Equipment engineers are involved in designing, development, and implementation of technical equipment in a system. They have to conduct evaluations of equipment designs, analyze the technical specifications involved in designing and development, and improve the overall quality of engineering products and/or procedures. They may also be involved in developing the entire range of equipment in certain cases.
Key Responsibilities
The main responsibilities of an equipment engineer include preparing a detailed technical specification guidelines for an engineering equipment and work in collaboration with manufacturers, component suppliers, maintenance staff, and other technicians involved in designing and development. They also have to perform a certain engineering duties like studying the equipment requirement and conducting the tests for determining the tools required for maintaining the operational procedures. They are required to work in compliance with maintenance division's works, methods, and procedures. The specialized equipment engineering for different engineering sector may differ from each other, but the main responsibilities involved are the same.
The main responsibilities of an equipment engineer comprise:
Required Qualifications and Skills
The basic qualification required for obtaining a job as an equipment engineer is a bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, computer engineering, or other relevant sub-fields of engineering. Bachelor's degree from related engineering fields like mathematics, physics, etc., is also acceptable, though an engineering degree is highly recommended if one wishes to make a successful career in this field. Along with this, for working in an engineering profile, one has to obtain a license for the same. For getting the license, one is required to have a degree from an accredited engineering program, relevant work experience of approximately four years, and obtain a passing score on a state examination.
Apart from the educational qualification, relevant experience in the same field of engineering is highly recommended if one wishes to start his career on a high note. He should possess the practical knowledge of engineering principles, which is gained on by experience. For this, one may start one's career in the engineering sector as an equipment technician before moving on to equipment engineer profile. Also, an equipment engineer must possess certain skills like good oral, written, and verbal communication, problem solving ability, sense of responsibility towards work accomplishment, and sense of integrity along with the specialized knowledge and skills requirement.
Salary Compensation
The average salary range of an equipment engineer falls between $50,000 to $65,000 per year. The median salary range in the United States is estimated to be around $58,946 per year, though these figures are only suggestive. Actual rage may vary based on the industrial demand, sense of responsibility, and work location.
An equipment engineer needs to have competent knowledge in engineering concepts, technologies, practices, and procedures for undertaking a job successfully. He has to work under the predefined guidelines formulated by a technical supervisor and report to him periodically. The responsibilities of an equipment engineer are quite work specific, and it requires one to follow a thorough procedure. So if you are willing to start a career in this profile, a brief look on the equipment engineer responsibilities may give you some direction.