There are plenty of traditional, nontraditional, and interdisciplinary fields of engineering that might just match up with your interests, whether they involve design, architecture, law, business, geography, psychology, or education. As an acoustical engineer, you might develop a state-of-the-art sound studio, or as a sports engineer you might create equipment that tests the performance of athletes. You might also work in “human factors engineering,” a fascinating field that takes human behavior and psychology into account in developing products and systems.
Salary
The starting salary for engineers in special and interdisciplinary fields varies significantly depending on the specialty, but can range anywhere from $40,000 to $60,000 (B.S. degree).
Examples
- As an oceanographic engineer, design instruments that can map the ocean floor
- As a fire protection engineer, develop the fire exit layout for a school
- As a forensic engineer, investigate a suspicious explosion at a manufacturing plant
- As a package engineer, design a new bottle for hand cream that increases the shelf life of the product
- As a systems engineer, design and coordinate large and complex projects known as systems
- As a safety engineer, inspect a chemical manufacturing company, making sure that workers aren’t exposed to dangerous fumes