
59.7
81.0
50.8
2 .0
1 .8
52.4
68.0
39.6
62.5
14.3
24.2
52.4
13.0
13.3
13.6
16.7
21.4
.5
.9
16.0
10.3
16.5
4.1
5.4
11.2
14.8
11.9
10.0
.5
2 .0
1.7
3 .5
5.1
3 .3
11.3
5.1
9 .9
4 .2
.9
1.3
3 .3
E stim a tin g
_____________________________________
In sp ection .................................................................................
Installation
_
_
__ _____________________
L ib ra ry a n d in form a tion service_____________________
M a in t e n a n c e ________________________________________
O peration ..................................................................................
P aten ts
__________________________________________
Personnel-labor p r ob lem s ____________________________
P ro d u ctio n
__________ _____________________________
R esearch in b asic science_____________________________
100.0
100.0
100.0
62.3
17.1
44.4
60.4
15.8
44.4
37.7
82.9
55.6
26.4
27.6
22.3
7.6
34.2
11.1
.9
4 .0
11.1
2 .8
14.5
11.1
2 .6
100.0
100.0
47.5
47.6
47.5
47.6
52.5
52.4
12.4
28.5
29.2
2 .4
2 .2
4 .8
8 .5
14.3
.7
2 .4
100.0
100.0
75.0
8 .3
75.0
8 .3
25.0
91.7
25.0
75.0
16.7
18.6
81.4
100.0
2 .4
62.8
18.2
14.0
54.5
4 .6
27.3
40.0
3 .4
3.3
12.8
1.1
R esearch , a p p lied __________________________________
S afety engineering____________________________________
Sales
______________________________________________
Student.
_____________________________ _______
T ea ch in g , college o r u n iv e rs ity ______________________
T ea ch in g , other
__ _______________________
A n y occu p ation a l status n o t specified a b o v e ...............
18.6
7.8
96.5
7.0
1.7
5.1
5 .5
4 .2
1.9
1 .3
,
100.0
100.0
100.0
97.6
4 .8
92.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
53.3
100.0
25.5
2 .2
51.1
100.0
21.3
4 .2
.9
20.7
46.2
6 .6
58.3
1.2
.5
2 .4
46.7
74.5
5 .2
.5
37.2
20.2
3 .2
102
T
able
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
D—7.— Percentage distribution fo r each field o f engineering employm ent, by class o f worker fo r each occupational status,
1946 — Continued
Private industry
Occupational status
Total
public
and
private
Total
Public employees
Employ Employ
ers and
ees of
independ private
ent con
firms
sultants
Total
Federal
State
County
Munici
pal
Other
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
All electrical engineers.............................................
100.0
85.7
5.4
80.3
14.3
9.7
Administration-management, nontechnical_______
Administration-management, technical...................
Analysis and testing_________ ________ ________
Construction supervision—......................................
Consulting, independent________ _____________
Consulting, as employee of private firm__________
D esign...—.........—_I....... —...................................
Development____ ___________________________
Drafting.............................................................. .
Editing and writing-................... ...........................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
91.9
85.9
84.1
79.7
100.0
98.9
85.1
89.1
87.9
85.7
15.1
6.6
1.8
7.7
96.7
3.7
1.3
.6
3.0
76.8
79.3
82.3
72.0
3.3
95.2
83.8
88.5
84.9
85.7
8.1
14.1
15.9
20.3
3.5
10.5
11.5
10.5
i .l
14.9
10.9
12.1
14.3
10.7
10.3
3.0
11.4
2.9
Estimating........ ......................................................
Inspection___________________________________
Installation__________________________________
Library and information service—...........................
Maintenance—.........................................................
Operation................................................................
Patents....................................................................
Personnel-labor problems........................................
Production—............................................................
Research in basic science........................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
94.7
59.6
83.1
100.0
84.9
83.1
73.7
100.0
95.1
68.0
1.7
93.0
59.6
76.3
100.0
79.9
79.2
57.9
100.0
92.7
640
5.3
40.4
16.9
3.5
36.6
13.5
1.9
1.7
15.1
16.9
26.3
5.8
6.5
21.0
5.3
4.9
32.0
4.8
24.0
8.0
Research, applied____________________________
Safety engineering___ ____________________ ____
Sales______________________ ______ __________
Student_____________ _______________________
Teaching, college or university........................ .......
Teaching, other______ _____ _______ __________
Any occupational status not specified above...........
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
76.6
88.9
98.9
100.0
61.7
66.7
75.4
23.4
11.1
1.1
21.5
11.1
1.9
13.3
21.1
34.2
6.7
3.5
6.8
5.0
3.9
15.8
2.4
4.0
1.9
6.9
5.2
74 7
88.9
92.0
100.0
61.7
66.7
70.2
38.3
33.3
24.6
0.1
1.9
0.9
.5
.1
1.4
.7
3.5
1.8
.9
5.6
1.1
1.2
3.5
2.1
.5
.7
.2
1.7
2.9
.2
9.1
1.8
1.7
1.4
5.0
7.1
.6
.4
.4
1.9
2.9
3*3
.7
.4
2.5
13.3
1.6
0.7
0.3
.6
.6
iTi
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
All mechanical engineers.........................................
100.0
89.5
8.8
80.7
10.5
7.8
Ad mini strati on-management, nontechnical
Administration-management, technical____ _____
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
96.8
93.3
85.2
93.3
99.2
98.2
91.0
93.0
97.1
95.7
23.2
12.8
2.0
10.5
95.1
4.4
2.7
2.2
1.9
4.4
73.6
80.5
83.2
82.8
4.1
93.8
88.3
90.8
95.2
91.3
3.2
6.7
14 8
6.7
.8
1.8
9.0
7.0
2.9
43
SuT
96.7
68.4
89.1
75.0
88.4
90.3
75.0
95.2
99.4
24.1
1.6
1.7
4.3
Operation........ ......................... ........ ....... ............
Patents........................... ........................................
Personnel-labor problems.........................................
Production.................... ..........................................
Research in basic science.........................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
95.1
66.7
84.8
75.0
83.7
88.4
70.0
95.2
96.3
24.1
3.3
31.6
10.9
25.0
11.6
9.7
25.0
48
.6
75.9
3.3
29.8
6.5
25.0
8.5
1.0
20.0
5.0
.6
72.4
3.5
Research, applied....................................................
Safety engineering....................................................
Sales----------- ----------- ------------------- ----------------Student______ _____- ..................... .......................
Teaching, college or university................................
Teaching, other.......................................................
Any occupational status not specified above...........
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
69.3
78.6
99.4
100.0
50.3
60.0
78.4
66.2
78.6
89.0
100.0
49.1
40.0
71.6
30.7
21.4
.6
28.1
143
.6
1.1
7.1
.3
.3
.9
49.7
40.0
21.6
.6
42.8
20 0
4.5
.6
1.9
17.1
3.8
20.0
Analysis and testing_________ _________ ___ ____
Construction supervision................... .....................
Consulting, independent...............—. .....................
Consulting, as employee of private firm..................
Design____________________ _________________
Development______________ ____________ _____
Drafting______________________________ _____
Editing and writing............ ...................................
Estimating...............................................................
Inspection______________ ____ ________________
Installation_________________________________
Library and information service.............................
M aintenancft_________________________________________
47
1.9
5.0
3.1
3.1
10.4
1.2
20.0
6.8
5.6
14 3
48
1.8
7.4
6.8
1.0
43
1.6
0.1
.5
.5
1.9
.8
.2
1.2
1.9
1.8
.8
.2
I2
2.2
2.2
15
sl 8
. OQ
2.9
48
103
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
T a b l e D -7.— Percentage distribution fo r each field o f engineering employm ent, by d oss o f workers fo r each occupational status,
1946 — Continued
Private industry
Total
public
and
private
Occupational status
Total
Public employees
Employ Employ
ers and
ees of
independ private
ent con
firms
sultants
Total
Federal
State
County
Munici
pal
Other
MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS
AH mining and metallurgical engineers....................
100.0
87.9
10.8
Administration-management, nonteehnieal
Admimst.rat.iftn-mftnagp.mp.ntj teehnieal
Analysis and testing ~
fJnnstrnetfnn, supervision
Consulting, independent
Consulting! as employee of private firm
Design
.
_
_
.
DAveiopmant
.....
Drafting
___
15ditingwand yrriting .
.
_ .
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
80.0
85.2
94.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
85.7
80.0
16.5
2.9
12.5
94.3
12.8
100.0
63.5
100.0
62.5
100.0
100.0
97.0
16.7
7.6
100.0
83.3
89.4
Personnel-labor problems
... .
....... _
Production
_ ____
_________
Research in basic scionaa .........
_
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
52.4
2.8
97.2
52.4
Research, applied ...
Rnfofy AnginParing
... ___________________
Rales
__________________________________
Student - __________ -______________________
Teaching college or university
_ __
Teaching, other
_
__
____________
Any occupational Status not speeified above_
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
84.5
55.6
100.0
100.0
46.4
1.5
83.0
55.6
100.0
100.0
42.9
. __
Estimating
___________________________
Tnsppp.tinn"", ,
__ _ _. _
_
Tnstallation
. . . . . . . ................. .
Library and information service .
__ ..
Maintenanne
.................
Operation
__ _
1.6
3.5
77.1
68.7
91.4
87.5
5.7
87.2
100.0
98.4
100.0
85.7
78.6
78.6
12.1
9.3
2.5
20.0
14.8
5.7
20.0
13.2
5.7
1.2
14.3
14.3
37.5
18.8
3.0
3.0
47.6
47.6
15.5
44.4
13.9
44.4
53.6
100.0
21.4
21.4
0.1
0.2
.4
18.7
1.6
50.0
100.0
3.6
OTHER ENGINEERS
A11 other engineers------------------------------------------
100.0
80.4
12.6
67.8
19.6
10.9
5.3
Administration-management, nontechnical
Administration-management, technical...................
Analysis aod tasting
__________
Construction, supervision........................................
Consulting, independent
______ .
Consulting, as employee of private firm _ _ _ _
Design
______________ ________________
Development
__________ _ ________ _____
Drafting
__^
_
_ _
Editing and writing.
__
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
88.8
81.5
63.2
78.3
100.0
94.0
76.8
84.7
85.0
78.6
26.7
15.5
62.1
66.0
63.2
66.3
5.5
82.1
68.7
80.5
85.0
78.6
11.2
18.5
36.8
21.7
6.0
11.4
26.3
14.5
.9
3.3
7.9
3.6
6.0
23.2
15.3
15.0
21.4
1.5
17.8
15.3
10.0
21.4
1.5
2.7
Estimating
______ ______________
Inspection
_______________________________
Installation
_____________________ ___
Library and information serviea
............ ....
Maintenance
______ _______________
Operation
________________________
Patents
_____________ _________________
Personnel-labor problems
Production
__________________________
Research in basic science
100.0
74.4
74.4
25.6
10.2
12.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
55.3
100.0
55.3
87.5
44.7
14.9
12.8
100.0
17.6
11.1
26.1
50.0
6.8
5.6
17.4
8 .7
5.3
57.1
5.3
28.5
28.6
Research, applied___ ______ -_________________
Rafety engineering
...
_ __
Rales
- - ___________ ________ ___
Student
_ _________
Teaching college or university
_ _
Teaching other
- ____
Any occupational status not specified above...........
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
72.6
84.4
98.7
100.0
36.7
50.0
52.7
27.4
15.6
1.3
17.7
10.7
1.3
63.3
50.0
47.3
25.8
82.4
89.9
73.9
100.0
94.7
42.9
12.0
94.5
11.9
8.1
4.2
12.5
17.4
9 .3
1.8
4.9
12.0
6.5
82.4
88.9
56.5
100.0
85.4
42.9
70.8
79.5
86.7
100.0
36.7
50.0
46.2
0.5
1.8
1.1
.7
3.4
2.0
2.6
1.2
.9
1.1
1.2
2.7
1.2
3.0
5.0
2.6
4.2
12.8
50.0
5.9
3 .7
.9
8.8
4.1
50.0
25.0
16.1
5.9
1.8
.8
13.3
2 .2
25.0
3 .2
104
T able
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOB ENGINEEBS
D -8.— Percentage distribution, by occupational status, fo r each field o f engineering em ploym ent in 1939, 1943, and 1943
Percentage in field of engineering employment
Occupational status
Chemical
Civil
1943 1946 1939 1943
1939
Electrical
1946 1939 1943
Mining and
metallurgical
Mechanical
Other
1946 1939 1943 1946 1939 1943 1946 1939 1943
Total................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Administration-management, non
technical................... ....................... 1.1
Administration-management, tech
nical.................................................. 19.5
Analysis and testing.......................... 12.8
Construction supervision..................
.6
Consulting, independent..................... 1.2
Consulting as employee of private
1.6
firm________ __________________
5.7
Development._____ ________ _____ 13.4
Drafting..............................................
.6
Editing and writing............................
.1
Estim ating........................................
Inspection...........................................
Installation..........................................
Library and information service_____
Maintenance.....................................
Operation............................................
Patents................................................
Personnel-labor problems....................
Production....................... ....... .........
Research in basic science.....................
.5
.7
7.5
.5
9.3
.5
Research, applied................................ 16.0
.1
Retired---- ----------------------------------.3
Safety engineering...............................
2.1
Student............................................... 1.2
Teaching, college or university........... 3.2
.2
Teaching, other..................................
.4
Unemployed.......................................
Any occupational status not specified
.9
above...............................................
