Engineers are qualified, trained and skilled professionals who are incharge of designing, constructing and maintaining engines, machines and data systems by using scientific knowledge and applying various theories into practice. Engineers are also in charge of creating accurate project specifications as well as preparing technical reports for their clients.
As per HRD, India is home to more than 6,214 Engineering Colleges who enroll almost 2.9 million students approximately every year. Out of all the major engineering branches some of the top most disciplines that are opted amongst students are Data Science & Machine Learning, Automation & Robotics and Mechanical Engineering with an average starting pay of INR 7.5 LPA, INR 3.5 LPA and INR 3.52 LPA respectively. Read More: How to Become a Data Scientist
Inorder to become an Engineer, aspiring candidates can pursue various Diploma, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Engineering Courses from any of the Top Engineering Colleges across the country. Admissions to these colleges are usually done on the basis of Engineering Entrance Exams such as JEE Main, JEE Advanced, GATE etc. However some colleges grant admission on the basis of merit as well.
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On an average, an Engineering course fee usually ranges from INR 2 LPA - 6 LPA. This however varies depending on the specialization as well as the degree being pursued. After completing an Engineering degree the average starting salary usually ranges from INR 3.50 LPA - 5.90 LPA. This amount however witnesses gradual change after gaining substantial experience and incurring sufficient knowledge as well as expertise.
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Table of Content
2.3 Civil Engineers
3.1 Diploma Courses
3.4 PhD Courses
4.1 How to Become an Engineer in USA
4.2 How to Become an Engineer in Australia
4.3 How to Become an Engineer in UK
4.4 How to Become an Engineer in Canada
How to Become an Engineer: Quick Facts
Industry | Engineering & Technology |
Eligibility | Class 12th board exams with mandatory subject combination of Physics Chemistry & Mathematics BTech, BE in Engineering or MTech ME in Engineering |
Average Starting Salary | INR 3.50 - 5.25 LPA |
Job Opportunity | Computer Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Software Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer & others |
Types of Engineers
There are various classifications of Engineers on the basis of their specializations. Listed below are the major bifurcations amongst Engineers for your reference,
Electrical Engineers
Job | Electrical Engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the study of design and application of equipment, devices and other systems. Electrical Engineers are in charge of designing, developing, testing various electrical systems and equipment such as electric motors, radar etc |
Average Annual Salary | INR 3.73 LPA |
Mechanical Engineers
Job | Mechanical Engineers are responsible for designing, developing, building and finally testing various thermal devices including engines, machines etc. Mechanical Engineers provide effective solutions for development processes, for products ranging from smallest components to extremely complex structures |
Average Annual Salary | INR 3.52 LPA |
Civil Engineers
Job | Civil Engineers are in charge of planning, executing and finally constructing roads, bridges, dams and other structures |
Average Annual Salary | INR 3 LPA |
Biomedical Engineers
Job | Biomedical Engineers are incharge of studying advances in medicine and technology in order to be able to develop new devices and equipment that would eventually help in promoting human health |
Average Annual Salary | INR 3.66 LPA |
Chemical Engineers
Job | The main job of a Chemical Engineer is to develop and design chemical manufacturing units. Chemical Engineers are qualified and skilled professionals who are responsible for developing economical commercial processes in order to convert raw materials into useful products. |
Average Annual Salary | INR 5.45 LPA |
Engineering Courses
In order to become an Engineer, there are several courses that can be pursued starting from Diploma, Undergraduate courses, Postgraduate courses to PhD courses. The sections below will discuss elaborately about the courses as well as their prerequisites for your reference.
Diploma Courses
Diploma in Engineering can be a full time or part time course. Students can pursue a diploma after completing 10+2. Students with science backgrounds are eligible for this course. There are various specialized diploma courses to choose from such as Diploma in Automobile Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering etc.
Admission Process: The admission process is conducted online. Then they need to clear the entrance exams for the respective colleges/universities. To appear in entrance exams, the candidate must have secured minimum 50% in aggregate.
Entrance Exams: Tabulated below are some of the top Entrance Exams that are conducted to enroll students for Diploma in Engineering courses. Read More: Top Diploma in Engineering Colleges in India
Entrance Exams | Particulars | Details |
---|---|---|
HP PAT | Application Date | 2nd week of April – Last week of April, 2023 |
Admit Card Release Date | 2nd week of June, 2023 | |
Date of Exam | 3rd week of June, 2023 | |
Date of Result | 1st week of July, 2023 | |
CG PPT | Application Date | April – May 2023 |
Admit Card Release Date | May 2023 | |
Date of Exam | May 2023 | |
Date of Result | June 2023 |
Undergraduate Engineering Courses
B.Tech is a full time undergraduate engineering degree course that can be pursued for appearing in various Engineering Entrance Exams such as JEE Mains, JEE Advanced, BITs, VITEEE, etc. Students can pursue this course across various specializations such as, BTech Civil Engineering, BTech Mechanical Engineering, BTech Computer Engineering and others.
