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Somewhere near the end of your university engineering program, you face a choice about whether to pursue the Professional Engineer (PE) license by taking the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE exam), or skipping it altogether. If you do take and pass the FE exam, you face another choice after roughly four years of progressive experience as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) about whether to take the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam (PE exam), or again pass on the opportunity.

It’s easy to rationalize not pursuing the PE license. You might think you’re too busy at work, that studying will take away from your personal life or that the effort won’t be worth it if your company doesn’t require the license.

All these reasons might be true. Most people need a great deal of studying to prepare for these two eight-hour exams. And many companies do not require a PE license for someone to work in the engineering field. But the excuses ignore one indisputable truth: the power of the PE license itself.

The PE license confers many benefits upon those who earn it. Here are some of the most important that contribute to the power of the PE:

Your PE License Sets You Apart

The PE license demonstrates that you have the equivalent of a four-year engineering degree, four or more years of progressive experience (in most states), and a multidisciplinary understanding of physical and engineering principles. It shows that you have met all the standards required of the profession. For fields like electrical engineering where the PE is preferred but usually not required, it gives you another opportunity to stand out.

A PE License Generally Means a Higher Salary

According to the National Society of Professional Engineers’ 2010 Engineering Income & Salary Survey, the median salary of engineers in all professions without a PE license was $94,000, whereas the median salary of engineers with a PE license was $99,000 -- a difference of about 5 percent.

A PE License Can Be a Differentiator in the Hiring Process

If a company has to choose between two qualified applicants, one with a PE license (or an EIT working toward his license) and one without, which one do you think it will choose? Companies typically decide based upon which candidate they believe will bring the most benefit to the company. Remember, a company reaps the benefits of their employees’ PE licenses as much as the employees do -- so having the license truly represents a win-win situation.

A PE License Gives You the Ability to Sign and Seal Plans and Drawings

Only a licensed engineer can submit plans and drawings, and be in charge of work in the private sector. These requirements lead to more responsibility for the licensed PE, and thus greater career potential.