1946
100.0
1.3
2.0
1.4
2.0
2.5
1.6
1.5
2.0
1.6
1.8
2.5
2.4
2.5
2.7
4.2
4.6
5.2
21.9
5.8
1.2
.7
27.0
3.7
.8
.7
19.8
1.3
25.3
3.4
25.6
1.0
21.9
3.0
27.4
1.1
17.6
4.1
19.2
4.9
4.6
1.0
21.9
3.9
4.2
.5
26.3
2.8
3.3
1.2
20.3
3.6
2.5
1.4
24.5
4.9
2.5
.8
29.5
3.3
1.9
1.4
27.7
8.1
1.7
4.1
34.2
5.5
1.3
2.5
38.8
3.7
.8
2.0
22.4
2.6
4.8
2.4
28.2
2.6
4.4
1.7
33.1
1.9
4.1
1.6
1.6
6.4
16.9
.4
.2
2.2
7.7
17.3
.4
.3
1.9
17.9
1.8
4.7
.4
2.5
19.0
1.8
3.2
.4
3.3
20.4
2.0
2.4
.7
3.3
15.7
9.3
2.7
.5
3.3
17.6
11.1
1.4
.8
4.2
16.5
11.1
.8
.8
3.1
21.0
6.9
7.2
.3
3.0
21.0
7.8
2.7
.4
3.8
19.4
7.8
1.8
.4
2.4
1.5
5.0
1.0
.7
3.3
.5
5.8
.2
.7
3.9
.7
5.9
.1
.6
2.8
6.9
2.9
2.5
.5
3.0
7.8
3.7
1.1
.6
3.3
5.6
3.5
1.0
.7
.3
.9
.2
(i)
1.0
7.7
.4
.1
11.8
.5
.4
.5
.3
.1
.7
4.1
.5
.1
8.2
.9
2.6
5.6
.4
2.5
3.0
.3
2.7
2.0
.2
3.5
1.2
1.1
.9
.8
.1
2.2
1.7
.4
.4
3.0
.9
.1
.6
5.6
.4
.3
1.4
1.9
1.1
.1
3.2
2.5
.3
.3
5.0
.7
.5
6.8
(i)
.4
.3
1.6
1.3
1.0
0)
3.8
3.2
.4
.1
4.2
.5
.2
2.7
.1
.1
.6
10.0
.3
.3
1.6
1.2
1.4
0)
3.2
3.7
.4
.1
.9
.6
.6
1.3
3.8
1.4
1.5
2.6
1.5
(i)
3.8
4.3
.3
.1
2.0
.3
.3
3.2
.1
3.3
1.1
2.6
2.2
1.6
(i)
5.6
7.5
.4
(i)
1.1
.3
7.1
1.0
7.4
1.3
6.1
2.0
2.7
3.9
.9
.1
1.7
4.7
.9
.3
3.7
.6
1.9
3.2
.5
.1
1.6
3.8
.7
.3
4.4
.4
1.8
2.4
.3
i
1.8
2.5
1.0
.4
3.8
.3
15.3
.1
.3
1.3
.5
2.2
.1
(l)
13.8
.2
.4
3.0
1.2
2.5
1.3
(l)
.3
1.1
.1
2.5
.1
1.3
.1
.3
1.3
.1
2.4
0)
.1
3.5
0)
.3
6.7
.5
3.0
.3
.2
6.7
0)
.3
4.8
.2
3.3
.7
(i)
6.3
.1
.2
6.2
.4
2.8
.3
.2
3.2
(i)
.3
6.6
.8
3.2
.3
.1
5.2
0)
.3
3.8
.2
2.8
.3
(i)
5.9
.1
.3
5.5
.3
2.7
.1
.3
13.3
.1
.7
2.5
.8
3.7
.1
.2
16.8
.1
.8
1.7
.2
2.5
16.3
4.2
4.9
5.4
.2
1.2
(9
.3
1.1
.3
2.1
.1
.3
.8
2.3
.3
2.5
.1
.3
6.6
02
8.4
5.8
.2
3.3 ~ i T
.4
.3
.1
5.4
7.0
.3
2.8
.3
.1
.9
.8
3.1
2.5
2.6
1.4
1.4
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
2.2
1.8
1.6
5.7
5.3
4.3
i Less than 0.05 percent.
T a b l e D -9 .— Percentage distribution o f engineers, by industry field , fo r each field o f engineering em ploym ent in 1989, 1948,
and 1946
Percentage in field of engineering employment
Chemical
Industry field
1939
1943
Electrical
Civil
1946
1939
1943
1946 1939
1943
Mining and metal
lurgical
Mechanical
1946
1939
1943
1946 1939
1943
1946
Other
1939 1943
Total___________________________ 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Agriculture and forestry......................
.3
.3
.3
1.3
.9
1.3
.1
Mining................................................
Coal.................................................
Crude petroleum and natural gas.. .
Ferrous _ _____________________
Nonferrous metals............................
Other mining industries not sped-
2.5
.3
1.3
1.2
.7
1.6
.1
.8
.8
.1
.5
.8
.2
.4
.7
.3
.3
.4
.1
.2
.1
1.0
.2
.4
.1
.1
.5
.4
.5
.1
.2
.1
'Pigh'virfl.ys _ .
_
_ __
Sewerage_______________________
2.7
.1
.5
1.0
.1
2.2
.1
.3
.4
2.9
.2
.4
.4
.1
W At.fvrwa.ys.......... _
_
Waterworks____________________
Other construction not specified___
.1
.1
.8
71.4
8.2
14.6
23.5
3.4
5.6
4.9
3.5
7.7
66.2
5.4
18.9
16.5
3.1
4.3
3.3
2.5
12.2
66.7
6.5
18.9
17.4
3.7
4.2
4.0
2.6
9.4
6 Ad
Construction.......................................
Bridges
Buildings
____
Purveying
t Less than 0.05 percent
___
(9
(9
(9
.2
1.2
.1
.2
1.5
(9
(9
.1
(9
.1
(9
.6
.3
.2
(9
.1
(9
4.3
.1
L7
.1
(9
.3
.1
2.0
(9
.6
.3
.2
(9
.1
(9
4.6
.1
1.8
3.9
.1
1.7
(9
(9
(9
.1
.1
2.5
.1
.1
1.9
.1
.1
.1
1.0
.2
.3
.1
.3
.9
.2
.2
.1
.3
.7
.1
.3
.1
.1
4.7
(9
1.8
.1
.1
.1
.3
.3
2.0
1946
100.0
.1
3.0
2.5
2.5
37.4
7.8
7.4
4.4
13.7
40.4
8.2
8.9
3.9
14.5
6.1
.2
5.4
.1
.2
5.8
.3
5.0
6.4
.2
5.7
.2
44.2
9.7
8.6
4.0
17.7
.3
.3
.1
4.2
4.1
4.9
.2
,1
.2
3.8
3.9
.2
.3
(9
<9
(9
(9
14.1
.8
6.9
1.6
.1
.2
.2
.8
3.5
13.1
.4
5.4
1.2
.1
,1
.1
.5
5.3
12.4
(9
.6
.1
1.4
.1
.2
.2
1.9
(9
1.5
.1
.1
.3
.2
L7
.1
.4
.2
.3
.6
6.2
1.2
.2
.2
.2
.4
3.5
105
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
T
able
D -9 .— Percentage distribution o f engineers, by industry field , fo r each field o f engineering employment in 1939, 1943,
and 1946—Continued
Percentage in field of engineering employment
Manufacturing....................................
Food and kindred products_______
Textile mill products (excluding
rayon and allied products)............
Lumber, furniture, and lumber
products
Paper and allied products................
Printing and publishing...................
Chemicals and allied products (in
cluding rayon and allied products).
Petroleum and coal products...........
Petroleum refining........................
Other petroleum and coal products
industries not specified_______
Rubber products..............................
Stone, clay, and glass products........
Iron and steel and their products__
Blast furnaces, steel works and
rolling mills................................
Other iron and steel industries
not specified...............................
Nonferrous metals and their prod
ucts................................ -•............
Machinery.......................................
Electrical machinery and equip
ment..........................................
Other machinery industries not
specified................................ —
Transportation equipment..............
Aircraft and parts.........................
Automobiles and automobile
equipment.................................
Other transportation equipment
industries not specified............ .
Other manufacturing industries not
specified........................................
Civil
Chemical
Industry field
Other
1946 1939
1943
1946 1939
1943
1946
1939
1943
1946
1939 1943
1946
32.6
.1
37.4
.1
37.0
.2
67.9
2.1
72.8
1.3
70.0
1.8
48.3
54.6
50.5
.1
31.7
1.0
37.4
1.1
35.9
1.2
.1
.1
.1
.8
.5
.8
___ ___
.1
.9
.8
.8
(9
.2
.1
.7
1.6
.4
.4
1.1
.2
.6
1.5
.3
......
____ ____
.4
.8
.3
.3
1.0
.4
.5
.8
.5
1939
1943
1946
1939
1943
83.9
6.2
86.7
4.0
83.3
4.6
6.1
.2
8.7
.1
.7
.8
.9
.2
4.6
.3
.2
2.9
.2
.2
3.8
.2
.3
.1
.1
.3
.1
.1
.2
.2
.1
33.1
22.6
18.4
39.1
21.2
16.9
36.3
20.5
16.4
.3
1.2
.7
.6
1.5
1.1
4.2
3.8
1.9
2.4
4.3
5.4
1.3
1.7
4.1
5.2
1.2
1.4
.5
(9
.3
2.5
___ ___
Mining and metal
lurgical
Mechanical
Electrical
8.0
.2
(9
(9
.2
.1
.i
.1
.8
1.4
.8
.6
.5
.4
1.0
.4
.3
1.1
.6
.5
3.0
3.7
2.5
2.8
2.8
1.9
3.2
3.0
2.1
.8
.7
.2
.4
.7
.3
.5
.5
.1
1.5
4.8
2.5
2.7
4.4
2.4
2.8
4.7
2.5
.4
.2
.4
2.8
.6
.1
.5
2.6
.1
.2
.2
1.4
.1
.3
.2
1.4
.1
.4
.2
1.0
1.2
1.3
.6
8.1
.9
1.3
.6
7.2
.9
1.3
.7
6.8
.5
.1
.6
26.1
.4
.2
.3
26.9
.4
.1
.5
24.5
2.3
.4
4.6
3.8
2.0
.7
4.6
4.0
2.2
.7
4.4
3.9
___ ___
1.1
.7
.5
1.0
1.2
1.2
1.0
.8
.6
3.1
2.7
2.4
17.4
16.2
14.4
1.4
1.7
1.4
1.3
1.0
.9
1.5
1.6
1.4
.4
.6
.4
5.0
4.5
4.4
8.7
10.7
10.1
2.4
2.3
2.5
2.0
1.8
2.8
2.0
2.0
2.8
.2
.2
.3
.6
.3
.7
.6
24.6
.7
26.6
.5
26.6
1.7
21.7
2.0
18.6
1.9
20.1
12.6
3.2
15.1
4.4
14.7
4.1
1.0
5.0
1.3
6.1
1.4
6.0
.6
.7
1.0
.1
.2
.1
23.9
25.9
25.6
4.4
4.6
4.6
1.2
2.2
1.9
2.5
3.0
3.2
1.2
1.0
.1
1.3
1.5
.9
L8
.9
.2
.1
.4
.1
.4
1.3
.7
.6
.5
.2
.7
2.0
.7
.7
3.6
2.3
1.0
3.1
1.9
17.3
17.0
9.6
14.0
28.4
23.0
15.5
21.5
15.4
2.0
3.1
.9
2.2
5.3
3.5
2.2
3.9
1.4
2.5
4.0
.8
3.1
6.1
2.9
2.8
4.7
1.8
.8
.5
.6
.1
.1
.1
.6
.5
.5
5.2
2.8
4.0
1.8
1.3
2.0
1.5
.8
1.2
.1
.1
.1
.2
.5
.2
.7
.8
.7
2.2
2.6
2.1
.4
.5
.5
1.7
2.4
1.7
3.3
3.6
3.3
.3
.4
.4
2.0
2.8
2.9
5.2
5.6
6.5
1.1
1.3
1.5
3.2
3.9
3.5
Transportation....................................
Railroads, including railroad repair
shops.............................................
Other transportation industries not
specified........................................
.5
.4
.5
6.0
6.5
6.0
2.0
1.8
1.8
2.1
2.2
2.1
.2
.4
.3
2.7
3.2
3.1
.4
.3
.3
5.1
5.5
5.1
1.5
1.0
1.1
1.0
.8
.8
___
.2
.2
1.3
1.1
1.1
.1
.1
.2
.9
1.0
.9
.5
.8
.7
1.1
1.4
L3
.2
.2
.1
1.4
2.1
2.0
Communication..................................
Telephone (wire and radio)..............
Radio broadcasting and television__
TVIpgraph (wira and radio)
.2
.1
.1
.2
.1
.1
.2
.2
____
.2
.2
___
.3
.3
(9
21.7
14.4
5.8
1.5
21.7 22.4
14.6 14.5
5.8
6.6
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.1
.1
.1
1.6
1.3
.3
___
.5
.4
.1
.6
.5
.1
5.2
4.7
.4
.1
4.7
4.4
.3
(9
1.5
1.1
.3
.1
.5
.5
<9
4.5
4.2
.2
.1
Utilities..............................................
Electric light and power....... ...........
Water and sanitary services.............
wmlrs and st.Aftm plants _
2.3
.5
.3
1.5
1.2
.1
.2
.9
1.3
.2
.2
.9
6.7
2.4
4.0
.3
7.2
2.6
4.1
.5
7.3
2.7
4.0
.6
29.9
29.6
.2
.1
21.1
21.0
.1
21.4
21.1
.2
.1
5.9
3.6
.3
2.0
3.5
2.1
.2
1.2
4.1
2.5
.3
1.3
.1
___
.2
.1
.1
.3
.1
.1
.1
.1
___
7.4
3.5
1.4
2.5
6.1
2.7
1.6
1.8
5.7
2.4
1.6
1.7
Other industry fields........ ..................
Refrigerating, heating and ventilat
ing _________ _________________
Wholesale and retail trade________
Insurance and appraisal
Finance, taxation, and real estate
Education........................................
TiP.gal
_
____
Professional and trade organization.
Other service industries not speci
fied................................................
4.5
3.6
5.0
4.1
4.5
5.0
5.8
5.9
6.4
13.1
9.4
11.6
4.6
3.8
4.9
20.1
16.3
18.6
.5
.2
C)
.3
.2
.1
(9
.1
.8
.3
.3
.4
.3
.4
.7
.2
.1
3.2
.4
3.6
.3
2.5
(9
(9
5.9
.5
.3
.1
3.1
.1
.6
.1
.2
2.4
4.2
.3
.3
.1
3.3
.1
.4
.1
.1
3.2
.1
.1
.3
.4
2.2
.4
.3
.3
2.9
.1
.5
4.6
1.2
6.4
.7
3.5
.4
.7
3.4
.6
4.7
.6
3.3
.1
1.0
4.1
1.4
4.7
.6
3.4
.3
1.4
Any industry field not specified..........
i Less than 0.05 percent.
.3
.3
(9
.1
.3
.4
2.4
.1
.9
3.5
.1
.2
3.8
.1
.2
3.6
.1
.3
7.0
.6
.4
.1
3.8
.1
.4
.3
.4
.5
.1
.3
.4
2.4
.1
.5
.5
.6
.7
.5
.7
.8
.8
.8
1.1
.7
.7
1.0
.1
.5
.8
2.6
2.6
2.7
3.1
4.2
4.8
3.4
4.8
4.6
2.9
6.9
6.5
3.9
5.7
6.0
1.4
2.8
2.8
9.7
10.9
10.0
.5
106
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
T able
D -10 .— Percentage distribution o f engineers, by employment location , fo r each field o f engineering employment in 1989»
1948 , and 1946
Percentage in field of engineering employment
Employment location
Cherniad
1939
Civil
1943 1946 1939
1943
Electrical
1946
1939 1943
Mining and
metallurgical
Mechanical
1946
1939 1943
1946 1939 1943
Other
1946 1939
1943
United States____________________ 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
New England_____ __________ _____
Maine.................. ........................