Admission Process: The admission process to pursue this course is conducted online. Students need to clear respective entrance exams to pursue BTech engineering courses. The entrance exams are combined entrance exams for most of the colleges/universities. Some colleges conduct counseling also after clearing the entrance exam.
Entrance Exams: Some of the top Entrance Exams that are conducted for enrolling students for various BTech Engineering courses are tabulated below along with their itinerary for your reference.
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Entrance Exams | Particulars | Details |
---|---|---|
JEE Mains | Application Date |
Phase 1: December 15, 2022 – January 12, 2023 Phase 2: February 7 – March 7, 2023 |
Admit Card Release Date |
Phase 1: 3rd week of January 2023 Phase 2: To be Notified |
|
Date of Exam |
Phase 1: January 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30 & 31, 2023 Phase 2: April 6, 8, 10, 11 & 12, 2023 |
|
Date of Result |
Phase 1: February 2023 Phase 2: April 2023 |
|
JEE Advanced | Application Date | April 30 – May 4, 2023 |
Admit Card Release Date | May 29 – June 4, 2023 | |
Date of Exam | June 4, 2023 | |
Date of Result | June 18, 2023 | |
VITEEE | Application Date | November 11 2022 – March 31 2023 |
Date of Exam | April 17 – 23, 203 | |
Date of Result | 2nd week of July, 2023 |
Eligibility Criteria: To appear in the entrance examinations, students must complete 10+2 securing a minimum of 60% of average marks from any recognized university. Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics should be the compulsory subjects in 10+2.
Postgraduate Engineering Courses
M.Tech / M.E is a full time postgraduate engineering degree course with an average course duration of 2 years. To pursue this course, students should appear in various entrance exams such as GATE, UPCET, AP PGECET etc. Students can pursue Postgraduate Engineering courses across various specializations such as M.Tech Civil Engineering, MTech Mechanical Engineering, MTech Computer Engineering, ME Civil Engineering, ME Software Engineering etc.
Admission Process: The admission process to pursue this course is conducted online. Students need to clear the relevant entrance exams to pursue a postgraduate degree in engineering courses. Some colleges conduct counseling also after clearing the entrance exam.
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Entrance Exams: The various entrance exams that are conducted for appearing in M.E/M.Tech courses are the following:
Entrance Exams | Particulars | Details |
---|---|---|
GATE | Application Date | September 1, 2022 - September 30, 2022 |
Admit Card Release Date | January 10, 2023 - February 12, 2023 | |
Date of Exam | February 4, 5, 11 and 12, 2023 | |
Date of Result | March 13, 2023 | |
UPCET | Application Date | 1st week of April – 1st week of May 2023 |
Admit Card Release Date | May 2023 | |
Date of Exam | May 21 – 31, 2023 | |
Date of Result | 2nd week of July, 2023 | |
AP PGECET | Application Date | May 2023 |
Admit Card Release Date | July 2023 | |
Date of Exam | July 2023 | |
Date of Result | August 2023 |
Eligibility Criteria: To appear in the entrance examinations, students must complete graduation in engineering, securing a minimum of 60% of average marks from any recognized university.
PhD Engineering Courses
Students who clear UGC NET exams are eligible to pursue doctoral degree courses in engineering. The duration of the Ph.D. courses varies from 3- 5 years. Entrance examinations are conducted by various universities in the respective discipline.
Admission Process: The admission process to pursue this course is conducted online. Students need to clear the relevant entrance exams conducted by the universities to pursue a doctoral degree in engineering courses. A personal interview round is also conducted after clearing the written exam for doctoral courses. Read More: Top PhD Engineering Colleges in India
Entrance Exams: The various entrance exams that are conducted for appearing in doctoral degree courses are the following:
Entrance Exams | Particulars | Details |
---|---|---|
JNU Ph.D. Entrance | Application Date | 1st week of February – 1st week of March, 2023 |
Admit Card Release Date | April / May 2023 | |
Date of Exam | May 21 – 31, 2023 | |
Date of Result | 2nd week of July, 2023 | |
NIPER Ph.D. Entrance Exam | Application Date | December 31, 2022 |
Admit Card Release Date | To be Notified | |
Date of Exam | To be Notified | |
Date of Result | To be Notified |
Eligibility Criteria: To appear in the entrance examinations, students must complete post-graduation in engineering, securing a minimum of 60% of average marks from any recognized university. They also need to clear UGC NET or CSIR UGC NET to be eligible to appear in the entrance examination.
