Well, the decision related to picking mechanical engineering or electrical engineering after high school graduation might seem no difficult to some of you. Suppose you feel quite confused while choosing the right career path because you have a lot of confusion between mechanical and electrical engineering branches. In that case, this post is going to be all about you.
Below we will be covering all the points that will let you know when you should pick mechanical and when you should pick electrical engineering as your major. Not only this, but we are also going to cover all the things that, like a 12th or high school pass-out, you should need to know before choosing any career path related to mechanical or electrical engineering.
Quick Comparison Overview
| Aspect | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Definition | Branch of engineering that deals with mechanics, energy, and materials. | Branch of engineering that deals with electrical systems, devices, and power. |
| Core Subjects | Thermodynamics, Mechanics, Materials Science, Fluid Mechanics. | Circuit Theory, Electromagnetism, Power Systems, Control Systems. |
| Job Opportunities | Automotive industry, Manufacturing, Energy sector, Aerospace. | Power generation and distribution, Renewable energy, Electronics, Telecommunications. |
| Skillset Required | Design and analysis skills, Mechanical systems knowledge, Problem-solving abilities. | Circuit design, Electrical system analysis, Programming skills, Troubleshooting abilities. |
| Salaries | Entry-level: ₹4,00,000 – ₹8,00,000 per annum. Mid-career: ₹8,00,000 – ₹20,00,000 per annum. | Entry-level: ₹4,00,000 – ₹8,00,000 per annum. Mid-career: ₹8,00,000 – ₹25,00,000 per annum. |
| Demand | Moderate to high demand in various industries. | High demand due to rapid technological advancements and increasing power needs. |
| Government Sectors | Indian Railways, Defense, Public sector companies. | Power corporations, Railways, Defense, Telecommunications. |
| Professional Societies | Institution of Engineers (India), Society of Automotive Engineers (India). | Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). |
| Specializations | Automotive Engineering, Robotics, Thermal Engineering. | Power Systems, Control Systems, Electronics, Renewable Energy. |
| Licensing/Regulation | Accreditation by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA). | Accreditation by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA). |
| Future Scope | Increasing focus on sustainable technologies and automation. | Growing demand for renewable energy, smart grid technologies, and electric vehicles. |
Mechanical Engineering:
If you have just finished high school and have an intense interest in engineering, mechanical engineering could be a great option. If you are a student who loves to study energy, heat transfer, design of power, weapon system, and machinery or tools, mechanical engineering is only for you.
In simple words, mechanical engineering is all about the visible and fixable mechanical parts or systems, unlike electrical engineering, where you have to study the electrical systems and chargers that flow inside the system. And eventually, all that charge or electrons flow is invisible, which is why it is much more complicated than mechanical engineering.
Why Could Mechanical Engineering Be A Great Career Path?
As you know, most people or students pursue their career in a specific path or direction after taking a look at two different things, first is their interest, and the second is the placement or job demands thankfully, if you are thinking of being a mechanical engineer then congrats because the demand for mechanical engineers is way higher than other branches worldwide.
There is no limitation with mechanical engineering; it’s because, after graduation, a mechanical engineering candidate can apply for a government job, or he/she can also go for the private section, that is also a great option. And if you get a placement in the government branch, you’ll definitely have a high salary job with government job security. Along with this, the candidate can also go for post graduation in foreign countries without any issue.
However, if you don’t want to end up as a proper mechanical engineer in the end, then there is another section or job post for you, which is the lecturer or professor. If you love to teach mechanical engineering, you can apply for a lecturer or professor in various mechanical engineering institutes or universities.
The next reason why you should pick mechanical engineering over electrical engineering is that the growth is way higher than any other field. The demand is higher than any other type of engineers in the market, and it is future proof because experts say we could see a boom in this industry within the next few years.
Job Opportunities In The Mechanical Engineering Field:
Project Manager:
After graduation in mechanical engineering, you can have a wide range of choice to apply for the jobs. And if your major interest is being a project manager, you can definitely apply for it, a private and government, both sector opportunity. Your job role would be to handle a whole project related to machinery or tools development. And talking about a mechanical engineering project manager’s salary so that it could be anywhere around 8 lakh to 10 lakh Indian rupee.
