As the Great Resignation continues, the demographics of American workers quitting their jobs in record numbers are coming into sharper focus, according to an article on LinkedIn. The article cites research showing that the highest rates of resignation are among mid-career employees.
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Rebecca Knight describes disengaged workers as going through a “mid-career malaise.” To overcome job burnout, engineers can rejuvenate their careers or prepare for new ones by earning a Master of Science in Electronics Engineering online from Norfolk State University (NSU). They can choose from two tracks: Biomedical Engineering or Microelectronics and Photonics.
Ranked eighth among the HBCU Best 45 Engineering Schools, an NSU M.S. in Electronics Engineering can be completed at a fraction of the cost — in some cases, less than half — of other highly ranked HBCU engineering schools.
The online format of Norfolk State University’s master’s in electronics engineering offers engineers flexibility and convenience. They don’t have to pause their careers to earn the M.S. through a full-time campus program.
The return on the investment can be significant.
How Much Do Electronics Engineers Earn?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median pay for biomedical engineers was $93,000 in 2020. However, electronics engineers overall can command an annual median salary of $103,000.
Moreover, as enrollment in online degree programs increases, hiring managers are placing a premium on mid-career professionals with graduate academic credentials.
“Now that you’re seeing more and more people in that hiring chair that have come from perhaps their own online education, you’re seeing a lot more acceptance to it,” Jack Cullen, president of Modis, a tech staffing agency, told U.S. News & World Report.
What Are Career Prospects for Biomed and Microelectronics Engineers?
The demand for biomedical, bio-instrumentation design and bio-instrumentation system integrators will continue to grow as the trailing edge of the Baby Boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964) moves from middle age into its golden years.
“With an aging population and a growing focus on health-care issues, the demand for more sophisticated medical equipment and procedures, along with a need for more cost-effective care delivery, is high and bioengineers are right in the thick of it,” according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Similarly, The Interpreter predicts demand for microelectronics engineers will continue to outpace the supply of professionals with design and integration expertise. With thousands of jobs going unfilled since 2018, a proposed infusion of federal funds to support the U.S. semiconductor industry “could create 1.1 million additional jobs through 2026,” it reported.
What Do Biomedical Engineers Do?
Biomedical engineers collaborate with medical professionals and researchers to innovate, design applications and develop devices across the healthcare spectrum.
Biomedical engineers work on products including synthetics that replace damaged heart muscle, brain implants that boost mental function, genetic diagnostics and 3D-printed wearable devices that monitor diseases and the efficacy of drug therapies and track health.
What Do Microelectronics Engineers Do?
The global pandemic shutdown exposed America’s dependency on overseas supply of semiconductors, accentuating the need to rebuild the domestic industry, which requires engineers with the skills to improve the performance, speed and functionality of next-generation technology.
Engineers in the field are investigating the use of super-cooling technologies to scale up quantum computers, tools to accelerate renewable energy development and nanotechnologies for health diagnostics.
Norfolk State University can help boost the professional lives of mid-career engineers. They can complete the 10 courses required in NSU’s degree program at their own pace. Each course lasts seven weeks, enabling them to work toward the master’s degree in small steps. Before they know it, they will have earned the graduate degree that can help remedy a mid-career slump and boost their salary prospects.
Learn more about Norfolk State University’s online M.S. in Electronics Engineering program.