How to become an Engineer in Abroad
Around 20% of the candidates who pursue engineering prefer studying abroad for the innumerable facilities and benefits that it tags along with it. For an engineer to get hired in top colleges abroad, the candidate has to follow certain eligibility criteria that are discussed in the sections below.
Some of the top countries that are majorly opted by the candidates to pursue engineering are USA, UK, Canada and Australia. The selection process for each country is different and so is their eligibility criteria. One of the most crucial eligibility criteria that is taken into consideration while studying abroad is clearing various language proficiency tests such as TOEFL or IELTS. Candidates aspiring to study abroad should clear these tests with a minimum score of 70 & 8 respectively. The sections below will discuss them in detail for your reference.
How to Become an Engineer in USA
Students can pursue full-time UG and PG courses in engineering from the USA. The duration of this engineering course is 3 years. After completing this course, students get various job opportunities in the USA and also in other countries.
Admission Process: Although each university in the USA has set its own criteria for admission. So students should read the criteria very carefully. The admission process to pursue UG and PG courses of engineering in the USA, based on the scores obtained in the last qualifying exam and the entrance examinations conducted by the USA universities.
Educational Requirements: To pursue engineering courses in the USA, students need to have a prior 10+2 or bachelor's degree in the Science stream. Students should have Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as one the main subjects at their academic levels.
Other Requirements: Some of the other requirements for studying Engineering courses in USA are tabulated below,
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 -3.5 on a scale of 4.0 or equivalent is required.
- Minimum two reference letters from academic professors and
- A valid score in entry requirement tests like TOEFL, IELTS, etc,
- Valid student visa and citizenship certificate, etc.
Top Universities: The top Universities offering Engineering courses in the USA are tabulated below for your reference,
Top Universities | University Fees (per annum) |
---|---|
Stanford University | 12.54 L |
University of California-Los Angeles | 15.19 L |
University of California-Berkeley | 15.26 L |
Yale University | 12.47 L |
University of Illinois-Urbana -Champaign | 15.49 L |
Princeton University | 14.73 L |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 14.81 L |
How to become an Engineer in Australia
Students from India and other foreign countries prefer Australia to pursue Engineering courses for various reasons, some of them being Job opportunities are very good for the students who pursued engineering courses in Australia.UG, PG, and Ph.D. courses in engineering are available for the students. Apart from that, the salary structure is also marginally quite high as compared to that of India.
Admission Process: The admission process to pursue engineering courses in Australia is based on the marks obtained in graduation and postgraduation and the scores obtained in the entrance examination.
Educational Requirements: To pursue master’s courses, students should have a prior bachelor’s degree in engineering with a specialization. Students must study science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics at the higher school level.
Other Requirements: Some of the other essential prerequisites for pursuing Engineering courses in Australia are listed below,
- Letter of Recommendation from previous college from academic professors.
- A valid score in entry requirement tests like TOEFL and IELTS etc.
- Valid student visa and citizenship certificate, etc.
Top Universities: The top Universities offering engineering courses in Australia are as follows,
Top Universities | University Fees (per annum) |
---|---|
Australian National University | 14.37 L |
University of New South Wales | 16.09 L |
University of Sydney | 16.24 L |
University of Queensland Australia | 13.97 L |
Western Sydney University | 17.15 L |
Monash University | 12.76 L |
How to become an Engineer in UK
The UK is counted as one of the best countries to pursue engineering courses. Students can opt for many specializations in engineering from the UK. Career growth and future job prospects are very good for the students pursuing engineering courses from the UK.
Admission Process: The admission process to pursue engineering courses in the UK, based on the scores obtained in graduation and the entrance examination.
Educational Requirements: To pursue engineering courses in the UK, students need to have a prior degree in the Science stream and should be a graduate degree in engineering with minimum 75%.
Other Requirements: Some of the other prerequisites for pursuing Engineering courses in UK are listed below for your reference,
- Letter of Recommendation from previous college from academic professors
- A valid score in entry requirement tests like TOEFL and IELTS etc.
- The minimum score in IELTS shall be 7.5 and above and for TOEFL the score required in 100
- Valid student visa and citizenship certificate, etc.
Top Universities: The top Universities offering engineering courses in the UK are as follows,
Top Universities | University Fees (per annum) |
---|---|
University of Oxford | 17.87 L |
UCL (University College London) | 19.91 L |
King’s College London | 16.85 L |
The University of Sussex | 18.89 L |
University of Edinburgh | 19.40 L |
Cardiff University | 22.67 L |
The University of Kent | 21.85 L |
How to become an Engineer in Canada
To pursue engineering courses from Canada, students need to pursue 10+2 in the Science stream with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. On the other hand, for pursuing master's degree in engineering courses, candidates should have completed graduation in engineering in any discipline. Some of the major requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to pursue Engineering courses in Canada are discussed below for your reference.
