In this post, we’ll be discovering the difference between the mechanical engineering and economics branches, and also help you to choose the right branch depending on your abilities and personal traits.
Which is better mechanical engineering or economists
According to BLS, the average salary in mechanical engineering was $95,000 per year. Economists a little bit higher Around $105,000 per year, not a big difference in salaries but there are some differences we should talk about.
The first thing is regarding the higher salaries economists earn, the job opportunity in this sector is less promising compared to mechanical engineering. According to BLS, the annual average jobs offered for economists is only 2400 jobs in the United States. In mechanical engineering, there are 21,000 jobs offered every year which is 10 times more than in mechanical engineering.
The second thing is the level entry to economics industry required is at minimum having a master’s which is studying for 2 additional years after a bachelor. So you need to study for 6 years or even more to get a Ph.D. to finally become an economist. While in mechanical engineering you only have to complete your bachelor then apply directly to jobs.
Having a bachelor’s in economics will only allow you to apply for some economist energy jobs such as research assistance or analysis business, finance, or consulting.
Getting a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering directly qualifies you as a mechanical engineer, where you can work in different industries related to manufacturing, like automotive, aerospace, technologies, urban, and so on. everything that involves physical objects mechanical engineers are involved in.
If you are looking for more flexibility and to find jobs as fast as possible, mechanical engineering is the best decision, the odds of finding a job are 10 times bigger than in economic sectors. In addition to reaching $105,000 as an economist, it will be taking you a long time to get enough experience.
but there are some personal considerations you have to take into account choosing between mechanical engineering and economy, which we’ll be talking about later in our article.
which is harder than mechanical engineering or economics
Mechanical engineering is more difficult than economics. It involves a lot of mathematics and physics topics that economics Majors are not required to study. Economics can be difficult in terms of studying human science and making the right predictions about the Market.
Mechanical engineers are required to complete many math and physics courses, the math courses they should complete are:
- College algebra
- Calculus 1
- Calculus 2
- multivariable calculus
- differential equations
- linear algebra
An economics student has two math courses to complete:
- survey calculus
- college algebra
- statistics
survey calculus, College algebra, and statistics are not difficult subjects, they are easier if we compare them to multivariable calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra topics mechanical engineers should complete.
In terms of physics topics mechanical engineers have to complete the following physics courses:
- General Physics 1
- General Physics 2
- thermodynamics
- fluid dynamics
In economics Majors students are not required to complete any physics topics, economics doesn’t have any relation except in some advanced cases you will be found in this article.
The confusing thing about economics is studying human behavior and how it can impact the economy. For instance, Predicting how much the market we’re going to fall when a political event happens in the world or some Geostrategic conflict happens between countries.
What should I choose Mechanical engineering or economics
If you are passionate about machines and Design you should consider choosing mechanical engineering, on the other hand, if you feel attracted to economics, markets like stocks, or Finance, economics would be a good idea but it requires having a Ph.D., meaning devoting more time and the effort to deploy.
Economics is a field in which is difficult to find jobs in compared to mechanical engineering, If you are looking to find a job as soon as possible. The best thing to do is to choose mechanical engineering. You would only have to complete a 4-year bachelors in addition to having some internships in the background.
If you love both of them mechanical engineering and economics we recommend getting a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering Then opt for a master’s in economics or even a Ph.D. regarding to irrelevance between majors, but you have a chance to test both majors with zero risk involved.
It would be a good idea and the safest one if you did not find a job in economics you will still have a degree in mechanical engineering where it is easier to get hired working for multiple manufacturing companies.
Can you study mechanical engineering and economics together
To study mechanical engineering and economics together you have two choices, the first one is to double major in mechanical engineering and economics, which is heavier and a little bit more difficult.
The second option is to get a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and then apply for grad schools to get a master’s or Ph.D.
The last option is to take the major you have is a combination between mechanical engineering and economics which is industrial engineering. In industrial engineering, you’ll be studying math and engineering design in addition to human and economics topics you would study a big part in economics.
Industrial engineering study economics subjects like:
- College algebra
- probability and statistics
- engineering economy
- Introduction to Ethics (Core Humanities)
- Business Ethics (Core Humanities)