New Hampshire...........................
Vermont_____
__ __
Massachusetts............. ................
Rhode Island................................
Connecticut..................................
6.4
.4
.1
.2
4.3
.3
1.1
5.5
.2
0)
(i)
3.6
.3
1.4
6.0
.2
.1
0)
4.3
.2
1.2
6.1
.6
.3
.2
3.5
.5
5.6
.5
.2
.1
3.2
.6
1.0
5.6
.5
.3
.1
3.3
.4
1.0
9.2
.4
.1
.2
6.4
.4
1.7
10.2
.3
.1
.1
7.5
.3
1.9
8.8
.3
.1
.2
6.2
.2
1.8
9.1
.2
.1
.1
5.4
.5
2.8
Middle Atlantic..................................
New York.....................................
New Jersey____________ ______
Pennsylvania-...............................
34.4
13.9
10.0
10.5
32.8
12.2
11.0
9.6
34.7
13.7
11.1
9.9
25.2
14.3
2.5
8.4
24.0
13.2
2.9
7.9
24.4
14.6
2.7
7.1
39.5
23.3
5.4
10.8
40.7
21.6
7.9
11.2
40.9
22.9
7.6
10.4
East North Central........................ .... 24.5
Ohio.............................................. 8.3
3.3
Indiana................ ..................... .
Illinois........................................... 7.0
Michigan____________ ________ 4.7
Wisconsin...........—....................... 1.2
22.5
7.5
3.0
6.1
4.1
1.8
22.4
8.0
2.9
6.1
3.8
1.6
20.9
7.0
2.4
6.1
2.8
2.6
20.3
7.5
2.3
5.8
2.9
1.8
20.9
7.4
2.2
6.2
2.8
2.3
21.2
6.2
2.8
6.7
3.5
2.0
18.8
6.0
2.7
5.4
3.0
1.7
4.1
.5
.7
1.3
.1
.1
.1
1.3
3.6
.9
.3
1.4
(0
0)
.1
.9
3.6
.9
.5
1.3
.1
(0
.1
.7
9.4
2.4
1.6
2.8
.3
.2
1.1
1.0
8.7
2.1
1.2
2.5
.3
.2
1.2
1.2
8.7
2.3
1.3
2.7
.2
.3
1.0
.9
5.4
1.1
.5
2.1
.1
.1
.6
.9
South Atlantic.................................... 10.4
Delaware_____________________ 2.5
Maryland_______ ______ ______ 1.3
Virginia......... ............................... 1.8
West Virginia............................... 3.0
.5
North Carolina.............................
South Carolina............................
.1
Georgia__ ___
.2
Florida..........................................
.5
.5
District of Columbia______ _____
11.6
2.5
2.2
1.9
2.6
.4
.2
.4
.4
1.0
10.8
2.9
1.5
1.7
2.4
.3
.1
.5
.5
.9
10.2
.2
1.6
1.2
1.2
.8
.6
.9
.8
2.9
12.4
.4
1.6
1.9
1.1
.7
.7
1.1
1.2
3.7
11.6
.3
1.6
1.7
1.0
.9
.6
1.0
1.0
3.5
East South Central............— ............
Kentucky.............................. .......
Tennessee................. ....................
Alabama........................................
Mississippi.............. ............... ......
2.5
.9
.7
.8
.1
5.1
1.9
1.4
1.6
.2
3.7
1.2
1.8
.6
.1
4.4
1.3
1.7
.8
.6
4.6
1.1
2.2
.8
.5
West South Central............................
Arkansas.......................................
Louisiana......................................
Oklahoma____________________
Texas_________________ ______
9.0
.5
1.5
2.0
5.0
10.8
.6
2.1
1.8
6.3
10.1
.2
1.9
1.8
6.2
7.8
.7
.9
1.0
5.2
Mountain........... ................................
Montana................. .....................
Idaho.......... ..................................
Wyoming
_ _
__
Colorado...... ......... .......................
New M exico................................
Arizona.........................................
Utah................ .............................
Nevada________________ ______
1.4
1.3
1.6
5.2
.7
.5
.3
1.5
Pacific.................................................
Washington___________ _______
Oregon..........................................
California......................................
7.3
West North Central............................
Minnesota_____ ______________
Iowa_____________ __________
Missouri.......... ......... ....................
North Dakota...............................
South Dakota...............................
Nebraska_______________ _____
Kansas.............. ...........................
1 Less than 0.05 percent.
.2
.1
.1
. 1 ____ ____
.1
.2
.2
.6
.5
.6
.1
.4
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.2
.1
1. 0
.1
6.2
6.8
.7
.1
6.0
7.1
.9
.3
5.9
1.0
.8
.7
.6
.1
10.8
1.6
1.1
8.1
8.6
.2
.1
.1
4.4
.5
3.3
8.9
.2
.1
.1
4.9
.4
3.2
4.8
33.7
17.4
6.0
10.3
19.6
6.2
2.5
6.2
2.8
1.9
4.6
1.3
.3
1.9
(i)
.1
.3
.7
8.2
.1
1.4
1.0
.7
.6
.5
1.0
.6
2.3
3.5
1.0
1.5
.6
.4
7.6
.6
1.0
1.0
5.0
1946
100.0
5.2
.1
5.3
2.5
.3
1.9
3
2.8
.2
1.8
2
3! 1
.4
1.6
2.6
2.4
32.1 33.3
16.0 17.4
6.6 6.3
9.5 9.6
30.0
7.8
4.9
17.3
30.8
7.9
5.9
17.0
30.6
8.5
5.7
16.4
28.2
15.5
4.6
8.1
27.5
13.4
4.8
9.3
27.7
14.3
5.0
8.4
29.5
9.3
3.1
8.4
5.9
2.8
28.1
10.7
3.1
6.6
5.4
2.3
22.5
8.7
2.6
4.8
4.6
1.8
26.0
10.2
2.9
5.3
5.6
2.0
25.0
9.4
2.6
5.4
5.4
2.2
21.5
6.8
2.3
6.8
4.2
1.4
20.2
6.8
2.4
6.1
3.3
1.6
20.5
6.2
2.8
6.3
3.6
1.6
4.1
1.1
.4
1.5
.1
.1
.3
.6
4.8
1.4
.7
1.8
.1
.1
.2
.5
4.6
1.3
.5
1.7
(i)
3.7 5.1
1.2 2.2
.5
.2
1.4 1.4
(i)
(i)
.5
.1
.5 "‘ ”.T
5.2
2.2
.2
1.7
4.6
2.0
.2
1.6
7.4
1.5
1.5
2.7
.1
.2
.5
.9
6.7
1.3
1.2
2.2
.1
.3
.6
1.0
6.8
1.4
1.4
2.5
10.0
.2
1.9
1.1
.5
.4
.4
1.0
.6
3.9
10.3
.2
2.0
1.1
.6
.6
.3
1.0
.5
4.0
7.4
.2
1.9
1.4
.6
.5
.1
.6
.2
1.9
8.5
.3
2.0
2.0
.5
.4
.1
.5
.3
2.4
8.6
.4
2.1
2.0
.4
.5
.1
.6
.3
2.2
7.1
.1
1.8
.9
2.3
.1
.1
7.9
.2
1.5
.7
1.9
8.9
.2
1.5
.9
2.1
.2
.1
9.7
.2
1.5
1.8
.7
.8
12.6
.2
1.6
.2
3.4
.2
3.6
.9
.5
2.9
1.2
.*7
4.2
11.3
.3
1.9
1.8
.7
.9
.3
1X. 1X
.6
3.7
2.5
.5
1.0
.7
.3
2.7
.5
1.4
.6
.2
2.1
.5
1.1
.4
.1
1.6
.6
.5
.4
.1
1.8
.5
.7
.4
.2
1.5
.4
.6
.3
.2
3.2
1.0
.6
1.5
.1
2.0
.6
.3
1.1
2.0
.6
.4
1.0
3.5
.7
1.3
.8
#7
3.4
.8
1.4
.7
.5
3.1
.6
1.6
.5
7.4
.6
.7
.8
5.3
4.5
.3
.4
.9
2.9
3.7
.3
.4
.6
2.4
3.6
.2
.3
.7
2.4
3.4
0)
.6
.7
2.1
3.5
.1
.6
.7
2.1
3.2
0)
.4
.5
2.3
7.0
.7
.8
1.8
3.7
7.2
.6
.7
1.6
4.3
6.6
.2
1.1
1.4
3.9
10.1
.5
1.5
2.4
5.7
9.9
.5
1.5
2.0
5.9
10.1
.3
1.7
2.2
5.9
4.6
.3
.4
4.7
.3
2.5
.3
.4
1.7
2.2
.1
.2
.8
.1
1.0
.1
1.1
.1
0)
11.5
1.8
9.4
1.4
.6
i
10.3
1.4
2.3
.4
1.7
.3
2.3
3
1.3
.7
.7
.9
1.5
.7
.7
2.2
1.8
.6
1.6
2.1
1.2
2.5
.9
1.5
1.9
.3
.3
6.3
6.7
.6
.2
,1
.6
.1
.1
1.0
.2
.2
.2
.1
12 .2
13.2
7.0
1.0
8.8
1.5
9.5
.2
2.4
2.2
1.1
.7
5.2
.1
.1
(l)
.7
1.1
.1
.1
.2
.1
7.6
1.4
.9
5.3
.3
.1
.3
(!)
(l)
.4
0)
0)
.1
.2
.1
8.4
9.7
1.6
.9
5.9
1.2
.5
8.0
.3
.8
(i)
.5
(i)
.1
.2
.1
11 .8
1.8
.4
9.6
27.8
10.6
2.6
6.6
5.4
2.6
h)t
\
.7
.1
.1
.1
.7
.3
2. 4
.4
2.5
(l)
1.2
11.9
1.4
.3
8.8
1.0
10.2
.4
7.4
.2
.3
.1
.8 '" " Y
1.0
.3
5.0
.8
.2
1.1
1.0
.4
5.3
8.0
.3
.2
1
A8
.6
2.0
.4
.1
0
•&
.8
.2
.2
9.3
1.5
.7
7.1
8.5
.2
.2
*1
5.0
.4
.4
1.9
1.9
1.0
.9
.4
7.8
.2
*1
4! 6
.4
*2
.5
.7
.2
,1
•"1I
.7
.2
.1
.1
.1
1.0
9.5
1.5
.5
7.5
10.4
1.4
.8
.3
.2
.3
8.2
107
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
T a b l e D - l l .— D istribution o f engineers in each field o f
employm ent, by base monthly salary bracket, 1946
Number in field of engineering employment
Salary bracket
Me Mining
and
chani metal
Other
cal
lurgical
Chem
ical
Civil
Elec
trical
All engineers reporting..
2,659
4,273
4,615
6,247
1,257
2,252
Under $100....................
$100 and under $110___
$110 and under $120___
$120 and under $130___
$130 and under $140.......
35
7
3
4
1
52
9
4
6
3
52
7
5
6
5
68
13
7
10
7
18
3
1
27
7
3
2
2
$140 and under $160___
$160 and under $160.......
$160 and under $170.......
$170 and under $180----$180 and under $190___
3
4
7
14
8
4
8
8
13
9
8
12
12
8
18
5
12
14
21
10
2
5
2
4
4
4
5
2
6
$190 and under $200.......
$200 and under $220.......
$220 and under $240.......
$240 and under $260.......
$260 and under $280___
9
67
104
144
146
20
101
106
206
185
26
94
89
199
204
36
103
163
231
246
8
21
30
48
52
7
37
51
61
76
$280 and under $300.......
$300 and under $320.......
$320 and under $340___
$340 and under $370.......
$370 and under $400___
143
238
194
263
210
238
404
300
487
355
217
343
270
472
339
237
363
358
586
483
68
95
55
97
74
88
189
103
211
179
$400 and under $440.......
$440 and under $480.......
$480 and under $620.___
$620 and under $570.......
$670 and under $620.......
265
168
138
99
77
609
254
291
172
138
560
323
333
229
199
779
443
466
316
284
133
73
109
69
59
257
144
163
116
110
$620 and under $680____
$680 and under $760.......
$760 and under $850___
$860 and under $1,000...
$1,000 and over.............
64
47
59
37
111
90
73
79
27
122
168
95
108
77
148
229
129
179
115
354
43
36
48
26
88
70
55
86
45
143
T a b l e D - 12.— Comparison o f percentile levels o f base monthly salary rates fo r each field o f
engineering employm ent, by years o f experience, 1946
Reported years of experi
ence
90 per
cent
made
more
than—
75 per
cent
made
more
than—
50 per
cent
made
more
than—
25 per
cent
made
more
than—
10 per
cent
made
more
than—
90 per
cent
made
more
than—
CHEMICAL
All engineers.......................
Under 6 years________
6-11 years.....................
12-19 years....................
20-29 years....................
30 years and over--------
$240
213
286
314
332
<*>
$294
245
326
379
417
435
$363
288
379
461
566
653
$248
206
246
256
268
257
$304
234
290
309
318
325
$368
270
333
366
392
431
$471
329
436
573
792
986
$666
368
501
755
(2)
<*>
$255
212
282
309
318
302
$322
246
329
376
400
388
$252
203
254
287
302
307
$311
246
318
344
372
409
i Insufficient reports to compute median.
852396°— 50------ 8
$393
290
354
415
466
518
25 per
cent
made
more
than—
10 per
cent
made
more
than—
$409
294
390
450
500
521
$527
349
460
584
672
796
$880
406
545
795
(?)
(?)
MINING AND METALLURGICAL
$468
310
385
432
486
570
$607
350
439
523
610
806
$253
209
250
303
331
355
$313
246
306
367
423
481
ELECTRICAL
All engineers------------------Under 6 years...............
6-11 years.....................
12-19 years— ...............
20-29 years....................
30 years and over.........
50 per
cent
made
more
than—
MECHANICAL
CIVIL
All engineers____________
Under 6 years...............
6-11 years.....................
12-19 years...................
20-29 years....................
30 years and over--------
1
75 per
cent
made
more
than—
$417
285
364
437
529
607
$560
320
442
547
708
910
$826
364
536
729
(?)
(2)
$547
347
440
551
620
818
$807
405
554
744
896
(*)
OTHER
$503
339
424
506
596
771
$633
404
503
631
883
(?)
$262
208
266
289
304
283
$319
240
309
347
368
395
* Over $1,000.