Admission Process: The admission process to pursue engineering courses in Canada is based on the scores obtained in 10+2 and graduation and also in the entrance examination.
Educational Requirements: To pursue engineering courses in Canada, students need to have a prior bachelor's or master’s degree in engineering with 75% to 80%.
Other Requirements: Some of the other requirements for pursuing Engineering courses in Canada are listed below for your reference,
- Proof of language proficiency must be submitted: This can include test results
- Applicants should submit a letter of reference, specifically if applying for scholarships or other financial aid.
- A valid score in entry requirement tests like TOEFL and IELTS etc,
- Valid student visa and citizenship certificate, etc.
Top Universities: The top Universities offering engineering courses in Canada are as follows
Top Universities | University Fees |
---|---|
University of British Columbia | 17.23 L |
McGill University | 16.24 L |
The University of Calgary | 16.32 L |
University of Ottawa | 17.02 L |
Dalhousie University | 17.00 L |
Western University | 15.87 L |
Benefits of Career as an Engineer
The engineering sector has its benefits. Engineers always work in a challenging environment. Some of the advantages are discussed below:
- Good Salary Package: One of the main advantages of being an engineer is that they earn a decent sum of money. Candidates of IIT, NIT, and BITs pass out are offered a very good salary package in various multinationals such as amazon, Tata, Google, Larsen & Turbo, and even NASA, etc.
- Promotional Benefits: As an Engineer, the candidate will get a lot of promotional opportunities. As the candidate gains experience, he will get promoted to an upper level. It is also dependent on the factor that the candidate stays with a company for a considerable amount of time.
- High Job security: Engineers are in high demand right now and companies are looking for able engineers. The job security is very high for engineers as the companies are paying a very high amount to qualified engineers.
- Job Prospects: The growth of engineers is very good. The engineers are not limited to the private sector but also have very good growth in the government sector too. Their salary increases very rapidly with experience. They can be promoted as a head.
- International Opportunities: Engineers have the highest chances to go abroad for future opportunities. They also get a lot of opportunities to travel around the world for work.
- Job satisfaction: On an average, the job satisfaction is around 3.9 out of 5 on the statistical data provided by Payscale. Engineers enjoy their job and they get to explore and work with their creativity.
- Government Job Opportunities: Engineers have access to a wide variety of government jobs such as PWD, NHAI, Indian Railways, Municipal corporation etc.
Skills Required to be an Engineer
Certain skill sets must be inculcated that would not only help in excelling but also help in creating a rock solid foundation about the subject as well as the profession. Some of the most crucial skills that are required in order to become an Engineer are tabulated below for your reference
Leadership | Communication |
Creativity | Critical Reasoning |
Enthusiasm | Innovation |
Interpersonal | Attention to detail |
Resilience | Technical knowledge |
Salary of an Engineer in India
Job opportunities are very good for an engineering graduate. Most of the engineers are capable of getting jobs from their college campus recruitment. The average starting salary of an engineer ranges from INR 4.50 LPA- INR 8 LPA.
Average Annual Salary
Name of Organization | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
---|---|
Government | 5.20 L - 5.50 L |
Private | 4.50 L- 5 L |
Specialization Wise
Specialization | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
---|---|
Design Engineer | 5.50 L- 6.80 L |
Computer Engineer | 5 L- 5.20 L |
Offshore Design Engineer | 5 L- 5.70 L |
Forensic Engineer | 5.50 L- 6.80 L |
Civil Engineer | 6 L- 7.50 L |
Architect Engineer | 7.50 L- INR 8.50 L |
Experience Wise
Experience | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
---|---|
0-5 years | 6 L- 7.50 L |
5-10 years | 7 L- 8.50 L |
10-15 years | 8 L- 11.80 L |
20 years & above | 12 L- 14 L |
How to Become an Engineer: FAQs
Ques. What is the total duration of the BE course?
Ques. What is the minimum eligibility required to become an engineer?
Ques. What is the admission process for pursuing an engineering course?
Ques. What is the average annual salary of an engineer?
Ques. Can an Arts graduate pursue an engineering course?
Ques. Does distance learning available for B.Tech courses?
Ques. Is there any internship training for an engineer?
Ques. What is the job role of a civil engineer?
Ques. What are the average course fees to pursue an engineering course in India?
Ques. What are the important skills required for becoming an engineer?