4 Common Types of Engineers
Broadly speaking, engineering means applying science and technology to build, create, or design machines, structures, or devices. However, this is a general definition. Engineering has a wide range of subspecialties. On the surface, it may not appear that different areas of engineering have much to do with each other. However, they all apply the same scientific principles in one form or another. Here are some of the different types of engineers that you are most likely to encounter.
1. Civil Engineering
Bridges, dams, foundations, roads, tunnels, and sewer systems are all examples of infrastructure. This is a term that few people understand but which is absolutely crucial to everyday life. Infrastructure allows you to travel from place to place with relative ease and provides a system by which you can access utilities. Over time, problems can arise with infrastructure, either constructing it or maintaining it, and it is the job of civil engineers to solve those problems. Civil engineers take on private-sector jobs as well as working in the public sphere. This is the type of work that a Knox engineer Tulsa is most likely to do.
2. Mechanical Engineering
Most people who work in the wider field of engineering are mechanical engineers, making it one of the largest subspecialties. A machine is a device that applies mechanical force to do work. Mechanical engineering involves analyzing projects to figure out a mechanical solution and then designing a machine that can help. Examples of devices that a mechanical engineer may work on include:
- Refrigeration systems
- Batteries
- Electric generators
3. Electrical Engineering
It is hard to name a device that doesn’t use electricity in one form or another. From communication systems to navigation to motors, electrical devices have a huge role to play in everyday life, meaning that electrical engineering is another significant subspecialty in the larger field. This subspecialty focuses on designing, manufacturing, and testing electrical components in a wide range of products, such as cars and computers.
4. Chemical Engineering
Many products, such as food ingredients or pharmaceuticals, are created chemically in a laboratory. The job of a chemical engineer typically involves analyzing and improving those processes, looking for practical ways to apply them outside of the laboratory. While all engineers need to have a firm scientific grasp, chemical engineers may need to have a broader base in more scientific fields, including chemistry, of course, but also physics and biology.
Engineering jobs in these and many more subspecialties are in very high demand. A student who graduates with an engineering degree typically has many different jobs to choose from.
