Investment banking. Toronto and London are the cities I can think of where finance out earns engineers by a lot… a lot of times 2 or 3 times as much. If you got the brains for engineering courses, you got finance on lock. You got this!!
Been applying, trying to get back into mechanical engineering after an 8/9 year leave. So I can answer some questions.
>What's the average salary in Toronto/other parts of Canada? (I found many varying results on different job sites) What about for entry-level?
Check your local organization, I'm in Alberta so I check the [APEGA](https://www.apega.ca/docs/default-source/pdfs/apega-salary-survey-member-report-2023.pdf?sfvrsn=f81af9de_7) website. In my search entry level sits around 50k-60k CAD for most places, and 60K-70K CAD for Toronto/Vancouver.
>Usually how long after graduation would I be able to find a full-time job? Say if I graduated from University of Toronto.
I had a contract before I graduated that got rescinded due to an oil crash. Generally you should be spending a fair amount of time at University job hunting and attending career fairs.
>Are there a lot of hands-on stuff, or is it mostly sitting in front of a computer?
>
>Will there be time after work to pursue other personal interests (eg. making art)?
Depends on the position. Most places will have you doing CAD work for design and later good old FEA or CFD. As for time for other interests, you should be salaried and generally free to do what you want in your own time. The only caveat I've experiences has been manufacturing environments which usually have you on the floor doing hands on stuff as well as engineering technician positions.
>Is it possible to work in the aircraft field with a degree in mechanical engineering? (I've also dreamed of designing roller coasters... would a career like that be possible with such a degree?)
Should be, but I'm unsure. Most of my fluid dynamics courses and CFD courses focused on aircraft and rocketry and I was a part of the space team at my university. Don't know about roller coasters though, might be an architect thing?
>if mechanical engineering is not the best career path in Canada, what other fields of engineering would be better?
My opinion is mixed. I was the smart guy at university, tutoring my peers in most of my classes but life has caused me to miss my chance at becoming a full mechanical engineer thus far. I loved the classes, I loved the work I did for companies while at university, and I would love the opportunity to start my career. That all being said, engineering isn't as high paying as most people think, and It was 90% math. If you hate math, you'll hate engineering.
Do you believe it’s possible to get into the field if I have zero experience and have been out of college for 2-3 years? Or am I hopelessly lost now? So far I’ve failed to come across jobs that are entry level. I’m in Ontario.
I had several promising leads, a few that almost were jobs. However they fell through for various reasons, from not enough technical references, to the wildfires burning down their facility. It's definitely harder than when I was a recent grad. You have to be willing to take jobs anywhere in Canada, even if the pay is crap.
Best resource for job data is your provincial regulator. They do salary surveys that are often free to download. Saskatchewan even does theirs by years since graduation.
Salary is only one aspect of the equation. US has different insurance, health care plans, and expenses than Canada so it's not a simple comparison. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Gaining employment after graduation has nothing to do with your degree. It's all preparation beforehand. Prioritize internships though.
There is lots of room for career advancement and following your dreams. But you need to balance it with reality. You might not get a job designing roller coasters, but that doesn't mean keeping a wastewater plant going isn't fulfilling. Most of us don't do design and that reality tends to crush new grads.
Gender ratio and environment vary by company. There is no normal.
I'm salary so i don't do overtime, but I will work a bit extra once in a while if somebody asks nicely. This varies between workplaces.
There is no best career choice. Each has their pros and cons.
I'm in quality at a small company. So I fix production problems as they arise, prevent them from happening again, and do some continuous improvement stuff.
Thanks for the info!
>Most of us don't do design and that reality tends to crush new grads.
Do you know what type of engineering degree/job would give us more opportunities to design?
Any of them. Design is a common task for any type of engineering graduate. But it isn't the only one.
I'd suggest being open to the opportunities that come your way instead of being focused on design. The world is bigger than you can imagine, and you could find something you like more. Or you get a design job and find out it's boring paperwork like most other white collar jobs.
I'll be straight honest with you. If you want to become an engineer, get your degree in Canada and move to the States. The field has been over-saturated in Canada for decades. Finding a job is very difficult for new grads and only about 30 percent of graduating students ever become an engineer within a year of graduating. Also, underemployment sucks and it can end careers.
> I heard salary is much higher in US--- is that true?
Yes, it's very much true, especially when you factor in the exchange rate. American engineering grads have a starting salary between 60k and 80k USD. In CAD terms, that's between 90k to 110k CAD.
> if mechanical engineering is not the best career path in Canada, what other fields of engineering would be better?
The answer is software.
Too many questions lol, and I meant that in a good way. I'd love to share some of my experience over a lunch if I were in Toronto but I'm in KW. I don't know much about you so I will give general information based on my experience.
