Testing in a frantic environment
With all the multitasking they must do, most test engineers are anything but bored.
Lawrence D. Maloney, Contributing Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 7/30/2007 4:29:00 PM
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Over the last two years, concerns of engineers have shifted from worrying about job security to finding enough time to deal with an often overloaded plate of projects.
Results of the June 2007 Reed Research Group survey of test engineers, commissioned by Test & Measurement World, finds that time pressures are the #1 challenge facing engineers today, with nearly three quarters of survey respondents citing that concern. Next on the anxiety list are two related challenges: "handling an increasing number of projects" and "taking on additional functions."
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How does your salary compare? Go to the survey results. |
Among survey respondents who have been in the same job for the past three years, an overwhelming 85% indicated that the number of job functions they perform had increased during that time.
"It's a big juggling act," said Paul Irving, a Pennsylvania engineer who tests circuit breaker components for L-3 Communications. "Because of multiple responsibilities, there's no such thing as finishing one project before taking on another."
"Engineers in our market need to be highly adaptive to any requirements that come in the door," added Richard Schmidt of VI Engineering, a systems integrator in Farmington, MI. "That means we may have to do sales support and project management, in addition to devising test solutions for our customers. Ten years ago, engineers could focus more on one task, but for young engineers, all they know is this frantic environment."
Enough pay for the job?
Such comments don't surprise Jack O'Brien, a recruiter who specializes in engineering and technical jobs in Manpower Professional's Chicago office. He pointed out that the job anxieties of engineers following the dotcom and telecom busts early in the decade are fast fading from memory. "Job opportunities are much better now for virtually all categories of engineers, from quality control and environmental engineers to civil engineers and those involved in designing packaging for consumer goods," said O'Brien.
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Portrait of a Test Engineer Age: 48 Gender: Male (97%) Salary: $83,000 Experience: 20 years Function: Development Test (65%) Job Tenure: 7 years Source: T&MW's 2007 salary survey. |
But the recruiter sees a marked increase in engineers who are frustrated by the personal and family sacrifices that they are making to keep up with mounting job demands. "Quality of life issues are becoming a greater concern," he said. "And while the pay is generally quite good, many question whether it is good enough to justify their increasing responsibilities."
The new career and salary survey found that salary is now the top factor relating to test engineer job satisfaction, with 43% of respondents citing it as their prime consideration. By contrast, in the 2005 survey, "feeling of accomplishment" was cited as the #1 contributor to job satisfaction, cited by 41% of respondents. In 2005, only 31% said salary was the chief contributor to job satisfaction.
Engineers responding to the new Reed survey earned an average of $83,000 in 2006 (up from $77,600 in 2005), and a third make more than $100,000 a year. Most salary increases in 2006 were in the 2% to 5% range. In cases where engineers earned bonuses in addition to base salary, that extra money was linked to overall company or division performance 65% of the time, versus just 21% for individual achievement.
More than 70% of respondents anticipate a pay raise in 2007 and expect it to be about 4%. Just 3% experienced a pay cut in 2006, and 7% experienced a layoff. Among non-salary categories of compensation, health insurance ranks highest, with 73% citing that benefit, followed by pensions/401K (54%), vacation (40%), and flexible working hours (38%).
Irving of L-3 Communications, who previously suffered a layoff when an employer shifted production of RF power supplies to China, is no longer concerned about the specter of outsourcing. "There's no use worrying about things I can't control," he said. His advice to fellow engineers: Be flexible and learn as much as you can so you become indispensable.
Opportunities for the taking
In Texas, Anita Salmon, an R&D engineer for National Instruments, recalled that a lot of engineers in the Austin area were on the losing end of the dotcom bust, but that the job situation now is much improved. Her own employer continued to hire even during the downswing. "I think companies that once rushed to send engineering jobs overseas are reevaluating those moves and are being more careful about taking that step," she said.
| Table 1. Salary by education level |
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| Source: T&MW's 2007 salary survey. |
Another Texas Engineer, Rob Brodner of TriQuint Semiconductor, said that opportunities for test engineers in the semiconductor industry are clearly on the upswing and that wireless test is especially hot. Brodner added, "The trouble is that veteran engineers in the wireless field are so busy that they don't have time to train newcomers."
Test jobs for the military also are plentiful, noted Michael Keller, a test manager at Hanscom Air Force Base north of Boston. "With security issues and other factors, outsourcing of engineering jobs to foreign personnel is virtually nonexistent," said Keller, who is also the executive director of the American Society of Test Engineers (ASTE). Still another benefit of working for the military: "We get the fastest computers and the very best test equipment."
California test engineer Gail Schooley pointed to five open requisitions for engineering staff at Abbott Diagnostics, which makes blood analyzers. Still, he said the situation is nowhere near as good as it was prior to the technology bust of 2001. "As late as 2005, engineering grads in this area were taking jobs in cell phone sales for Verizon," he recalled. His own son, who got his BSEE that year from Santa Clara University, opted to pursue a Master's degree and is now completing a program in mechatronics engineering.
