Mississippi (MS) provides a welcoming environment to aspiring engineers. These professionals enjoy a wealth of professional organizations, relatively high wages, and a bright career outlook.
First, there are many associations which provide networking opportunities, continuing education, legal advocacy for issues affecting the industry, and other resources. These groups include the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Society for Healthcare Engineers & Facility Managers; the Mississippi Engineering Society; the Mississippi State Society of Women Engineers; the Society of American Military Engineers – Mississippi Gulf Coast Post; and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers – Mississippi, among many others.
Second, these professionals are very well-paid. By illustration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2016) reported that the 14,970 MS-based engineering and architectural professionals earned an average annual salary of $71,960, nearly double the mean wages of all workers in the state ($38,300). Furthermore, some subfields of the discipline made even more money. As proof of point, aerospace engineers in Mississippi earned an average annual salary of $102,590; chemical engineers, $100,470; and electrical engineers, $95,690.
Third, there’s expected to be substantial growth across many subfields of engineering in coming years, a trend which lends itself to job security. Nationwide, the BLS (October 2016) anticipated that the following fields would be among the fastest growing between 2014 and 2024:
- Biomedical engineering – 23.1 percent growth in positions nationally, 2014-24
- Environmental engineering – 12.4 percent
- Marine engineering – 8.9 percent
- Civil engineering – 8.4 percent
- Mining engineering – 6.4 percent
Projections Central (2017) offered expected growth figures within Mississippi and found that the brightest subfields of engineering for job opportunities would include:
- Marine engineering – 19.7 percent growth in positions in Mississippi, 2014-24
- Materials engineering – 19 percent
- Mechanical engineering – 15 percent
- Industrial engineering – 13.9 percent
- Computer hardware engineering – 13 percent
- Aerospace engineering – 11.6 percent
Notably, all of these figures are higher than the average growth anticipated across all occupations during that time (6.5 percent).
So how does a person in Mississippi join this lucrative and high-growth career? A majority of engineers have at least a bachelor’s degree before seeking work. In addition to the array of on-campus programs available, there’s an increasing number of distance-based programs, as well. They can be ideal for students who have family commitments; full-time jobs; or live in rural locations which prevent them from attending a traditional, in-person program. While online programs may be relatively new, they offer a high-quality education while providing flexibility for the students.
This guide explores the wealth of online engineering schools in Mississippi, including the expected coursework, tuition costs, and a few of the exceptional professors in the field.