3 answers
Diego
Student
Hewitt, Texas
1
Question
Updated
2052 views
How hard is it to get a job in the mechanical engineering field with an associates degree.?
I am going to a community college for 2 years and don’t know if i should transfer before or after getting my associates degree.
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3 answers
Tyler Schultz
Design Engineer
8
Answers
Indianapolis, Indiana
Updated
Tyler’s Answer
Hey Diego, I don't think there a consistent rule of thumb for associate degree engineering jobs for all companies. I think it will depend on the company you get hired. I have worked at two companies, the first one only being Bachelors degree or higher engineering, and the second one being a smaller company in a rural area, and there are many engineers with Associates degrees or even no degree at all. For those people, they had to work a non-engineering job for some years to become technically skilled enough for the company to promote them to engineering roles. So I would say it's possible to get an engineering job with an Associates degree, but it may take some time to work up to that.
In terms of the transferring question, I don't think it matters if you transfer before the two year associates degree is done or if you get the associates degree and then go onto a bachelors program. At the end of the day when you're applying for jobs you will put your highest degree achieved, which would be bachelors in this case, and the path you took to get that degree won't effect your job opportunities. Do what is best for you!
In terms of the transferring question, I don't think it matters if you transfer before the two year associates degree is done or if you get the associates degree and then go onto a bachelors program. At the end of the day when you're applying for jobs you will put your highest degree achieved, which would be bachelors in this case, and the path you took to get that degree won't effect your job opportunities. Do what is best for you!
Cody Gaspar
C.I., Quality, and Reliability Engineering
43
Answers
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Updated
Cody’s Answer
From what I've seen, it's easier to get a Manufacturing Engineer job at a smaller company first. Bigger companies usually require a lot of experience instead of just a four-year engineering degree.
Emiliano Keough
Tech Enablement Consultant
2
Answers
Miami, Florida
Updated
Emiliano’s Answer
Hello Diego,
Getting a job in mechanical engineering with just an associate’s degree is doable. But keep in mind that most employers want a bachelor’s degree for engineering roles. With an associate’s degree, you can start looking for technician or assistant jobs, or even internships (while getting your bachelor's), but not full engineer positions without having years of relevant engineering work experience.
You can complete your associate’s degree first, then transfer, or transfer before completing it. On paper, it doesn't matter when you transfer, as long as you ultimately earn your bachelor's degree. But let's say you want to transfer to a bachelor's program before earning your AA to gain better exposure to resources and networking opportunities (e.g., joining engineering clubs or groups) sooner rather than later. Then, I would say do it to maximize the time you have with those opportunities.
But if you already have a good network and live somewhere with the same opportunities, finishing your associate’s degree first can help you save money on tuition.
Overall, if you want to work sooner, you can look for technician jobs after your associate’s degree. However, your options and pay will be limited compared to those with a bachelor’s degree.
Getting a job in mechanical engineering with just an associate’s degree is doable. But keep in mind that most employers want a bachelor’s degree for engineering roles. With an associate’s degree, you can start looking for technician or assistant jobs, or even internships (while getting your bachelor's), but not full engineer positions without having years of relevant engineering work experience.
You can complete your associate’s degree first, then transfer, or transfer before completing it. On paper, it doesn't matter when you transfer, as long as you ultimately earn your bachelor's degree. But let's say you want to transfer to a bachelor's program before earning your AA to gain better exposure to resources and networking opportunities (e.g., joining engineering clubs or groups) sooner rather than later. Then, I would say do it to maximize the time you have with those opportunities.
But if you already have a good network and live somewhere with the same opportunities, finishing your associate’s degree first can help you save money on tuition.
Overall, if you want to work sooner, you can look for technician jobs after your associate’s degree. However, your options and pay will be limited compared to those with a bachelor’s degree.