How does an MBA help an engineer in his career?

Answer 1

Licensed Professional Engineers (PEs) are typically involved in much more than just the design of their project. An engineer or firm has to market themselves to the public to convince them to use their services. Sometimes, engineering firms compete for projects through competive bidding. The engineer must be aware of the market and what services are required in the area in which they are located. They are involved in the funding; which can include obtaining the funding for the project from either a bank or different agencies within the government. In order to obtain this funding, sometimes the same engineer must market their product/project to convince the funding agencies that the project is worthy of construction. The engineer must also review and sometimes maintain the budget for the project; which can include payment to the contractor, payment to local government agencies for permits, and, of course, payment for the engineering services. Engineers don't have to be involved in a project to this magnitude but those engineers don't typically receive as high a salary. An MBA is useful in that it makes the engineer more valuable and more marketable; which in turn means a higher salary.