$410
297
361
425
462
538
108
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
T able D -13 .— M edian base monthly salary rates fo r each field o f engineering employment, by years o f experience, 1939,
1943, and 1946
Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and
metallurgical
1943
1943
Years of experience
1939 1943
1946 1939
1943
1946 1939
1943
All engineers—..................................... $220 $278 $363 $244 $313 $368 $253 $313
1946 1939
$393
1946 1939
1946
Other
1939
1943
$253 $326 $409 $267 $332 $417 $259
1946
$331
$410
242
241
255
278
310
144
155
158
167
177
183
198
220
231
241
247
240
247
263
278
127
153
159
174
177
186
204
219
240
247
228
237
249
277
303
129
154
163
184
200
179
211
235
259
272
226
225
264
285
308
134
156
175
196
211
203
198
216
233
251
247
ft
(9
272
290
141
168
182
190
203
193
213
239
256
255
231
(9
283
290
311
Less than 1 year..................................
1 year—................................................
2 years.................................................
3 years.................................................
4 years................... .............................
130
154
165
180
191
177
208
222
244
254
5 years............... ..................................
6 years....... ..........................................
7-8 years.................. ...........................
9-11 years................... ........................
12-14 years...........................................
221
227
263
299
310
265
279
307
346
382
327
344
375
399
452
183
189
207
218
235
246
302
259
272
296
297
307
327
345
356
207
206
215
240
279
265
269
284
307
320
315
325
347
366
409
208
220
235
261
291
281
291
314
344
355
342
360
380
408
442
227
205
256
284
316
295
267
314
338
385
313
327
337
404
417
209
214
243
251
271
273
273
294
320
336
310
330
356
370
396
15-19 years....... ..................... .............
20-24 years________ ______ ________
25-29 years........................... —............
30-34 years...........................................
35-39 years.........................................
40 years and over............................... .
374
438
491
545
<9
ft
406
456
581
595
507
650
474
552
598
655
640
680
271
302
316
337
387
370
307
333
355
372
390
408
369
382
407
427
428
438
318
367
421
423
520
513
352
399
450
482
497
494
418
454
502
513
545
509
320
381
401
423
500
ft
400
429
429
456
477
601
455
492
518
514
534
520
335
440
483
488
440
ft
414
430
520
526
583
520
478
516
570
608
592
650
315
366
404
423
(9
(9
360
390
471
477
490
475
443
445
501
528
539
580
Median years of experience.................
5.9
6.6
8.8
15.2
19.7
21.6
12.4
14.1
15.9
11.1
10.9
12.8
10.7
11.7
13.8
12.5
15.1
17.3
i Insufficient reports to compute median salary.
T a b l e D -1 4 .— Percentage distribution and median base monthly salary fo r each field o f engineering employm ent, by em ploy
ment location , 1946
Civil
Chemical
Employment location
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and
metallurgical
Other
Median
Median
Median
Median
Median
Median
base
base Percent base Percent base
base
base
Percent monthly
Percent monthly
monthly
monthly Percent monthly Percent monthly
salary
salary
salary
salary
salary
salary
Total..........................................................
100.0
$363
100.0
$368
100.0
$393
100.0
$409
100.0
$417
100.0
$410
New York.................................................
New Jersey............. ....................- ............
Pennsylvania..... .................. ....................
13.7
11.1
9.9
396
356
361
14.6
2.7
7.1
385
376
402
22.9
7.6
10.4
424
407
389
17.4
6.3
9.6
426
403
409
8.5
5.7
16.5
504
430
442
14.3
5.0
8.4
461
439
418
Ohio...........................................................
Illinois.......................................................
Indiana......................................................
Michigan...................................................
Wisconsin..................................................
8.0
6.1
2.9
3.8
1.6
350
379
357
387
325
7.4
6.2
2.2
2.8
2.3
347
377
345
397
321
6.2
6.2
2.5
2.8
1.9
382
412
364
409
365
10.6
6.6
2.6
5.4
2.6
406
422
404
425
391
9.4
5.4
2.6
5.4
2.2
400
388
338
413
340
6.2
6.3
2.8
3.6
1.6
409
436
393
423
407
District of Columbia.................................
Maryland.... .............................................
Virginia.... ................................................
West Virginia............................................
North Carolina..........................................
Georgia......................................................
.9
1.5
1.7
2.4
.3
.5
430
377
402
368
3.5
1.6
1.7
1.0
.9
1.0
483
377
405
361
353
400
4.0
2.0
1.1
.6
.6
1.0
431
347
364
370
348
355
2.2
2.1
2.0
.4
.5
.6
438
430
365
400
385
420
3.6
1.5
.9
2.1
.2
.1
510
3.7
1.9
1.8
.7
.9
1.1
480
395
393
Massachusetts...........................................
Connecticut...............................................
4.3
1.2
375
381
3.3
1.0
341
330
6.2
1.8
375
374
4.9
3.2
370
386
3.1
1.6
California..................................................
Washington...............................................
5.9
.9
369
317
9.5
2.2
399
372
5.9
1.6
386
374
10.2
1.4
420
395
5.3
1.0
Minnesota.................................................
Missouri....................................................
.9
1.3
290
330
2.3
2.7
328
387
1.1
1.5
383
405
1.2
1.4
373
402
2.0
1.6
Louisiana...................................................
Oklahoma............... .................................
Texas.........................................................
1.9
1.8
6.2
312
374
349
.7
.8
5.3
350
347
342
.3
.7
2.4
332
379
.4
.5
2.3
389
350
402
1.1
1.4
3.9
Kentucky..................................................
Tennessee..................................................
1.2
1.8
316
347
1.0
1.5
340
383
.5
1.1
348
358
.4
.6
363
385
.6
.4
Colorado....................................................
.6
1.5
373
1.1
365
.7
358
2.5
All other States.................. ........ .............
7.6
*Insufficient reports to compute median.
<9
(9
(9
13.2
6.0
(9
3.9
11.4
(9
(9
429
(9
(9
(9
318
390
385
500
4.6
2.4
379
465
407
8.2
1.4
428
400
1.4
2.5
340
385
(9
(9
1.7
2.2
5.9
340
379
387
ft
.6
1.6
(9
370
440
448
<9
318
1.0
8.2
(9
385
349
109
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
T able D—15.— M edian base monthly salary o f engineers with the bachelor’s degree, by field o f engineering and by years o f
experience, 1929, 1982, 1984, and> 1946
Years of experience
Chemi Civil
cal
Elec
trical
Me Mining
and
chani metal
cal
lurgical
Chemi Civil
cal
Years of experience
U nder 1 year
1-2 years'___ ___ ____________
13-1fi*years__ _ _ _ _________
17—
24 years___ __ __ ___________
25-32 years___________________
33-40 years
41 yean? and over
$155
187
220
260
305
328
358
407
424
408
$150
179
236
295
395
487
523
493
510
<9
$137
167
213
264
338
368
428
438
484
(9
$141
180
224
285
337
405
440
483
506
410
$156
183
235
284
370
405
458
437
493
440
Under 1 year_______________________________
1 year............................ ..................
2 years................. ..........................................
3 years..................... .. ................................................
4-5 years_______ _________________
6-7 years________ ________________
8-11 years__________ ______________
12-15 years___ _______ ___________
16-19 years_____________ ____________________
20-27 years............. ........................................ ..
28-35 years....................................
36-43 years..............................................................
44 years and over______________ __________
$116
124
144
149
185
223
273
324
418
443
420
(9
<9
$103
134
149
164
187
208
232
262
289
307
334
367
336
1934
Uud«** 1 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
1 year. ,
....
2 years _ _ ________________________________
3 years
4 years
5 years _
6-7 years. .
R-0 years
10-13 years
____
__________________
___ ___ __________________
______________________________
___________________________
_
_ _ _ _ _
_ _
14-17 years
13-21 years . , . . . . . .
22-29 years___________________
30-37 years
38-45 years__ ____________________________
46 years and over______________
$116
126
131
143
150
163
179
198
218
244
263
285
296
331
306
$107
114
122
134
153
170
198
228
287
340
350
425
426
(0
(i)
$106
109
114
127
145
162
180
205
240
300
333
349
379
408
(9
Me Mining
and
chani metal
cal
lurgical
1932
1929
S-d years____ ___ __ _____________
f i - f l y e a r s ____
__ _______________________
^-197years___ ___ ___ ___________
Elec
trical
$106
118
136
152
178
202
243
309
330
353
420
415
$97
120
137
152
175
211
250
301
327
351
390
416
420
(9
$143
114
143
149
162
206
239
300
314
374
356
420
(9
1946
$106
110
118
132
149
165
180
207
239
283
303
333
346
370
330
$113
118
120
143
143
153
183
207
237
311
302
347
340
400
0)
Under 1 year
1 year.................................. .. .....................................
2 years
_ _ __ _
. __
3 years
...
......
4 years
... _____ ___
5 years
.
_ . ____
.. .
6 years
_ __ _
_ __ ___
____ _
7-8 years
__
9-11 years. j__________________
$242
$246
240
240
257
240
277
263
309
278
323
297
336
306
368
324
393
348
12-14 years.
361
437
15-19 years....................................
379
481
20-24 years. .................... .. ............
395
540
25-29 years....................... .. .......... ..
613
435
30-34 years __
__
640
453
35-39 years............ ...................... } 620 / 444
40 years and over..........................
{ 427
$229
236
247
276
298
308
327
339
365
400
415
458
518
520
551
620
$226
222
262
281
310
340
359
377
403
435
464
496
565
543
555
507 }
$244
230
214
270
290
315
318
334
385
404
483
526
507
608
620
i Insufficient reports to compute median.
T able D -16 .— M edian monthly salary, including overtime, fo r each field o f engineering employment, by years o f experience,
1989, 1948, and 1946
Civil
Chemical
Electrical
Mechanical
Years of experience
1939
1943 1946 1939 1943
Total................................................... $218 $303 $364 $244
1946 1939
$328 $377 $253
1943
1946
Mining and metal
lurgical
Other
1943
1939
1943
1946 1939 1943 1946 1939
$335 $400 $254
1946
$356
$415
$262
$348 $418
Less than 1 year............. ...................
1 year..................................................
2 years.................................................
3 years.................................................
4 years.................................................
5 years.................................................
6 years.................................................
7-8 years..............................................
132
155
166
180
189
219
226
258
214
237
252
270
282
300
301
324
245
245
261
284
313
329
349
376
146
154
158
169
178
181
188
207
204
243
259
254
259
263
313
275
260
253
260
267
285
305
311
338
129
154
161
174
177
208
205
218
214
238
268
275
277
305
307
308
238
242
254
281
308
320
336
356
133
155
165
189
203
209
222
236
219
252
285
305
308
315
325
343
233
232
268
301
340
349
369
387
135
157
181
194
211
229
213
265
219 1
213 \ 247
236 1
255 274
262 297
302 313
287 327
327 345
146
167
181
188
203
210
220
248
218 )
234 > 236
271 J
284
322
265
314
312
312
304
351
310
360
9-11 years............................................
12-14 years...........................................
15-19 years...........................................
20-24 years...........................................
25-29 years........................ ..................
30-34 years...................... ...................
35-39 years..........................................
40 years and over....... .........................
299
313
381
440
504
505
850
361
397
428
483
477
620
558
665
401
452
481
554
604
660
650
698
218
238
272
304
316
336
404
370
302
314
321
347
367
378
394
423
352
362
375
390
412
437
428
452
242
279
304
371
426
424
525
513
332
337
374
419
471
490
508
512
375
415
424
459
506
518
548
516
262
306
320
381
409
428
500
369
388
426
453
458
479
488
614
413
449
469
495
532
526
549
523
281
314
345
433
489
493
410
358
417
429
440
520
520
595
533
412
422
483
519
576
601
599
640
251
276
316
361
409
436
<9
338
349
373
403
475
496
504
487
Insufficient
(9
reports to compute median.
<9
(9
$259 $351
(9
$413
375
395
451
447
512
518
576
585
110
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
T a b l e D -17 .— M edian base monthly salary rates fo r each field o f engineering employm ent, by class o f worker, 1989,1948,
and 1946
Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Mechanical
Class of worker
1939 1948 1946 1939 1943 1946 1939
Total private and public..................... $220 $278 $363 $244 $313 $368 $253
1943
1946 1939 1943
Mining and metal
lurgical
1946 1939 1943
Other
1946 1939
1943
$313 $393 $253 $326 $409 $267 $332 $417 $259 $331
1946
$410
Total private.................. ............ .......
Employer.........................................
Employee of a private firm..............
Independent consultant...................
225
378
222
355
281
405
281
490
367
427
365
500
275
496
264
322
346
517
340
375
390
496
382
406
258
355
256
263
323
517
320
392
396
465
395
350
255
495
251
333
335
620
330
520
413
574
407
496
268
413
261
310
334
480
330
320
418
495
415
440
266
404
257
348
346
591
338
433
420
558
413
495
Total public........................................
Federal Government employee........
State government employee.............
County government employee_____
Municipal government employee.. .
Other public authority employee__
189
177
190
0)
0
0
281
259
258
0)
0
0
348
363
314
0
0
0
230
224
218
228
261
258
290
2*6
276
274
301
351
356
399
319
316
345
400
218
215
240
0
218
220
278
278
288
0
279
274
387
406
358
0
343
343
240
213
267
0
287
0
279
275
313
l1)
330
0
384
400
339
0
373
370
264
273
260
322
324
317
409
415
378
(0
0
0
0
0
0
243
243
237
0
249
290
300
302
291
0
290
410
375
410
349
0
* Insufficient reports to compute median.
413
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
111
T a b l e D - 1 8 .— Comparison o f median base monthly salaries fo r engineers in the same field o f employment all S survey
years, by years o f experience, 1946
Median base monthly salary
Dollar amount of increase in median Percentage increase in median base
monthly salary
base monthly salary
1939
1939to 1946 1939 to 1943 1943 to 1946 1939 to 1946 1939 to 1943 1943 to 1946
Years of experience in 1946
1943
1946
CHEMICAL
7-8 years.......................................................
$-11 years.....................................................
12-14 years....................................................
15-19 years........................................... .......
20-24 years....................................................
25-29 years....................................................
30-34 years...................................................
35-39 years....................................................