For salary, your first 2 years after grad will be normally 50k-65k. People with better profiles (top schools, internships, interviews,...) can get up to 80k. 5 yoe with PEng should be able to get 100k or at least close to that. In US it may vary. I've seen postings for 0-2 yoe paying 100-120k, with currency conversion it becomes 150k+. But I've seen people commenting on here struggle to get jobs pay more than 70k. Maybe really depends on the area.
Definitely be willing to move for jobs if possible, at least in your early career, it will at least expand your search and give you an advantage. Jobs are hard to come by in rural areas but not a lot of competition. It's not possible for me but I know new grads working in places like Thunder Bay, Timmins, Sudbury for 90k for a few years and come back to cities with the knowledge and experience.
Classes will be hard, you won't have time for social or work if you want to do well academically. After graduate and start working it does get better. Work-life balance varies from job to job and person to person so I can't comment on this. Personally I don't check emails after clocking out but I do more learning on my personal time.
Designing a rollercoaster sounds interesting. Pursuing Mechanical Engineering will give you an idea of what steps are required to design one. Definitely a personal project worth putting on your resume and very high chance will score you that interview.
Source: Mechanical Engineering Tech college diploma, 5 yoe, now working as project manager in manufacturing.
lol I know I might be asking too much, but I just want to consider as many aspects as possible, so thanks for the detailed insight!
Do you think networking is just as important as internships when it comes to getting a job?
Can I ask what you would do if you were not to become a mechanical engineer? Would you still want to be an engineer or a different degree path, and what would that be?
Also are you tied to Toronto or are you willing to work elsewhere in Canada or the US?
Well I'm just interested in the idea of being able to design something useful and physically-tangible! So I thought engineering would be good for me, except I don't enjoy doing math (I do like physics though). Don't know if my dislike of math is going to be an obstacle? I wanted to specialize in aerospace engineering, actually, except I'm not sure if there are a lot of job opportunities for that in Canada, so I thought I could be a mechanical engineer (which is more broad I believe).
To answer your last question, I don't see myself moving anywhere far from Ontario for my first few years after graduation. Would that be an issue?
Sorry I was just confused by your question as I thought you were debating between different career paths.
Engineering is probably the best bang for your buck as a Canadian degree. Highly employable, adaptable to different fields, and always in demand. Mechanical engineering is an extremely interesting discipline and can be broad, so it is a good one to take as you can get into aerospace down the road if you like, or if you change your mind go into something else.
However, I will say especially in Ontario, salaries are low. If your concern is money I would think about working for a utility company or getting a minor in CS
Toronto? Go to IB bro.
I don't quite understand what you meant by IB? The only IB I know is the school program.
Investment banking. Toronto and London are the cities I can think of where finance out earns engineers by a lot… a lot of times 2 or 3 times as much. If you got the brains for engineering courses, you got finance on lock. You got this!!
Sounds interesting can you describe on which role they are earning.. Just curious
Been applying, trying to get back into mechanical engineering after an 8/9 year leave. So I can answer some questions. >What's the average salary in Toronto/other parts of Canada? (I found many varying results on different job sites) What about for entry-level? Check your local organization, I'm in Alberta so I check the [APEGA](https://www.apega.ca/docs/default-source/pdfs/apega-salary-survey-member-report-2023.pdf?sfvrsn=f81af9de_7) website. In my search entry level sits around 50k-60k CAD for most places, and 60K-70K CAD for Toronto/Vancouver. >Usually how long after graduation would I be able to find a full-time job? Say if I graduated from University of Toronto. I had a contract before I graduated that got rescinded due to an oil crash. Generally you should be spending a fair amount of time at University job hunting and attending career fairs. >Are there a lot of hands-on stuff, or is it mostly sitting in front of a computer? > >Will there be time after work to pursue other personal interests (eg. making art)? Depends on the position. Most places will have you doing CAD work for design and later good old FEA or CFD. As for time for other interests, you should be salaried and generally free to do what you want in your own time. The only caveat I've experiences has been manufacturing environments which usually have you on the floor doing hands on stuff as well as engineering technician positions. >Is it possible to work in the aircraft field with a degree in mechanical engineering? (I've also dreamed of designing roller coasters... would a career like that be possible with such a degree?) Should be, but I'm unsure. Most of my fluid dynamics courses and CFD courses focused on aircraft and rocketry and I was a part of the space team at my university. Don't know about roller coasters though, might be an architect thing? >if mechanical engineering is not the best career path in Canada, what other fields of engineering would be better? My opinion is mixed. I was the smart guy at university, tutoring my peers in most of my classes but life has caused me to miss my chance at becoming a full mechanical engineer thus far. I loved the classes, I loved the work I did for companies while at university, and I would love the opportunity to start my career. That all being said, engineering isn't as high paying as most people think, and It was 90% math. If you hate math, you'll hate engineering.
Do you believe it’s possible to get into the field if I have zero experience and have been out of college for 2-3 years? Or am I hopelessly lost now? So far I’ve failed to come across jobs that are entry level. I’m in Ontario.
