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Computer Engineering Job Perspectives
- Computer engineers are among the occupations projected to grow the fastest and add the most new jobs over the 2013-2020 period, resulting in excellent job prospects.
- Employment of computer engineers is expected to increase by 7 percent on annual basis in the period 2013-2018.
- Job prospects with computer engineering degrees on multidisciplinary background are especially bright.
- Cyber security concerns have given rise to new hardware and software needs. Concerns over cyber security will result in the continued investment in hardware and software that protects computer networks and electronic infrastructure. The expansion of this technology over the next 10 years will lead to an increased need for computer engineers to design and develop secure applications and systems, and to integrate them into older systems.
Technical Skills of Computer Engineer
- Communications - Digital and Analog, Fixed and Mobile Wireless, Satellite, Antenna Design
- Systems Engineering - Interdisciplinary Engineering, Requirements Definition, Architecture, Design, Interface Specification, Integration, Validation, Modeling and Simulation developing installation/acceptance test plans.
- Microelectronics - VHDL, FPGA, Microelectronic Manufacturing and Testing (MCM, SOC), Electronic Packaging, VLSI
- Network Engineering - Design/Analysis of LANs/WANs, Routers, Switches, Firewalls, Protocol
- Software Engineering - JAVA, C++, XML, HTML, Web Applications, Object Oriented Analysis and Design, Rapid Prototyping, Algorithm Development
Career Paths in Computer Engineering
- Signals analysis
- Optical engineering
- Design, development, and testing of electronic communications
- Pattern recognition technologies
- Design of special-purpose computers and antenna systems
- Requirements analysis, design, simulation, experimentation, benchwork, prototype development and testing, manufacturing
What do the Computer Engineers do?
Computer systems engineering, commonly referred as computer engineering, is a field that embraces several disciplines of computer science and electrical engineering with the ultimate goal to build computing and communication systems and devices. Computer engineers have to learn electronic engineering, software design, and hardware-software integration Knowledge of only software engineering or electronic engineering is not sufficient to become a qualified computer engineer. The job of a computer engineer covers many hardware and software aspects of computing, from the circuit design to design of microprocessors, workstations, and supercomputers, The discipline of computer engineering not only focuses on how computer systems work, but also on issues of interoperability between hardware and software, writing software and firmware for embedded microcontrollers, designing operating systems, designing VLSI chips, designing analog sensors and designing mixed signal circuit boards.
They apply the theories and principles of computer science and mathematical analysis to create, test, and evaluate the software applications and systems that make computers work. Computer engineers design and develop many types of hardware and software that drive computer games, business applications, operating systems, network control systems, and middleware. They must be experts in the theory of computing systems, the structure of software, and the nature and limitations of hardware to ensure that the underlying systems will work properly.
Computer engineers begin by analyzing users' needs, and then design, test, and develop hardware and software to meet those needs. During this process they create flowcharts, diagrams, and other documentation, and may also create the detailed sets of instructions, called algorithms, that actually tell the computer what to do. They also may be responsible for converting these instructions into a computer language, a process called programming or coding, but this usually is the responsibility of computer programmers.
Computer engineers can generally be divided into two categories: applications engineers and systems engineers. Computer applications engineers analyze end users' needs and design, construct, deploy, and maintain general computer applications hardware and software or application specific systems. These workers use different programming languages, depending on the purpose of the program and the environment in which the program runs. The programming languages most often used are C, C++, Java, and Python. Some computer engineers develop packaged computer applications, but most create or adapt customized applications for business and other organizations. Some of these workers also develop databases and devices they run on.
Computer engineers coordinate the construction, maintenance, and expansion of an organization's computer systems. Working with the organization, they coordinate each department's computer needs—ordering, inventory, billing, and payroll recordkeeping, for example—and make suggestions about its technical direction. They also might set up the organization's intranets—networks that link computers within the organization and ease communication among various departments. Often, they are also responsible for the design and implementation of system security and data assurance.
