How to Become a Rotating Equipment Engineer
Although there are other paths you can take, a very effective route for becoming a rotating equipment engineer is to follow these general steps:
1. Excel in coursework in math, chemistry, physics and design studies in high school
2. Determine if this occupation is suited to your interests and qualities
3. Pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering
4. Find a suitable entry-level job
5. Obtain ‘Professional Engineer’ status
6. Progress into roles of greater pay and responsibility as you gain experience
Below we've expanded on these points, to give you a more complete idea of what you'll need to begin a career as a rotating equipment engineer in Canada or the United States.
What Courses Should I Take in High School?
Excelling at math, (trigonometry, algebra, calculus, etc.) chemistry, physics and design studies, will serve as excellent preparation for this career while you’re a high school student. Be sure to do well in these areas if you have the opportunity to take any of these courses.
Success Tip: Excelling at coursework in these areas will help prepare you for the work in this field at an early age, and will help you qualify for engineering degree programs!
What Formal Education Will I Need?
Employers looking to fill rotating equipment engineer job vacancies typically seek candidates that have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, or a similar field, with a focus on coursework in rotary or rotating equipment engineering.
Please Note: Some employers may require that you have a master’s degree, particularly for research and teaching positions.
What is a Rotating Equipment Engineer?
Rotating equipment engineers are mechanical engineering specialists that are responsible for designing, developing and maintaining equipment for power generation, transportation, processing and manufacturing. They also provide support and expertise throughout all phases of a project, including conceptual design, construction and front-end engineering.
What Does a Rotating Equipment Engineer Do?
Although their duties can vary from job to job, rotating equipment engineers are generally responsible for performing some, or all of the following duties:
• Developing rotating equipment specifications and guidelines
• Designing specifications for machinery and systems
• Planning and managing projects, and preparing material, cost and timing estimates, reports
• Supervising and inspecting the installation, modification and commissioning of rotating equipment and systems at construction or project sites
• Developing maintenance standards, schedules and programs and providing guidance to industrial maintenance crews
• Inspecting and testing equipment
What Licensure/Certification Will I Need?
You will need to be licensed as a Professional Engineer (“PE” - United States; “P.Eng.” - Canada) in order to exercise direct control of a public project and to supervise other engineers and engineering technicians. You will also need to have the PE/P.Eng. designation in order to sell your own engineering services publicly.
However, you won't need the Professional Engineer designation to be hired on as an engineer-in-training, which involves working under the supervision of a licensed engineer.
How to Become Licensed
Licensing requirements typically involve completion of a bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, geoscience, applied science or technology, as well as completion of a set number of supervised working hours, and passing an exam. These requirements can vary however, so please contact your provincial/territorial/state engineering association for full details on becoming licensed.
Should I Become a Rotating Equipment Engineer?
It’s important to consider that you won’t much enjoy a career that doesn’t align with your values, hold your interest, or require traits that you simply don’t have. The following traits, qualities and interests are well-suited for a career as a rotating equipment engineer:
• Intellectual & emotional stamina
• A desire to have perform work that involves logical and systematic processes
• The ability to pay close attention to detail and be precise and accurate
• A natural aptitude in mathematics & physics
• An interest in a well-paying career
• A keen interest in rotor dynamics
• A willingness to possibly be away from home for long periods of time
• An acute awareness of the importance of working as part of a team to complete engineering projects
What is the Salary of a Rotating Equipment Engineer?
Salary in the United States: According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in the “Mechanical Engineers “occupational group (which includes rotating equipment engineers) earn a median salary of $84,190 per year.
Salary in Alberta: According to the 2015 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans working as part of the “Mechanical Engineers” occupational group (which includes Rotating Equipment Engineers) earn an average starting wage of $40.25 per hour, and an overall average wage of $54.99 per hour, or an overall salary of $111,810 per year.
Please Note: The salary level you could earn as a Rotating Equipment Engineer can vary quite a bit, and typically depends on the following factors:
• Your level of education, experience and certification
• The level of responsibility involved in your job
• The size and type of your employer
• The region in which you work
• The industry in which you work
• Many other factors
Who Creates Jobs for Rotating Equipment Engineers?
Rotating equipment engineers are typically employed by petroleum and natural gas production companies, power-generating utilities and in processing and transportation industries.
Rotating Equipment Engineer Jobs
Our job board below has a listing of "Rotating Equipment Engineer" postings in your area of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia.
What is the Work Environment Like?
The work of rotating equipment engineers typically involves a mix of outdoor and indoor activities, in an office or a field setting.
Some rotating equipment engineers work standard working hours (9-5 or so), but many work shift work (which involves evenings and weekends), and might be required to work overtime during emergencies.
Rotating equipment engineers work with a variety of equipment, technology and machines, and must maintain a focus on safety at all times.
What are Careers Similar to “Rotating Equipment Engineer”?
Listed below are careers that may be in the same field, or they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and/or responsibilities as “Rotating Equipment Engineer”:
What Scholarships Are There for Aspiring Rotating Equipment Engineers?
The “Majors in Our Database Relevant for this Career” section below lists fields of study that are relevant to becoming a rotating equipment engineer. You can search for relevant scholarships by finding those majors on our "Mechanical Engineering Scholarships” page.
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you qualify for, even if it's just because you meet 1 of the criteria, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Sources
The following resources were used to gather information for this “How to Become a Rotating Equipment Engineer” career path guide:
• Occupational Profile: “Mechanical Engineer.” (n.d.). Alberta Government - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: “Mechanical Engineers.” (n.d.). United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
• Job Profiles for Immigrants: “Rotating Equipment Engineer.” AGCAS editors (June 2016). Government of British Columbia - WelcomeBC. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
Please Note: Some of the information used for this career guide was obtained from actual Rotating Equipment Engineer job postings, which due to their brief online nature, aren’t listed here as references.
Majors in Our Database Relevant for this Career
We have career guides for over 60 university majors in our database. Below we've outlined those that are most relevant to becoming a rotating equipment engineer. Click on the links to see what else you can do with these majors!
