An engineering manager functions similarly to other managers, coordinating and directing a team of engineers on their projects. The engineering manager works closely with their team, assessing a project’s needs and deciding on the number of personnel that need to be assigned to that project, as well as evaluating the costs and other requirements. The engineering manager is also tasked with developing and maintaining a plan or a design document for their projects, and working as a point of connection between the engineers and the clients. Additionally, the engineering manager decides their employees’ salaries, benefits, working hours, etc.
Unlike other managing positions, a degree in management is rarely a good asset for becoming an engineering manager – most employers look for specific knowledge in engineering, and thus a degree in any field of engineering is much more beneficial and gives candidates substantially higher chances of finding employment. Experience working on various engineering projects can benefit candidates as well, and of course previous experience with a managing position is a great bonus too.
As an engineering manager, one can look up to a salary of $100,000 – $134,000. The numbers are noticeably high than the salaries for most other types of managers, and there’s a good reason for that, mainly in the educational requirements attached to the job. Many engineers look up to this type of position at some point in their careers, as it holds far less responsibilities than the job of an engineer in general, while still earning a high enough salary.