Systems software engineers also work for companies that configure, implement, and install the computer systems of other organizations. These workers may be members of the marketing or sales staff, serving as the primary technical resource for sales workers, or providing logistical and technical support. Since the selling of complex computer systems often requires substantial customization to meet the needs of the purchaser, software engineers help to identify and explain needed changes. In addition, systems software engineers are responsible for ensuring security across the systems they are configuring.
After computer software engineers and systems analysts design software programs, the programmer converts that design into a logical series of instructions that the computer can follow. The programmer codes these instructions in any of a number of programming languages, depending on the need. The most common languages are C++ and Python.
As software design has continued to advance, and some programming functions have become automated, programmers have begun to assume some of the responsibilities that were once performed only by software engineers. As a result, some computer programmers now assist software engineers in identifying user needs and designing certain parts of computer programs, as well as other functions.
Employment of computer engineersis expected to grow much faster than the average in the period 2013-2020.
Computer Engineering: Training, Qualifications and Advancement
Computer engineering majors require deep knowledge of mathematics. Computer engineering students study principles of the hardware and software design, programming languages, interoperability protocols, digital devices and their interfaces as well as embedded systems. Robotics relies heavily on integration of hardware and embedded software, and are all modern computinng and communication gadgets are the result of computer engineering.
A bachelor's degree commonly is required for computer engineering jobs, although a master's degree is preferred for some positions. Workers who keep up to date with the latest technology and have multidisciplinary background usually have good opportunities for advancement.
For computer engineering positions, most employers prefer applicants who have at least a bachelor's degree and broad knowledge of, and experience with, a variety of computer systems and technologies. The usual college majors for computer engineers are computer science, software engineering, or electriacl engineering. Graduate degrees are preferred for some of the more challenging positions.
As technology advances, employers will need workers with the latest skills. To help keep up with changing technology, workers may take continuing education and professional development seminars offered by employers, software vendors, colleges and universities, private training institutions, and professional computing societies. Computer software engineers also need skills related to the industry in which they work. Engineers working for a bank, for example, should have some expertise in finance so that they understand banks' computing needs.
Computer engineers must have strong problem-solving and analytical skills. Ingenuity and creativity are particularly important in order to design new, functional hardware and software. The ability to work with abstract concepts and to do technical analysis is especially important for computer engineers because they have to embrace both the hardware and software aspects of computer's operation. Engineers and programmers also must be able to communicate effectively with team members, other staff, and end users. Because they often deal with a number of tasks simultaneously, they must be able to concentrate and pay close attention to detail. Business skills are also important, especially for those wishing to advance to managerial positions.
For skilled workers who keep up to date with the latest technology, prospects for advancement are good. Advancement opportunities for computer engineers increase with experience. Eventually, they may become a project manager, manager of information systems, or chief information officer, especially if they have business skills and training. Some computer software engineers with several years of experience or expertise can find lucrative opportunities working as systems designers or independent consultants, particularly in specialized fields such as business-to-business transactions or security and data assurance.
As employers increasingly contract with outside firms to do programming jobs, more opportunities should arise for experienced programmers with expertise in a specific area to work as consultants.
Computer Engineering Employment
Overall, employment of computer engineers and computer programmers is projected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations in the period 2013-2020. In addition, this occupation will see a large number of new jobs, with more than 300,000 created between 2013 and 2020. New growth areas will also continue to arise from rapidly evolving technologies. The increasing uses of the Internet, the proliferation of Web sites, and mobile technology such as the wireless Internet have created a demand for a wide variety of new products. As more software is offered over the Internet, and as businesses demand customized software to meet their specific needs, applications and systems software engineers will be needed in greater numbers. In addition, the growing use of handheld computers will create demand for new mobile applications and software systems. As these devices become a larger part of the business environment, it will be necessary to integrate current computer systems with this new, more mobile technology.
In 2010, median annual wages of wage-and-salary computer applications software engineers were $87,000. The middle 50 percent earned between $70,000 and $100,000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $50,000, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $130,000.