40 years and over
, -
$143
178
230
303
345
424
480
513
650
$263
297
347
388
440
493
583
595
650
$385
409
459
488
554
599
650
692
733
$242
231
229
185
209
175
170
179
83
$120
119
117
85
95
69
103
82
$122
112
112
100
114
106
67
97
83
169.2
129.8
99.6
61.1
60.6
41.3
35.4
34.9
12.8
83.9
66.9
50.9
28.1
27.5
16.3
21.5
16.0
46.4
37.7
32.3
25.8
25.9
21.5
11.5
16.3
12.8
$90
87
88
69
70
65
70
53
41
119.5
109.5
97.8
69.3
51.6
40.4
39.5
29.7
22.0
61.0
57.7
49.2
37.6
24.0
17.8
16.8
13.8
10.7
36.3
32.8
32.6
23.0
22.2
19.2
19.4
14.0
10.2
$102
94
105
96
86
78
51
56
50
151.4
117.5
99.5
76.8
50.2
42.3
27.7
27.3
16.3
79.6
62.6
48.8
36.9
22.0
20.4
15.2
14.4
5.8
40.0
33.8
34.1
29.1
23.1
18.1
10.9
11.3
9.8
$118
106
108
90
88
80
71
46
50
187.6
130.4
109.7
77.9
61.4
47.8
32.7
29.7
20.3
101.5
71.8
59.9
43.7
32.8
26.0
14.9
18.7
9.6
42.8
34.1
31.1
23.8
21.5
17.4
15.6
9.3
9.7
$92
103
89
107
83
92
99
34
162
156.2
107.0
82.6
66.6
54.5
50.9
30.6
18.2
52.1
89.1
55.7
44.7
29.7
29.6
26.6
10.5
11.5
17.7
35.5
32.9
26.2
28.5
19.2
19.2
18.2
6.0
29.3
$102
90
84
97
77
77
60
64
21
131.8
94.3
85.0
77.5
50.7
46.1
35.5
28.8
16.9
66.9
47.9
45.8
39.9
24.1
23.2
21.3
14.2
12.9
38.9
31.4
26.9
26.9
21.4
18.6
11.7
12.8
3.6
CIVIL
7-8 years-......................................................
9-11 years...........................................- .........
12-14 years....................................................
15-19 years....................................................
20-24 years......................... .........................
25-29 years....................................................
30-34 years....................................................
35-39 years....................................................
40 years and over______________________
$154
168
181
218
254
287
309
333
363
$248
265
270
300
315
338
361
379
402
$338
352
358
369
385
403
431
432
443
$184
184
177
151
131
116
122
99
80
$94
97
89
82
61
51
52
46
39
ELECTRICAL
7-8 years________________________ . . . . __
$-11 years.................................... .................
12-14 years....................................................
15-19 years................................- __________
20-24 years....................................................
25-29 years....................................................
30-34 years....................................................
35-39 years....................................................
40 years and over______________ . . . . . . ___
$142
171
207
241
305
357
408
432
480
$255
278
308
330
372
430
470
494
508
$357
372
413
426
458
508
521
550
558
$215
201
206
185
153
151
113
118
78
$113
107
101
89
67
73
62
62
28
MECHANICAL
7-8 years_______________ . . . . __ ____ ____
9-11 years........................... ..........................
12-14 years....................................................
15-19 years....................................................
20-24 years....................................................
25-29 years....................................................
30-34 years____________________________
35-39 years....................................................
40 years and over___________ ___ ________
$137
181
217
263
308
366
397
417
468
$276
311
347
378
409
461
456
495
513
$394
417
455
468
497
541
527
541
563
$257
236
238
205
189
175
130
124
95
$139
130
130
115
101
95
59
78
45
MINING AND METALLURGICAL
7-8 years_______________ _______ -_____
9-11 years____________________________
12-14 years............................... ....... ............
15-19 years....................................................
20-24 years......................................... ...........
25-29 years...............................................
30-34 years......................................... ..........
35-39 years....................................................
40 years and over-----------------------------------
$137
201
235
290
334
379
493
511
470
$259
313
340
376
433
480
545
570
553
$351
416
429
483
516
572
644
604
715
$214
215
194
193
182
193
151
93
245
$122
112
105
86
99
101
52
59
83
OTHER
7-8 years______________. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —
$-11 years............................................. .......
12-14 years....................................................
15-19 years....................................................
20-24 years....................................................
25-29 years....................................................
30-34 years....................................................
35-39 years....................................................
40 years and over..........................................
$157
194
214
258
290
336
423
438
520
$262
287
312
361
360
414
513
500
587
$364
377
396
458
437
491
573
564
608
$207
183
182
200
147
155
150
126
88
$105
93
98
103
70
78
90
62
67
112
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOB ENGINEERS
T a b l e D -19 .— M edian annual incom e fo r each field o f engineering employm ent, by years o f experience, 1989 and 1948
Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Mining and
metallurgical
Mechanical
Years of experience
Other
1939
1943
1939
1943
1939
1943
1939
1943
1939
1943
1939
1943
Total.........................................................
$2,756
$3,673
$3,089
$4,087
$3,214
$4,196
$3,269
$4,485
$3,450
$4,480
$3,339
$4,501
Less than 1 year........................................
1 year.........................................................
2 years......................................................
3 years........... ...........................................
4 years.......................................................
1,608
1,879
1,991
2,176
2,400
2,509
2,800
2,984
3,260
3,378
1,718
1,910
1,957
2,075
2,171
2,467
2,825
3,031
3,133
3,300
1,585
1,894
1,997
2,189
2,197
2,523
2,869
3,203
3,280
3,438
1,642
1,936
2,040
2,330
2,510
2,580
3,023
3,400
3,667
3,737
1,700
1,909
2,120
2,360
2,558
2,667
2,733
3,000
3, 111
3,350
1,822
2,088
2,229
2,240
2,495
2,522
2,883
3,350
3,467
3,473
5 years.......................................................
6 years......................................... .............
7-8 years................................................ .
9-11 years......................................... ........
12-14 years.................................................
2,813
2,765
3,325
3,538
3,646
3,578
3,624
3,932
4,660
4,871
2,225
2,341
2,564
2,742
2,970
3,200
3,800
3,324
3,770
3,816
2,545
2,485
2,595
3,071
3,469
3,541
3,748
3,838
4,189
4,259
2,600
2,800
3,111
3,291
3,667
3,933
3,937
4,309
4,637
4,854
3,000
2,600
3,514
3,400
3,943
3,525
3,564
4,104
4,314
5,000
2,583
2,716
3,125
3,211
3,475
3,760
3,564
3,800
4,146
4,557
16-19 years.................................................
20-24 years.................................................
25-29 years.................................................
30-34 years................................................
35-39 years...............................................
40 years and over.......................................
4,700
6,050
6,514
7.500
0
0
5,247
6,107
7,800
7,850
6,360
8,100
3,345
3,776
3,996
4,238
4,838
5,167
3,951
4,314
4,713
4,703
4,984
5,220
3,925
4,733
5,176
5,367
6,450
5,800
4,681
5,156
5,756
6,075
6,600
6,240
4,181
4,909
5,206
5,387
6,386
0
5,229
5,808
5,869
6,325
6,500
7,629
4,540
6,050
6,150
5,914
6,500
0
5,256
5,775
7,950
7,350
7,650
7,125
4,040
4,615
5,057
5,120
(l)
0
4,732
5,400
5,963
6,390
6,300
6,525
1Insufficient reports to compute median.
T a b l e D -2 0 .— M edian annual incom e, by occupational status, fo r each field o f engineering employm ent, 1989 and 1943
Civil
Chemical
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining and
metallurgical
1939
1939
1943
1939
$7,800
5,217
2,467
0
6,600
$8,100
5,316
3,300
0
9,600
$5,400
4,545
2,450
3,231
6,600
$5,957
5,412
3,236
4,460
8,400
Occupational status
1939
Administration-management, nontechnical................. $4,500
Administration-management, technical-..................... 4,867
Analysis and testing....... ............................................. 1,972
Construction supervision.............................................
0
Consulting, independent..............................................
(0
Consulting, as employee of private firm....................... 3,600
Design.......................................................................... 3,000
Development............................................................... 2,529
Drafting.......................................................................
0
Estimating________ _____ __ _________ __________
Inspection....................................................................
(0
1943
1939
$6,000 $5,067
5,088 4,231
2 946 2,267
2,987
0
4,900
CO
4,600 3,880
3,838 3,034
3,235 2,580
2,179
(0
3,137
0)
2,405
0
1943
1939
1943
$5,775
4,959
3,086
3,981
6,300
$5,000
4,746
2,411
3,178
5,333
$5,550
5,397
3,530
4,219
6,000
5,167
3,839
3,378
3,043
3,950
3,240
4,050
3,113
3,272
2,069
2,734
2,320
$071
3,980
4,091
3,046
3,800
3,384
4,425
3,012
3,109
2,057
2,800
2,350
5,525
4,097
4,331
3,216
3,787
3,693
4,800
0
3,025
0
0
2,133
5,400
0
3,675
0
0
3,567
4,075
3,171
3,171
2,300
2,756
2,618
5,467
4,400
3,886
3,350
3,667
3,547
3,675
3,567
3,714
0)
3,720
0
3,073
2,971
3,306
5,400
2,810
2,600
3,686
3,883
4,238
4,800
4,236
3,500
(i)
0
3,075
0
0
3,711
2,785
0
4,000
0
0
2,514
3,164
0
2,450
0
0
3,900
4,089
0
3,914
0
3,869
0
4,730
4,213
3,467
3,011
0
4,012
3,296
3,140
3,823
0
5,645
4,286
4,092
3,341
0
3,900
3,960
3,050
3,809
0
5,700
5,600
4,150
2,975
3,056
3,667
3,150
3,111
4,029
3,741
5,500
4,440
3,900
Maintenance........................................ .......................
Operation.....................................................................
Patents........................... ............................................
Production...................................................................
Research in basic science..............................................
(0
2,562
(0
2,536
(0
(0
0)
3,376
0)
3,451
(0
0)
3,215
2,525
(l)
3,713
3,343
0)
(0
0
(0
2,867
2,542
2,693
(i)
2,525
<0
Research, applied.........................................................
Safety engineering........................................................
2,486
0
4,700
3,360
0
3,289
0
5,800
3,920
<0
3,334
0
4,400
3,711
2,174
3,720
(0
5,080
4,400
3,362
3,627
0
3,650
3,575
2,700
Installation
Teaching, college or university.....................................
Any occupational status not specified above...... .........
*Insufficient reports to compute median.
Other
1943
$4,800 $7,450
5,225 6,015
2,171 3,564
3,660 4,867
5,520 9,000
1943
113
SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES
T
able
D-21 .— Percentages o f respondents who shifted or rem ained in same class-of-worker status, 1989, 1948, and 1946
Engineering employment
Private industry
Class of worker
All
re
ports
All
engi
neer
ing
Public employment
Nonengi
neer
Em Inde
Mu
Fed
Coun
Other
ing
pend
nici pub work
Em ploy
eral State
ty
gov gov
of ent Total Gov
pal lic au
Total ploy ees
ern ern
pri
con
gov thori
ern
ers
vate sult
ern
ment ment ment ment
ty
firms ants
In 1939
Stu
dent
Un
Re
em
tired ployed
Class of worker in 1943
All reports....................................... 100.0
97.0
74.5
4.8
68.0
1.7
22.5
12.7
5.1
0.7
3.2
0.8
2.9
(9
0.1
<9
All engineering................................
Private industry______________
Employers...'______________
Employees of private firms.......
Independent consultants_____
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
99.3
99.3
99.5
99.3
99.7
76.2
92.9
91.0
93.3
83.9
5.0
6.2
78.5
1.0
1.5
69.5
84.6
11.6
92.0
19.3
1.7
2.1
.9
.3
63.1
23.1
6.4
8.5
6.0
15.8
12.9
5.3
7.2
4.9
13.6
5.3
.6
.5
.6
•5
.8
(9
3.3
.3
.4
.3
.8
.8
.2
.4
.2
.6
.7
.7
.5
.7
.3
(9
(i)
0)
(9
(9
(9
(9
Public employment___________
Federal Government................
State government _ . .
_______
Hminty government
Municipal government.............
Other public authority_______
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
99.2
99.2
99.3
98.3
98.8
99.4
19.7
19.8
18.9
21.5
19.0
22.9
.7
.6
.2
1.7
1.1
1.8
18.7
18.9
18 4
19.8
17.6
19.9
.3
.3
.3
79.5
79.4
80.4
76.8
79.8
76.5
38.6
77.0
13.0
11.3
10.0
14.6
21.0
1.2
65.0
2.3
1.2
1.1
13.6
.9
1.3
2.2
68.4
.6
3.0
.1
.2
.5
.1
60.2
.8
.7
.6
1.7
.9
.6
Nonengineering work___________
Student
■Retired
___
Unemployed
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
41.3
91.9
44.4
97.4
31.4
80.3
33.3
57.9
1.6
4.5
29.3
75.8
22.2
52.6
9.9
11.6
11.1
39.5
8.0
8.0
11.1
36.9
.7
2.9
.7
.5
.7
58.7
3.7
2.6
2.6
0.8
3.7
(9
0.3
0.3
3.4
.8
.3
.1
.3 _
.3
.1
.8 ..........
1.2
1.2
1.3
1.2
.4
(9
0.1
.3
.3
.4
.2
1.4
.3
.3
.5
.3
.4
3.0
.2
.1
1.2
1.6
.9
(9
(9
.2
(9
.1
.4
.6
.2
79.6
.6
.7
.4
.7
.2
.2
.2
5.3
.3
1.2
.5
11.1
In 1943
0)
.3
3.3
.2
.9
60.5
.1
(9
(9
.1
’ "“ 611
.3
4.4
55.6
Class of worker in 1946
All reports....................................... 100.0
95.7
75.6
6.6
66.1
2.9
20.1
9.9
5.2
0.9
All engineering-------------------------Private engineering- ...................
Employers.............................. Employees of private firms___
Independent consultants..........
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
98.2
98.3
97.8
98.3
97.8
77.6
96.0
96.7
96.0
95.0
6.8
8.3
93.7
2.4
2.9
67.8
84.4
2.2
92.1
4.8
3.0
3.3
.8
1.5
87.3
20.6
2.3
1.1
2.3
2.8
10.1
1.0
.3
1.0
1.0
5.4
.7
.4
.7
3-0
.9
.2
.1
.2
Public employment.....................
Federal Government............. .
State government.....................