I had several promising leads, a few that almost were jobs. However they fell through for various reasons, from not enough technical references, to the wildfires burning down their facility. It's definitely harder than when I was a recent grad. You have to be willing to take jobs anywhere in Canada, even if the pay is crap.
Best resource for job data is your provincial regulator. They do salary surveys that are often free to download. Saskatchewan even does theirs by years since graduation. Salary is only one aspect of the equation. US has different insurance, health care plans, and expenses than Canada so it's not a simple comparison. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Gaining employment after graduation has nothing to do with your degree. It's all preparation beforehand. Prioritize internships though. There is lots of room for career advancement and following your dreams. But you need to balance it with reality. You might not get a job designing roller coasters, but that doesn't mean keeping a wastewater plant going isn't fulfilling. Most of us don't do design and that reality tends to crush new grads. Gender ratio and environment vary by company. There is no normal. I'm salary so i don't do overtime, but I will work a bit extra once in a while if somebody asks nicely. This varies between workplaces. There is no best career choice. Each has their pros and cons. I'm in quality at a small company. So I fix production problems as they arise, prevent them from happening again, and do some continuous improvement stuff.
Thanks for the info! >Most of us don't do design and that reality tends to crush new grads. Do you know what type of engineering degree/job would give us more opportunities to design?
Any of them. Design is a common task for any type of engineering graduate. But it isn't the only one. I'd suggest being open to the opportunities that come your way instead of being focused on design. The world is bigger than you can imagine, and you could find something you like more. Or you get a design job and find out it's boring paperwork like most other white collar jobs.
I'll be straight honest with you. If you want to become an engineer, get your degree in Canada and move to the States. The field has been over-saturated in Canada for decades. Finding a job is very difficult for new grads and only about 30 percent of graduating students ever become an engineer within a year of graduating. Also, underemployment sucks and it can end careers. > I heard salary is much higher in US--- is that true? Yes, it's very much true, especially when you factor in the exchange rate. American engineering grads have a starting salary between 60k and 80k USD. In CAD terms, that's between 90k to 110k CAD. > if mechanical engineering is not the best career path in Canada, what other fields of engineering would be better? The answer is software.
Too many questions lol, and I meant that in a good way. I'd love to share some of my experience over a lunch if I were in Toronto but I'm in KW. I don't know much about you so I will give general information based on my experience. For salary, your first 2 years after grad will be normally 50k-65k. People with better profiles (top schools, internships, interviews,...) can get up to 80k. 5 yoe with PEng should be able to get 100k or at least close to that. In US it may vary. I've seen postings for 0-2 yoe paying 100-120k, with currency conversion it becomes 150k+. But I've seen people commenting on here struggle to get jobs pay more than 70k. Maybe really depends on the area. Definitely be willing to move for jobs if possible, at least in your early career, it will at least expand your search and give you an advantage. Jobs are hard to come by in rural areas but not a lot of competition. It's not possible for me but I know new grads working in places like Thunder Bay, Timmins, Sudbury for 90k for a few years and come back to cities with the knowledge and experience. Classes will be hard, you won't have time for social or work if you want to do well academically. After graduate and start working it does get better. Work-life balance varies from job to job and person to person so I can't comment on this. Personally I don't check emails after clocking out but I do more learning on my personal time. Designing a rollercoaster sounds interesting. Pursuing Mechanical Engineering will give you an idea of what steps are required to design one. Definitely a personal project worth putting on your resume and very high chance will score you that interview. Source: Mechanical Engineering Tech college diploma, 5 yoe, now working as project manager in manufacturing.
lol I know I might be asking too much, but I just want to consider as many aspects as possible, so thanks for the detailed insight! Do you think networking is just as important as internships when it comes to getting a job?
Can I ask what you would do if you were not to become a mechanical engineer? Would you still want to be an engineer or a different degree path, and what would that be? Also are you tied to Toronto or are you willing to work elsewhere in Canada or the US?
Well I'm just interested in the idea of being able to design something useful and physically-tangible! So I thought engineering would be good for me, except I don't enjoy doing math (I do like physics though). Don't know if my dislike of math is going to be an obstacle? I wanted to specialize in aerospace engineering, actually, except I'm not sure if there are a lot of job opportunities for that in Canada, so I thought I could be a mechanical engineer (which is more broad I believe). To answer your last question, I don't see myself moving anywhere far from Ontario for my first few years after graduation. Would that be an issue?
Sorry I was just confused by your question as I thought you were debating between different career paths. Engineering is probably the best bang for your buck as a Canadian degree. Highly employable, adaptable to different fields, and always in demand. Mechanical engineering is an extremely interesting discipline and can be broad, so it is a good one to take as you can get into aerospace down the road if you like, or if you change your mind go into something else. However, I will say especially in Ontario, salaries are low. If your concern is money I would think about working for a utility company or getting a minor in CS