And in Wisconsin, veteran manufacturing test engineer Gary Schilling said engineering opportunities are still good at GE Medical Systems, where he works in development of medical imaging equipment, although there is little turnover among staff. Why? "We are in a field where we are always working with cutting-edge technology and get to use the very latest test tools," he said.
| Table 2. Salary by experience |
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| Source: T&MW's 2007 salary survey. |
Overall, the Reed career survey showed that job stability remains strong in test engineering. The average engineer has been with his or current employer for seven years. Compare that to IT professionals, where Bureau of Labor Statistics show an average tenure of just three years, according to O'Brien of Manpower Professionals. "This is a big consideration for employers," explained O'Brien. "They hesitate to spend money on training if an employee is going to turn around and leave."
A commitment to learning
To cope with the demands of this ultra-busy environment, engineers must continue to increase their technical know-how, advised Keller of ASTE. "It's a big mistake to leave engineering school without a commitment to keep learning, as well as to network with leaders is your field."
Keller advises pursuing advanced degrees in engineering. Others recommend adding a business degree or a project management professional certificate, such as those conferred by the Project Management Institute. The Reed survey showed that 25% of respondents hold an advanced degree, either in engineering or business.
Among the skills that engineers say contribute most to job advancement, computer knowledge ranks #1, according to the Reed survey, with 91% of respondents citing that skill. Other highly valued talents include: communications skills (cited by 89%), project management (88%), team-building (73%) and languages (54%)
"Ten years ago, I never thought I would need to be so proficient in such programs as Excel and PowerPoint," said Schilling of GE Medical. He and his colleagues also rely heavily on such computer-based test tools as LabView and Measurement Studio from National Instruments.
| Table 3. Salary by job function |
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| Source: T&MW's 2007 salary survey. |
Survey respondents also point to several new technologies that they have had to learn over the past two years. Among those most often mentioned: FireWire, WLAN, PXI, WiMAX, and boundary scan and Camera Link and GigE Vision interfaces for machine vision.
Among valuable tools she has had to learn on the job, Salmon of National Instruments cited the embedded logic analyzers that help engineers debug field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). She added that engineers who can design regression tests for automated test equipment also are becoming increasingly prized. Such tests, often set up to run at night, help spot problems faster, reducing development time.
Schmidt of VI Technology said that more of his customers, such as those in aerospace, are demanding high-speed measurements, so he had to learn to design robotics-based test systems. Brodner of TriQuint Semiconductor pointed to circuit design software from Cadence and Mentor Graphics as essential to both his test and product development chores.
Overall, engineers interviewed for this report had few complaints about the test tools that their companies provide them on the job. Asked about the level of corporate investment in test equipment, more than 40% of Reed survey respondents estimated that their firms spend more than $1 million a year. The average estimate for all survey participants: $767,500.
Pursuit of happiness
While they may complain openly about the challenges of coping with increasingly hectic and demanding jobs, most test engineers remain happy with their careers. The new Reed survey finds that 85% of respondents are either "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with their careers, up slightly from 81% in the 2005 study. Even so, 42% agreed with the statement that "I'm always open to better opportunities."
| Table 4. Salary by industry |
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| Source: T&MW's 2007 salary survey. |
"In today's environment, every day is different and much more challenging than it was 10 or 12 years ago, when engineers often stagnated in their jobs," noted Schmidt of VI Technology.
Going offsite to assist vendor companies in setting up tests builds interest in the job at GE Medical, said Schilling, and though some production has moved offshore, he added that engineers in his business unit continue to call the shots on test protocols.
Would engineers recommend the test field to a son, daughter, or friend? Two thirds of the survey respondents said "yes." Contrast that with the results of a 2005 survey of 865 physicians by The Doctors, a medical-liability insurance carrier. It found that 70% of respondents would not encourage their children to become doctors, an about-face from when their parents all but herded them into medical school.
Schmidt of VI Technology noted that his two oldest sons, now in high school, are both exploring engineering careers, one in software and the other in robotics, and he is encouraging them to take the right courses to prepare them.
"Even if you eventually go into another field," added Salmon of National Instruments, "an engineering education gives you great training in problem solving."
Others, like Schooley of Abbot Diagnostics, lamented that too few young people are going into engineering. In his son's 60-member fraternity at Santa Clara University, only three were pursuing engineering degrees. "Young people today know that the big bucks are in the board room," said Schooley.
Still, Keller of ASTE sees a very exciting future for test engineering. He believes that such areas as nanotechnology, environment, and medical technologies for an aging population hold the potential to revolutionize the field. Said Keller: "There are plenty of great opportunities in test, if engineers are willing to look around at what's out there."
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How does your salary compare? Go to the survey results. |
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