County government_________
Municpal government...........—
Other pnblio authority
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
98.2
97.8
99.0
100.0
98.8
98.6
16.7
22.9
9.5
6.4
5.9
16.2
1.8
2.4
1.2
.8
.6
1.5
13.1
18.5
8.0
4.8
3.8
11.7
1.8
2.0
1.3
.8
1.5
3.0
81.5
74.9
89.5
93.6
92.9
82.4
40.4
70.8
1.6
.8
.2
2.1
20.9
2.4
86.0
1.6
.7
3.5
.5
.8
90.4
.4
.7
13.7
1.0
1.0
.8
91.4
NonengmAftring work
100.0
Student
100.0
Retired
___ ______________ 100.0
TTnAmplnyed
100.0
12.5
100.0
8.3
10.7
42.9
8.3
.6
9.0
42.9
8.3
1.1
1.8
57.1
.6
28.5
.6
14.3
.2
.4
3.3
14.3
86.9
.2
91.7
166.6
In 1989
Class of worker in 1946
All reports....................................... 100.0
95.7
75.6
6.6
66.1
2.9
20.1
9.9
5.2
0.9
3.3
0.8
3.7
<9
0.3
0.3
All engineering................................ 100.0
Private industry.......................... 100.0
Employers_________________ 100.0
Employees of private firms....... 100.0
Independent eonsnltants . .. 100.0
97.9
97.9
98.6
98.0
97.8
77.3
93.3
92.3
93.6
88.8
6.8
8.1
81.7
2.8
4.1
67.5
81.8
8.7
89.3
14.1
3.0
3.4
1.9
1.5
70.6
20.6
4.6
6.3
4.4
9.0
10.0
3.4
5.2
3.1
6.3
5.4
.7
.4
.6
1.5
.9
.1
.1
.1
.5
3.4
.3
.4
.3
.7
.9
.1
.2
.3
1.5
1.5
.7
1.6
1.2
<9
(9
.3
.3
.1
.2
.7
.3
.3
.6
.2
.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
98.0
97.8
97.8
99.5
98.2
97.1
23.1
24.6
20.9
24.3
21.6
28.0
2.1
2.5
1.5
3.3
2.1
2.9
19.3
21.1
17.8
19.8
17.0
21.0
1.7
1.0
1.6
1.2
2.5
4.1
74.9
73.2
76.9
75.2
76.6
69.1
32.8
69.0
8.3
6.4
6.4
10.0
21.3
1.9
64.7
4.6
1.1
1.8
3.9
.6
2.1
59.6
.4
.6
14.0
1.6
1.6
4.1
67.9
1.1
2.9
.1
.2
.5
.8
55.6
1.5
1.7
1.6
.5
1.1
2.3
___ . . .
0)
0.1
.2
.1
.2
.3
.3
.4
.......
.4
.6
.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
Unemployed- __________________ 100.0
38.9
93.4
33.3
84.2
31.6
78.7
33.3
57.9
1.8
7.3
28.7
71.4
33.3
52.7
1.1
7.3
14.7
4.9
6.6
1.3
5.8
.9
.2
2.3
60.3
3.6
2.1
.3
.5
.8
26.3
23.6
2.7
2.6
Public employment.....................
Federal Government................
State government.....................
County government_________
Murdeipal government.
Other public authority.............
Nonengineering -work
...................
Student.
____
Retired
______________ __
Less than 0.05 percent.
5.2
66.7
2.6
10.6
T a b l e D -2 2 .— Percentages o f respondents who shifted or remained in same industry field , 1 9 8 9 , 19 48 , and 1 9 4 6
Manufacturing
Industry field
Agri
cul
All
reports ture,
for
estry
Chem
Con
Lum Print
Min struc
ing
icals
ber,
ing
and
and
tion Total Food,
tex paper
allied
tiles prod pub
lish
prod
ucts
ing
ucts
In 19S9
18.4
45.5
1.6
1.2
.7
84.5
.6
16.3
3.0
81.6
11.2
9.8
10.1
.7
.4
.1
.7
.3
.2
Manufacturing—..........................................
Food, textiles............................................
Lumber, paper products...........................
Printing and publishing
___ _
Chemicals and allied products—...............
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
(*)
.2
.6
1.3
3.5
3.5
2.0
1.0
94.3
91.5
90.8
89.8
94.6
3.6
70.4
.9
2.7
.6
75.3
.8
.4
Petroleum and coal products....................
Rubber, stone, clay, and glass products...
Iron, steel, nonferrous metals products...
Machinery.................................................
Transportation equipment.......................
Other manufacturing industries....... ........
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.2
1.0
2.1
.8
.5
.9
93.4
97.6
93.8
93.8
96.7
94.4
.6
.1
.3
.2
.2
.1
.2
4.3
5.1
4.1
10. 7
19.7
12.8
49.4
.1
.3
.1
.6
— ...
.3
.4
.1
.2
0)
.2
100.0
100.0
.1
100.0
100.0
0)
100.0
.1
100.0 —
.2
.5
.4
4.2
4.3
2.5
3.9
14.1
3.9
18.2
43.9
1.9
90.8
.5
2.1
2.5
89.5
3.2
2.9
3.7
1.1
.3
.3
.3
.3
2.2
.7
1.4
3.9
88.3
.5
2.9
.7
89.6
1.6
.8
.2
.3
.7
.1
.9
.4
.3
.4
.3
1.4
.1
.1
.1
2.8
5.0
.1
1.5
1.8
.8
.5
.3
59.2
.1
.1
(0
.6*
.6
2.0
7.4
12.3
8.8
3.2
3.0
6.0
9.0
8.1
5.3
-g.5
2.3
2.0
1.8
2.3
11.0
1.5
2.3
2.5
3.6
.7
.6
.9
.7
.1
1.0
.7
3.7
.6
1.6
.7
.6
2.0
2.3
1.4
2.5
15.5
2.6
1.8
2.0
2.7
26.3
2.5
.4
6.2
2.1
16.1
4.5
4.4
14.3
.7
6.3
3.2
1.8
2.0
1.1
.4
.6
.9
.6
.6
.4
1.3
.4
.8
.4
1.2
.6
2.2
2.0
1.0
1.6
1.3
2.2
6.2
1.9
.5
---
.6
.5
.3
.7
.5
.3
.4
1.2
.3
.2
.i
.7
.1
.4
1.2
.3
1.4
1.5
.6
1.1
1.9
.6
1.5
1.6
1.0
2.3
.4
0.1
.1
10.6
4.8
4.9
4.1
84.7
8.4
1.6
.4
1.0
4.3
1.0
.9
2.0
1.0
4.7
3.8
1.4
.5
.2
.9
80.3
1.3
.2
.4
.2
.7
2.2
80.1
.4
.2
.1
.5
1.0
3.5
83.6
1.2
.8
L4
1.6
2.6
2.6
85.6
3.7
2.3
2.4
3.8
3.9
4.7
89.7
8.2
.5
1.9
1.1
.6
1.8
80.0
.1
.5
.6
.6
4.2
.5
.1
1.6
2.7
1.8
8.5
1.1
2.1
3.1
4.9
2.0
9.9
3.0
1.1
24
6.6
4.9
11.3
.6
9
2.0
1.0
5.7
86.4
.2
.6
.7
1.0
2.8
.2
92.0
1.4
1.8
1.7
2.8
.6
.1
78.8
L3
.8
2.8
1.7
1.0
1.9
7o! o
3.1
12.7
1.5
2.6
1.9
3.4
76.2
4.2
7.6
12.6
6.6
3.2
3.0
6.0
9.0
9.4
5.4
0.5
1.0
1.4
1.9
.6
1.4
.8
.5
1.5
1.5
.4
.5
.1
___
3.8
1.3
1.8
1.4
2.8
.5
.6
.7
2.8
0)
.1
.2
.1
Industry field in 1946
100.0
0.7
Agriculture, forestry.................................... 100.0
Mining_____ _______ __________________ 100.0
Construction—............................................. 100.0
93.7
.1
.3
Manufacturing.............................................
Food, textiles________________________
Lumber, paper products______________
Printing and publishing______________
Chemicals and allied products..................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
.1
.8
.5
.2
.1
.2
1.1
91.6
95.8
96.1
91.9
94.3
Petroleum and coal products....................
Rubber, stone, clay, and glass products_
Iron, steel, nonferrous metals products.. .
Machinery................................................
Transportation equipment.......................
Other manufacturing industries...............
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
.2
1.0
1.6
1.5
1.8
1.2
5.3
2.9
93.0
94.6
93.8
93.9
83.0
89.4
.6
1.2
.5
.8
.6
1.1
Transportation________________________
Communication...........................................
Utilities........................................................
Service industries.........................................
Other industry fields....................................
Unemployed.................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.0
.1
1.7
1.5
4.0
8.3
4.4
3.2
2.5
5.7
10.0
8.3
.2
.1
.3
.2
.1
.......
.1
.1
..... .....
...
.1
.1
.6
.3
.2
.2
1.4
0.3
1.1
5.1
3.7
2.0
7.1
.1
1.0
.6
.6
.8
.9
4.3
1.5
.5
14.9
.4
.5
26.1
1.9
2.0
.1
.7
.5
0)
10.5
2.6
2.0
2.7
86.3
7.9
.5
86.5
.2
1.2
.5
1.1
1.5
2.7
.4
.1
0)
.1
.4
1.7
2.1
1.6
.3
1.0
1.9
87.5
2.1
.4
.5
.6
.6
.5
85.0
.7
.2
.5
.6
.3
.9
86.3
.9
1.8
.8
1.4
1.8
2.2
89.4
4.6
3.6
.2
.1
.2 ” " . T
.8
.4
.4
.8
1.0
.1
.2
.2
.7
.4
.1
.3
1.0
1.4
8.3
1.4
1.6
.9
2.3
3.1
.....
.5
:r
.i
.7
.3
.4
.3
.9
.1
.1
.5
1.2
6.6
.4
.5
.2
.4
.7
.4
.5
.7
.1
.....
.6
.6
1.0
.8
69.2
2.1
.2
.6
.3
.9
3.7
77.9
.2
.1
(9
.6
.2
1.0
.4
.1
.8
1.1
.4
.5
.1
.4
.8
87.5
.1
.1
.5
.5
.4
14.0
.1
2.7
.8
1.0
2.7
2.7
5.4
1.0
.4
.1
.6
.7
.7
.6
.6
.7
.7
.9
.7
1.6
1.8
1.9
2.0
5.6
3.0
.8
.9
.9
1.1
2.9
2.5
1.0
.6
.4
.2
.8
.6
.6
93.1
.1
.6
1.1
1.2
.5
92.3
.7
.9
1.9
1.9
1.7
88.8
3.7
.6
1.0
.9
1.6
78.8
16.7
.2
.1
.3
.3
.7
66.7
.5
E N G IN E E R S
___
0.2
In 1948
Serv Other
ice indus Unem
indus try ployed
tries fields
OUTLOOK FOR
4.0
64.4
i Less than 0.Q5 percent.
Iron,
steel,
Other Trans Com Util
Trans manu
and
porta muni ities
Ma porta factur
non- chin
tion cation
tion
ing
ferrous ery equip
metals
indus
ment tries
prod
ucts
EM PLOYM ENT
0.6
Agriculture, forestry_________
100.0
Mining......................................................... 100.0
Construction—..................... ....................... 100.0
All reports...................................................
Rub
ber,
stone,
clay,
and
glass
prod
ucts
Industry field in 1948
All reports.................................................... 100.0
Transportation _
.
Communication....... ......... .........................
Utilities___
Service industries.......................................
Other industry fields....................................
Unemployed.................................................
Petro
leum
and
coal
prod
ucts
T a ble D -2 2 .— Percentages o f respondents who shifted or remained in same industry field , 1 9 8 9 , 1 9 4 8 , and 1 9 46
Continued
Manufacturing
Industry field
Agri
cul
All
reports ture,
for
estry
Con
Chem
Min struc
Lum Print
ing
icals
ing
ber,
tion Total Food,
and
and
tex paper pub
allied
tiles prod lish prod
ucts
ing
ucts
In 19S9
Rub
ber,
stone,
ciay
and
glass
prod
ucts
Iron,
steel,
Other Trans Com Util
Trans manu
and
porta muni ities
Ma porta factur
non- chin
tion cation
tion
ferrous ery equip
ing
metals
indus
ment tries
prod
ucts
Serv Other
ice indus Unem
indus try ployed
tries fields
Industry field in 1946
100 0
0.7
3.9
18.2
43.9
1.9
Agriculture, forestry....................
Mining................. .......................
Construction................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
63.7
.1
.3
.8
81.8
.8
13.3
3.6
80.2
13.3
9.2
8.9
2.2
.6
.4
Manufacturing™..........................................
Food, textiles. ..........................................
Lumber, paper products...........................
Printing and publishing........ ...................
Chemicals and allied products.................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
.2
.6
________
.2
.6
.4
1.3
2.6
1.8
1.0
4.0
68.8
1.3
2.0
2.2
3.0
.6
76.2
.1
91.4
89.2
92.0
91.8
93.9
Petroleum and coal products....................
Rubber, stone, clay, and glass products...
Iron, steel, nonferrous metals products__
Machinery.................................. ..............
Transportation equipment.......................
Other manufacturing industries...............
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
.7
1.6
.9
2.2
.7
1.8
.9
88.7
95.8
91.1
91.4
90.6
91.6
.9
1.9
.6
.6
.3
.9
.3
.6
.6
.3
.5
.2
Transportation.............................................
Communication..........................................
Utilities..... ...................................................
Service industries.................... .................
Other industry fields...................................
Unemployed................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
4.0
.1
3.9
2.9
5.1
11.3
5.9
4.4
11.0
18.6
12.9
39.4
.4
.3
.1
.2
.....
—
.3
.1
.1
.4
.1
.1
. 1
1.4
.1
.6
.4
4.2
.1
5.
.4
.6
1.4
1.4
0.3
5.1
.4
.5
.8
.1
.1
2.2
1.4
1.3
.5
1.0
.3
.3
.1
1.4
3.7
7.1
12.6
6.6
3.2
.7
.6
.6
.3
1.5
2.0
1.6
2.2
1.3
1.7
3.7
1.7
1.7
.7
.4
.7
10.5
5.7
4.8
8.2
1.9
1.3
82.6
1.1
4.3
1.0
1.3
2.0
.4
14.9
1.9
1.8
6.1
2.2
26.3
3.5
1.3
4.1
2.6
13.3
2.9
1.8
14.3
.4
.3
.1
.1
.1
5.6
2.5
1.6
.6
.4
1.3
76.0
1.6
.4
.3
.4
1.3
1.3
79.8
.7
.3
.5
1.3
.6
2.5
80.3
1.4
1.1
2.0
2.0
2.2
3.7
83.8
4.7
4.5
1.6
1.9
1.5
2.8
80.2
3.8
.2
.2
.7
.3
1.4
1.8
1.5
5.6
.1
.5
.8
1.1
2.8
.4
1
1.5
2.7
2.1
7.1
1.8
2.1
4.0
6.1
3.3
7.1
2.4
.6
l! 2
3.7
3.0
5.6
.4
59.2
.3
__________
1.4
.5
.6
.7
1.4
3.0
6.0
9.0
9.4
5.4
0.5
.4
1.3
1.5
.3
.4
2.2
!7
2.1
3.0
1.0
3.0
2.2
2.0
2.5
.9
.5
6.4
2.9
1.8
4.1
1.0
.4
.3
1.8
.7
1.0
.6
1.0
.5
2.1
2.2
L3
.6
1.6
2.8
2.5
1.8
8.2
l! 8
1
X. A
O
•4A
.4
2.5
1.6
1.2
2.4
76.3
.3
.3
.4
.3
.5
.2
.3
.3
.4
1.1
1.0
.7
#4
01 9
Vx. o
1.1
1.3
1.4
2.8
1.2
.3
.3
.8
3.2
1.2
3.3
3.3
2.4
2.7
o4* 5
A
2.7
.6
1.7
2.0
3.0
3.2
.9
.3
.3
.2
.4
.2
1.5
1
1
2.6
3.0
73.5
8.4
•Z
1
. 1
85.6
i. l
] j
i ! i
!s
.7
.7
4.2
2.0
.6
5.6
.5
A* O
Q
O
•
77.2
1.1
1.4
1.4
1 A
A«
0
3.2
71.2
3.7
14.2
9.
