Reply #4: I'm an engineer and I make 108k in Florida but I'm looking to go to law school.

[ddeclue]

I can make 120k up in the D.C. area or NYC or 150k out in Silicon Valley but I make far above the average for engineers and even if I moved the cost of living would eat most of it and only California sounds appealing.

My theory is that I need to switch to a career like law or medicine where I can work as long as I want and don't have to worry about forced retirement and which will (after a few years set back) in the end pay a lot more than engineering. (Considering aviation law, IP law or patent law). I figure sooner or later all technical jobs are going to end up in India or China where they can pay their engineers 5% of what an American engineer makes.

I get a lot of respect inside the engineering community for being a Georgia Tech grad and having a lot of technical skill but another reason I want to go to law is that I simply don't get much respect or admiration outside of my work environment for what I do.

Instead of admiration, being an engineer gets you labeled a dork or a geek or a nerd and pidgeon-holed into that annoying "Big Bang Theory" stereo-type. There is a social stigma that engineers suffer whereas doctors and lawyers are admired. Don't see too many TV shows about engineering and science these days and the few engineers or scientists we get offered on these shows are all "dorks". TV loves lawyers and doctors though.

Doug D.
Orlando, FL