Maintenance Engineer:
Maintenance or service engineer is a very common and high demand job post that you can apply for after graduation in mechanical engineering. A maintenance engineer’s job role is to look after the machinery and tools, and companies hire maintenance engineers for proper maintenance of tools and the machinery they have for their business. Now, let’s jump to a maintenance engineer’s salary section so that it could be anywhere around 5 lakh to 6 lakh rupees.
Senior Engineer:
In case you are thinking of further continuing your studies in the mechanical engineering field, you can definitely go for a master’s degree. And if you have a master’s degree or you are thinking of pursuing it, then you can definitely apply for the Senior Engineer job post. Talking about a senior engineer’s average salary, you can expect anywhere between 7 to 14 lakh rupees in both private or government sectors.
Professor:
Another option that you’d have after graduation in the mechanical engineering field is becoming a professor or lecturer. Many students don’t want to be actual mechanical engineers; instead, they love teaching what they learned throughout graduation. It is where the role of a professor or lecturer comes in, and you can apply for this post in different universities or institutions. And if you want to know the average salary of a mechanical engineering professor or lecturer, you can expect anywhere between 4 to 7 lakh rupees.
Not only this, but there are other job roles also you can take a look at, but we have talked about the most popular and high demand ones on our post.
Electrical Engineering
Some people say that electrical engineering doesn’t have a nice scope or demand in the market right now. But that’s is not true, it also gives a great competition to the other high paying job roles. Indeed, it is a bit harder than mechanical engineering, as some people say. It is quite right from many perspectives, mostly because you can’t see what’s going on insider an electrical system as you can do with a mechanical system.
If you are a student with a high interest in knowing electrical systems, then pursuing a career in electrical engineering could be a great choice or selection for you. Mechanical engineering allows you to study the physical or mechanical systems that are visible as well, but electrical engineering is the exact opposite. Instead of that, in electrical engineering, you learn about electrical concepts, electrical systems, graphs, wireless communication, etc.
Why Could Electrical Engineering Be A Great Career Path?
It might seem that electrical engineering doesn’t have high demand and high paying job opportunities, but that’s not true. If you continue with electrical engineering, then in the future, you could get a high paying and high demand job as compared to other engineering jobs. So, if you are a student who wants to secure the highest paying job in the future after graduating with electrical engineering, then you can definitely do that.
Not only this, but the scope of electrical engineering is impressive in foreign countries. And if you are thinking of going abroad after graduation for a master’s degree in electrical engineering, then it is possible in a better way. And it can also be possible that you get a job in the foreign countries that pay you higher than you can get in your own country since it is also a very high-demand sector.
Multinational companies usually require a candidate with a master’s degree in the electrical engineering field. And if you prefer to continue your career to a master’s degree, you can apply for the highest paying job in the multinational companies. Along with this, there is a great scope in the government sector if you have a master’s degree in electrical engineering.
Job Opportunities In The Electrical Engineering Field:
System Analyst:
The System Analyst in electrical engineering is not like the computer science system analyst. In this job role, a person must have good knowledge about the electrical systems, and he/she must have the skills to optimize any system by tweaking it. Talking about a system analyst’s salary could be around 5 lakh to 7 lakh rupees.
System Developer:
Same as the system analyst, a system developer must know about the electrical systems. And he/she must have the essential skills to build an electrical system from scratch; therefore, multinational companies require people with these skills to grow their business. Talking about a system developer’s salary so that it could be anywhere between 4 lakh to 5 lakh rupees, and a person can expect a salary growth as per the experience level.
Control and Instrumentation Engineer:
A control and instrumentation engineer’s role in developing, designing, managing, and maintaining the instruments, equipment, and electrical system. Mostly, the multinational companies hire control and instrumentation engineers for managing their electrical systems. And you can easily expect a high pay of around four lakhs to 6 lakh rupees.
Besides the job, as mentioned earlier, roles or opportunities, you can also expect other job roles such as consultant, professor, or lecturer. But applying for the job role is completely depends upon the candidate’s interest.
Final Thoughts
It’s a topic of debate which ones the best between mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Many students find themselves in a confusing situation while choosing the right career path, and this is the case then; congrats, this whole post was all about you. Above, we have covered every single point related to mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, so you can come to know which one is the perfect suited one for you as per your interest.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