Z
.3
.4
9
.3
.6
.8
12.7
TABLES
2.0
SUPPLEM ENTARY
All reports.................................. .
Petro
leum
and
coal
prod
ucts
Or
Suggested Reading List
American Chemical Society, Vocational Guidance in Chem istry and Chemical E ngineering. 1155 16th St. N W ., Wash
ington 6, D . C., 1944. 19 pp. 10 cents.
American Institute of Electrical Engineers, The Electrical Engineer— some facts concerning electrical engineering as a
career. 33 W est 39th St., New York 18, N. Y . 21 pp. 10 cents.
American Society of C ivil Engineers, B rief Bibliography on Engineering as a Career. 33 West 39th St., New York 18,
N. Y ., 1947. 3 pp. Mimeographed. Free.
American Society for Engineering Education, Journal o f Engineering Education . (Periodical.) Northwestern Uni
versity, Evanston, 111.
Brown, Esther Lucile, The Professional Engineer. Russell Sage Foundation, New York, N. Y ., 1936.
Carlisle, Norman V ., Your Career in Engineering. E. P. Dutton and C o., Inc., New York, N. Y ., 1942.
Clyne, R . W ., Engineering Opportunities, Appleton-Century Book Co., New York, N. Y ., 1939.
---------- A Survey o f Teachers’ Salaries in Engineering Schools and a Comparison o f These with Salaries Paid to Engineers in
N on-Teaching Em ploym ent and with Teachers1 Salaries in Other P rofessional Schools. American Society for Engineer
ing Education, Northwestern University, Evanston, 111., 1949.
Engineers Council for Professional Developm ent, Engineering as a Career. 29 W est 39th St., New York 18, N . Y ., 1942.
36 pp. 10 cents.
Engineers Council for Professional Developm ent, Annual Reports. 29 W est 39th St., New York 18, N. Y .
Engineers Joint Council, The E ngineering P rofession in Transition. 33 W est 39th St., New York 18, N. Y ., 1947. $1. .
Engineers Joint Council, General Survey Committee, 1949 Em ploym ent Program s fo r E ngineering Graduates. 33 West
39th St., New York 18, N. Y . Mimeographed.
Finch, James K ., Trends in E ngineering Education , Columbia University Press, New York, N . Y ., 1948.
H oover, Theodore J., and Fish, John C. L., The Engineering P rofession , Stanford University Press, Palo A lto, Calif., 1941.
Inter-Professional Conference on Education, Education fo r P rofessional R esponsibility , Carnegie Press, Pittsburgh, Pa.,
1948.
M ills, John, The Engineer in Society , D . Van Nostrand Co., In c., New York, N . Y ., 1946.
National Society o f Professional Engineers, A m erican Engineer. (Periodical.) 112115th St. N W ., W ashington 5, D . C.
Read, Thomas T ., Careers in the M ineral Industries. American Institute of Mining and M etallurgical Engineers, 29
W est 39th St., New York 18, N. Y ., 1941.
Stewart, Lowell O., Career in Engineering. Iow a State College Press, Ames, Iowa, 1947.
U. S. Department of Labor, W om ens Bureau, The Outlook fo r W om en in A rchitecture and E ngineering. Bulletin No.
223-5. Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D . C., 1948. 88 pp. 25 cents.
U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Em ploym ent and Earnings in the Engineering P rofession , 1929
to 1984. Bulletin N o. 682. Superintendent o f Documents, Washington 25, D . C., 1941. 235 pp. 25 cents.
---------- Factors A ffecting Earnings in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Bulletin N o. 881. Superintendent of Docu
ments, W ashington 25, D . C., 1946. 22 pp. 10 cents.
---------- Econom ic Status o f Ceramic Engineers 1989 to 1947., U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Washington 25, D . C., 1948. Mimeographed. 26 pp. Free.
National Roster of Scientific and Specialized Personnel, Handbook o f D escriptions o f Specialized Fields in Chemistry and
Chemical Engineering. Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D . C., 1944. 103 pp. 30 cents.
---------- Handbook o f D escriptions o f Specialized Fields in Civil Engineering. Superintendent of Documents, Washington
25, D . C., 1946. 22 pp. 10 cents.
---------- Handbook o f D escriptions o f Specialized Fields in Ceramic Technology and Engineering. Superintendent of Docu
ments, Washington 25, D . C., 1944. 9 pp. 5 cents.
---------- Handbook o f D escriptions o f Specialized Fields in M ining E ngineering, Petroleum Engineering, and M etallurgy or
M etallurgical Engineering. Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C., 1946. 17 pp. 10 cents.
---------- Handbook o f D escriptions o f Specialized Fields in Industrial Engineering and Business M anagem ent. Superin
tendent of Documents, Washington 25, D . C., 1945. 14 pp. 10 cents.
---------- Engineering Sciences. Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D . C ., 1947. 51 pp. 15 cents.
Williams, C. C., B uilding an Engineering Career. M cGraw-Hill Book C o., New York, N. Y ., 1946.
116
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O . S . GOVERNMENT PRINTING OPPICE: 1 9 5 0
EFFECT OF DEFENSE PROGRAM O N
Employment Outlook
in Engineering
August 1951
Supplement to Bulletin 968,
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR ENGINEERS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Maurice J. Tobin - Secretary
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Ewan Clague - Commissioner
Letter o f Transmittal
United States Department o f Labor,
Bureau o f Labor S ta tis t!o s ,
Washington, D. C .,
August 15, 1951
The Secretary o f Labor*
I hare the honor t o transmit herewith a report on the e ffe c t o f
the defense program on the employment outlook fo r engineers. This
i s one o f a series o f reports made available through the Bureau*s
Occupational Outlook Servioe fo r use in vocational counseling o f
young people in school, veterans, and others in terested in the ohoioe
o f an occupation. The report supplements and brings up to date the
disoussion o f employment trends and outlook in Bureau o f Labor Sta
t i s t i c s B u lletin No. 968, Employment Outlook fo r Engineers, which was
w ritten in 1949,
The report was prepared by Helen Wood and Bobert W. Cain o f the
Branch o f Occupational Studies, D ivision o f Manpower and Employment
S t a t is t ic s , The Bureau wishes to acknowledge the generous assistance
received from numbers o f the engineering profession , including o f f i
c ia ls o f engineering s o cie tie s and engineering c o lle g e s , and engineers
in industry and government.
Ewan Clague, Commissioner.
Hon, Maurice J . Tobin,
Secretary o f Labor.
Contents
Pago
Growth o f the Profession
2
F ields o f Employment
2
Estimated Yearly Demand
4
Estimated Supply
8
Charts
1*
Growth o f the P rofession; 1890-1980
3
2*
Number o f Workers Per Engineer, 1890-1950
7
3.
Annual Number o f Engineering Graduates, 1930-1954
9
Tables
1*
Percentage D istribution o f Engineers in Selected
Fields o f Engineering, by Major Industry, 1946
5
EFFECT OF DEFENSE PROGRAM ON
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK IN ENGINEERING
The tremendous contribution engineers make to the national security
and welfare has been underlined by the defense program* In th is m obili
zation period, the country r e lie s on i t s engineers to develop the new
and improved equipment and produets required fo r the national defense,
as w ell as fo r further economic progress* Engineers are counted on also
to devise the most e ffic ie n t methods o f manufacturing these produots and
to give technical leadership throughout the production process* Further
more, large numbers o f persons with engineering training are needed by
the Armed Forces to handle the increasing amounts o f highly complex equip
ment which are being put in to use*
This report discusses the general e ffe o t o f the defense program, as
planned in the early summer o f 1951, on the demand fo r engineering person
n e l. Another subject considered i s : how many young engineers are lik e ly
to complete training in the near future and how w ill the expeoted supply
o f new graduates compare with the anticipated demand? In addition, some
information is given on past trends and major ch a ra cteristics of this pro
fession which are important in interpreting the ourrent and prospective
employment situation* The report supplements and brings up to date the
chapter on engineers in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, as well as the
sections on employment trends and outlook in the Bureau's B ulletin No* 968,
"Employment Outlook fo r Engineers"•
Highlights o f the ourrent employment situation and outlook in the
p rofession are, b r ie fly , as follows* A serious shortage o f engineers has
developed since mid-1950, owing prim arily to the increased demand fo r per
sonnel generated by the defense program* Opportunities both fo r new
graduates and fo r experienced men w ill be excellen t in the near future*
Over the long run, the profession w ill probably continue t o expand sub
s ta n tia lly , under conditions eith er o f peacetime f u ll employment or o f
continuing m obilization*
Boys with aptitude and in tere st in engineering should have good em
ployment opportunities when they oomplete th eir training* Though there
are now extremely few women engineers, opportunities fo r women in the
profession are b etter than at any time since World War II and w ill prob
ably eontinue to be so fo r a number o f years*
ij
B ulletin No. 968, which was published in 1949, oontains chapters on
engineers* earnings and on occupational m obility in the profession ,
as well as a much more detailed disoussion o f the d iffe r e n t fie ld s
o f engineering and o f employment trends and outlook than could be
included in the present, b r ie f supplement*
Growth of the Profession
Engineering, by fu r tho largos t tech nical p rofession , is ono o f the
M otion's fastost-grow ing fie ld s o f work* I t i s estimated that over
400,000 engineers are now employed in the country. There has been a ten
fo ld expansion in the profession ewer the la s t h a lf century (see chart 1 ).
During the past deoade alone, the number o f engineers employed i s estimated
to have increased by about two-thirds (from £46,000 in 1940),
Industry* s need fo r technical personnel grew rapidly during World War
I I , as a re su lt o f the changeover to war production and the great increase
in in du strial a c t iv it y . I t rose also during the postwar period o f recon
version and expansion in o itilia n -g o o d s in d u stries. Then, in la te 1949 and
early 1950, the dsuand fo r engineers slackened) a survey o f leading employers
in January 1950 showed that they expected to h ire fewer engineers that year
than in 1949. This slew-up o f the p rofession ' s growth was o f short duration,
however. The h irin g o f engineers rose sharply immediately a fte r the Korean
c r is is began and a new m obilisation program was announced. The increase in
demand was so great that, by the end o f the year, many employers reported a
need fo r additional personnel, though the engineering schools* 1950 gradu
ating class was the largest in h isto ry .
A ll major branches o f engineering have shared in the p ro fe ssio n 's
growth but the expansion has been more rapid in some branches than others.
Mechanical engineering i s now the largest branch, with nearly 40 percent o f
the profession*s members. C iv il engineering, which was the la rg e st branch
p rior to World War I I , has dropped to seoond p la ce , with about 26 peroent
o f a l l engineers. The proportions employed in the other major branohes o f
the p rofession are estimated to be as follow s* e le e t r io a l, 20 peroent)
chemical, 10 peroent) and mining and m etallu rgical, about 5 percent.
Fields o f Employment
Engineers are essen tial to the operation o f a l l o f the Xation*s major
in dustries, both defense and nondefense. Large numbers work in the general
areas o f design, development, and research. Many use th e ir engineering
knowledge in administration and management, p a rticu la rly in industries in
which engineering methods are important. A siseable group supervise con
struction or the operation o f plants or mines. Some, p a rticu la rly younger
engineers, do drafting or analysis and testin g, muoh o f whioh i s routine
work. S t i l l others are employed as independent consultants, who advise
th eir olien ts on engineering matters and prepare designs or plans. Many
companies employ engineers in s e llin g th e ir products, p a rticu la rly when
the buyer i s a business firm , and when the salesman must be able to discuss
the produot tech n ica lly and advise engineers as to i t s in s ta lla tio n and u se.
The teaohing o f engineering in co lle g e s or tech nical schools i s another
a e tiv ity in which s ig n ifica n t numbers o f engineers are employed.
A ltogether, about three-quarters o f a ll engineers (300,000) are now
employed in private industry. Some 90,000 work fo r Government agencies.
CHART 1.
GROWTH OF ENGINEERING PROFESSION, 1890 -1 9 5 0
THO USANDS OF EN G IN EE R S
1890
1900
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
- 4 -
Federal, State, and lo c a l.
About 10,000 are in educational in s titu tio n s .
The industries in which engineers are concentrated vary from one
branch o f the profession t o another. Table 1 shows the industry d is t r i
bution of personnel in the four largest branches o f the profession .
Estimated Yearly Demand
How many new engineers w ill be needed yearly in the near future to
meet the needs for personnel in a ll s p e cia ltie s and with a ll types o f
employers? Precise answers to th is question are not available, but some
information on the subject can be given.
Part of the demand fo r engineers arises from the need to replace those
dying or r e tir in g . I t is estimated that approximately 7,500 young engineers
w ill be required yearly in the near future to f i l l vacancies arising from
deaths and retirements. Toward the end o f the decade, these losses are
lik e ly to r is e to about 9,000 annually. 2 /
A number o f men w ill also be required to replace those leaving the
profession for other fie ld s o f work. A certain amount of occupational s h ift
ing always takes p la ce. Even at times when industry* s demand for engineers
is intense, some men choose to leave the p rofession . A survey o f the em
ployment status o f 1950 engineering graduates made in the spring of 1951
showed that about 10 percent o f those with c iv ilia n jobs were employed in
nonengineering work. 3 / Some experienced members o f the profession also
leave for other lines~of work each year. On the other hand, a good many
men, including some with backgrounds in other s c ie n t ific fie ld s such as
chemistry or physics, obtain engineering jobs without having completed fo r
mal engineering school education. Not enough information on occupational
sh iftin g i s available to make i t possible to estimate the net annual gain
or loss to the profession from th is source.
Besides the engineers required as replacements, large numbers w ill be
needed for growth o f the profession . Continued expansion is lik e ly in the
types o f in du strial a c t iv it y which make the most use o f engineers* services
manufacturing, mining, construction, transportation and public u t i l i t i e s .
The increasing u tiliz a t io n o f engineers fo r many d iffe re n t functions in in
dustry w ill also be an important fa ctor in the expansion o f the p rofession .
Engineers w ill be needed not only to s t a ff newly created p osition s but to
f i l l jobs previously held by men with other backgrounds, where profession al
engineering s k ill has come to be required.
During the past half century, employment of engineers has grown much
more rapidly than tota l employment in the basic commodity-producing and
2/
”
3/
“*
These estimates are derived from data on the age d istrib u tion of members
o f the p rofession , by the use o f death and retirement rates fo r d iffe r e n t
age groups. See *3. S. Department o f Labor, Bureau o f Labor S ta tis t ic s ,
B ulletin No. 1001, Tables o f Working L ife , table 15, p. 48.
American S ociety for Engineering Education and Engineers Joint Council,
"Employment Status o f 1950 Engineering Graduates." (Report presented at
59th Annual Meeting o f American Society for Engineering Education, East
Lansing, Michigan, June 28, 1951).
Table 1 .— Percentage D istribution o f Engineers in Seleoted Field.*
o f Engineering, by Major Industry, 1946
t
t
Industry
j
Chemical
engineers
t
t
t
t
C iv il
engineers
Mining ..........................
t
|
1 .4
j
y
Construction ............ .
*
2.0
|
26.6
M anufacturing............
‘
82.6
J
Transportation ..........
*
y
y
Conmunication ............
u tilitie s
....................
E le c tr ic a l t Mechanical
engineers t engineers
y
2 .5
!
j
2.6
8.1
36.7
|
67.6
:
6.8
1.6
;
1.7
y
19.7
‘
1.5
1.0
:
j
4.1
16,7
J
3 .5
|
10.6
\
12.7
Government....................
*
5.7
j
50.8
14.3
Other in d u s tr ie s ........
*
7.3
|
4.6
8.6
T otal. . . . . . . . . . .
*
100.6
|
166.6
lb o .d
t
y
100.0
a^/ Included e ith “ Other in d u strie s."
Sourest
U. 3 . Department o f Labor, Bureau o f Labor S t a t is t ic s , B ulletin
No* 968, pp. 13, 17, 23, and 28.
- 6 -
transporting industries ju st mentioned. In 1900. there were 393
engineers in the United States for every 100.000 workers in these in
du stries; by 1950. the number had increased fo u rfo ld . Looking at the
figu res in another way, the r a tio between the to ta l number o f workers
and the number of engineers has, o f oourse, dropped sharply — from
about 255 workers per engineer in 1900 to about a fourth as many in
1950 (see chart 2 ). This r a t io has decreased more slowly in reoent
years than e a r lie r in the century. Nevertheless, the trend toward
greater u t iliz a t io n o f engineers is expected to continue fo r some time.
A study of past trends and prospective in dustrial developments
suggested that, under s t r ic t ly peacetime conditions, the to ta l annual
demand fo r engineering graduates would probably have averaged around
20,000 during th is decade. 4 / This demand figure allowed fo r a growth
o f about 100,000 in the profession over a 12-year period, as well as fo r
estimated replacement needs.
Under present m obilization conditions, the number o f new engineers
needed w ill undoubtedly be much higher. The m obilization program has
created a great, added need fo r engineering personnel in defense indus
tr ie s and those converting to defense production and in the development
o f new defense-related products. Though an exact estimate o f the number
o f new graduates required to meet both defense and c iv ilia n needs cannot
be made on the basis o f the available information, the average annual
demand during a prolonged p a rtia l m obilization would probably be at lea st
30,000. In addition to replacing men who die or r e tir e , th is number o f
graduates would provide 21,000 to 22,000 engineers annually to f i l l new
jobs and make up fo r any transfers out of engineering not o ffs e t by trans
fe rs in to i t from other f i e ld s . I t would make p ossib le a f a ir ly rapid
growth in the p rofession , both in absolute numbers and r ela tiv e to the
to ta l number o f engineers now employed in the oountry (estimated at over
400,000).
Although 30,000 new engineers per year might be enough to meet the
demand over a long period o f p a rtia l m obilization, the number o f new
graduates needed is expeoted to be much greater s t i l l in the immediate
future, while defense production and development work are s t i l l in the
i n i t i a l build-up stage. In June 1951, the Engineering Manpower Commission
o f the Engineers Joint Council made a survey to find out how many new
graduates employers needed. Replies were reoeived from companies and
government agencies employing a to ta l o f 128,000 graduate engineers, or
nearly a third o f the engineers in the country. These employers alone
reported a need fo r 22,000 new engineering graduates. This fa c t suggests
a to ta l Nation-wide need fo r many more than 30,000 graduates immediately,
in the tooling-up and development stage o f the defense program. The em
ployers in the survey had obtained acceptances o f job o ffe rs from only
about 10,000 members o f the 1951 graduating cla ss.
4/
*"
U. S. Department o f Labor, Bureau o f Labor S t a t is t ic s , B ulletin No.
968, p. 3.
CHART 2. NUMBER OF WORKERS PER ENGINEER, 1 8 9 0 -1 9 5 0
Gainful workers in manufacturing, mining, construction, transportation,and
public utilities compared to number of engineers
W O R K E R S P E R E N G IN E E R
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1890
1900
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
•8.
These estimates a l l assume that the eountry w ill have only p a rtia l
m obilisation, at about the le v e l planned in mid-1951. I f the in ter
national situ ation should at any time make i t necessary to have f u l l
m obilisation, the demand fo r engineers would be greatly increased*
Estimated Supply
Airing the next few years the supply o f new engineers is lik e ly to
be fa r le s s than the demand*
Engineering graduations w ill decline sharply from the peak figu re
o f 52,000 reaohed in 1950, when the greatest number o f veterans completed
th e ir training (see chart 3)* Previous reoord olasses o f 21,000, 32,000
and 45,000 were graduated in 1947, 1948, and 1949, resp ectively— also
r e fle c tin g the postwar in flu x o f veterans in to the o o lle g e s. Freshman
enrollments have dropped sharply since 1946 in engineering and other
s p e c ia ltie s which are predominantly men's fie ld s , as the number o f vet
erans entering c o lle g e has declined* In the f a l l o f 1950, the fir s t-y e a r
engineering cla ss was once more made up almost exclu sively o f non-veterans,
and the engineering sohools got about th e ir prewar proportion o f high
school graduates*
On the basis o f 1950 enrollments and assuming prewar drop-out rates
(fo r example, 50 percent between entranee and graduation), the numbers
o f engineering graduates in 1951 and the follow in g three years may be
estimated as follow s* 1951, 38,000) 1952, 26,000) 1953, 20,000) and 1954,
17,000* The figu re o f 17,000 graduates fo r 1954 is below even the average
peacetime demand and is fa r below the number needed under m obilisation
conditions.
These estimates o f graduations make no s p e c ifio allowance fo r with
drawals o f students for m ilitary servioe* However, in view o f the re
cently announced p olioy with respect to college-student deferments, the
proportion o f present students leaving fo r a l l reasons may not greatly
exoeed the drop-out rate o f previous years (which includes those leaving
beoause o f fin a n cia l d i f f i c u l t i e s , i l l health and the lik e , as w ell as
poor scholarship)*
Hot a ll o f the students graduating from engineering sohools in the
next few years w ill be available fo r c iv ilia n employment inaediately*
A number o f them w ill be d e fin ite ly ooonitted t o m ilita ry servioe upon
graduation) included are those in ROTC and sim ilar programs who are ca lle d
to duty, those in reserve status oalled to aotive duty, and those who
volu ntarily enter the Armed Foroes* For some other students, l i a b i l i t y
fo r m ilitary servioe may not have been determined by the time o f graduation)
among the men in th is situation are those in the d r a ft -e lig ib le age groups
who have not been c la s s ifie d by th e ir S elective Servioe Board, and those
in the reserve who have not yet been o a lle d to aotive duty* However, a
third group o f students w ill be s p e c ific a lly exempted or deferred from
CHART 3.
ANNUAL NUMBER OF ENGINEERING GRADUATES, 1 9 3 0 -1 9 5 4
THOUSANDS OF GRADUATES
5 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1930
1935
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STAT ISTIC S
1940
1945
1950
1955
*
Estimates moke no allowances for withdrawals for military service
10
m ilita ry service at time o f graduation) included in th is group are
veterans with no reserve status, those c la s s ifie d as 4-F*s, and several
other s p e c ific a lly deferred classes* This la st group i s the only one
which employers can r e ly on as being d e fin ite ly available fo r employ
ment upon graduation from engineering sohool*
In view o f the large numbers o f veterans in the 1951 graduating
c la s s , employers were probably able to obtain the services o f at le a st
h a lf o f th is olass* In 1952 and subsequent years, most graduates w ill
be lia b le fo r m ilita ry serviee. I t i s p ossib le that the number o f new
graduates available fo r c iv ilia n employment w ill reach a postwar low
in 1952* Thereafter, men returning a fte r completion o f a period o f
m ilitary service w ill probably augment the flo w o f new entrants in to the
profession*
The number o f young men graduating from high school and p oten tia lly
available fo r co lle g e entrance each year w ill soon begin to rise* A fter
the middle o f the decade, the increase in high sohool graduations is
expected t o be sharp. But during the next few years, the gain w ill be
very s lig h t and any e ff e c t i t might have on oollege enrollments w ill,
in a ll p rob a b ility , be more than o ffs e t ty the increasing proportions
o f oollege-age youth serving in the Armed Forces*
Obviously, there w ill not be enough engineering graduates to meet
expected defense and c iv ilia n needs, at le a st un til the mid-1950's and
probably fo r some time th ereafter. Both the m obilization program and
the long-term growth o f the profession point to a continuing high demand
fo r engineers. This oan be met only i f the proportion o f high school
graduates who decide to prepare fo r the profession is much larger in the
next few years than in 1950 and than before the war*
Boys in terested in engineering, who have the aptitudes necessary
for suocess in the f i e l d , should have favorable employment prospects when
they graduate from engineering school* The number o f women engineers i s
s t i l l very small in a ll branches o f the profession , but the opportunities
fo r g ir ls to obtain oollege training in engineering are much better than
during the la te 1940*s, when the colleges were crowded with veterans*
Opportunities fo r th eir employment in the profession are also better than
at any time since World War II and are expected to remain r e la tiv e ly
favorable fo r a number o f years*
OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK PUBLICATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Studies o f employment treads and opportunities in the various occu
pations and professions are made available by the Occupational Outlook
Service o f the Bureau o f Labor S t a t is t ic s .
These reports are fo r use in the vocational guidance o f veterans*
in assistin g defense planners, in counseling young people in schools*
and in guiding ethers considering the ohoiee o f an occupation* Schools
concerned with vocational training and employers and trade-unions in ter
ested in on -th e-job training have also found the reports helpful in
planning programs in lin e with prospective employment opportunities*
Two types o f reports are issued* in addition to the Occupational
Outlook Handbook*
Occupational outlook b u lletin s describe the long-run outlook fo r
employment in each occupation and give information on earnings* working
conditions* and the training required.
Special reports are issued from time to time on such subjects as
the general employment outlook* trends in the various States* and occupa
tion a l m ob ility .
The reports are issued as b u lletin s o f the Bureau of Labor S ta tis
tic s * and may be purchased from the Superintendent o f Documents*
Washington 25* D. C.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Baployment Information on Major Occupations fo r use in Guidanoe
B ulletin 998 (1951 Revised e d itio n ). |3.00. I llu s .
Includes b r ie f reports on more than 400 occupations o f in te re st in
vocational guidanoe* including profession s) s k ille d trades) c le r ic a l*
sales* and serv ice occupations) and the major types o f farming. Each
report describes the employment trends and outlook* the training q u a lifi
cations required* earnings* and working conditions. Introductory sections
summarise the major trends in population and employment* and in the broad
in dustrial and occupational groups* as background f o r an understanding o f
Idle individual occupations*
The Handbook is designed f o r use in counseling* in olasses or units
on occupations* in the training o f counselors* and as a general reference.
I t s 600 pages are illu s tra te d with 103 photographs and 85 oharts.
Occupational Outlook Bulletins
Employment Opportunities in Aviation Occupations, Part II -*• Duties,
Q u alification s, Earnings, and Working Conditions
B ulletin 837*2 (1946), 25 cents*• U lus*
Employment Outlook in Foundry Oooupations
B ulletin 880 (1946), 15 cents* Illu s*
Employment Outlook fo r Business Maohine Servicemen
B ulletin 892 (1947), 15 cents* Illu s*
Employment Outlook in Machine Shop Oooupations
B ulletin 895 (1947)* 20 cents. Illu s*
Employment Outlook in Printing Oooupations
B ulletin 902 (1947). 20 cents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in the P lasties Products Industry
B ulletin 929 (1948). 20 oents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in E le ctric Light and Power Oooupations
B ulletin 944 (1948). 30 cents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in Radio and Television Broadcasting Occupations
B ulletin 958 (1949). 30 oents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in Railroad Occupations
B ulletin 961 (1949). 30 cents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in the Building Trades
B ulletin 967 (1949). 50 oents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook fo r Engineers
B ulletin 968 (1949). 50 cents.
I llu s .
Employment Outlook fo r Elementary and Secondary School Teachers
B ulletin 972 (1949). 35 oents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in Petroleum Production and Refining
B ulletin 994 (1950). 30 cents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in Men's Tailored Clothing Industry
B ulletin 1010 (1951). 25 oents. I llu s .
Employment Outlook in Department Stores
B ulletin 1020 (1951). 20 cents. I llu s .
Occupational Outlook Supplements
E ffect o f Defense Program on E m p lo y m e n t situ a tion in Elementary and
Secondary Sohool Teaching (Supplement t o B ulletin 972,
Employment Outlook fo r Elementary and Secondary Sohool
Teaching)
(1951).
(In press)*
Special Beports
Occupational Data fo r Counselors* A Handbook o f Census Information
Selected fo r Use in Guidanoe
B ulletin 817 (1945)* 15 cents (prepared jo in t ly with the
Occupational Information and Guidanoe Service, U* S.
O ffic e o f Education)*
Factors A ffectin g Earnings in Chemistry and Cheadoal Engineering
B ulletin 881 (1946)* 10 cents*
Occupational Outlook Information Series (By States)
VA Pamphlet 7-2 (1947)* 10 cents each* (When ordering,
sp ecify State er States desired)*
E m p lo y m e n t ,
Education, and Earnings o f American Men o f Science
(1961)*
(In press)*
Occupational Outlook Mailing L ist
Sohools, vocational guidanoe agencies, and others mho wish to
receive b r ie f summaries o f each new Oooupational Outlook report,
usually accompanied by a wall chart, may be placed on a m ailing l i s t
kept fo r th is purpose* Requests should be addressed to the Bureau
o f Labor S ta tis t ic s , U* S* Department o f Labor, Washington 25, D* C .,
specifying the Occupational Outlook Mailing List* Please give your
postal zone number*
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1951 O - 964962
@FedFRASER