7 Most Common Types Of Engineers

How much do you know about engineers? What is the first thing that comes to your mind whenever you think about engineers?  

Engineers typically refer to professionals who invent, design, build, and think. They research and develop new solutions in contribution to improvements of our daily lives.  

Just like doctor careers have their own medical categories like Pediatrics, Otolaryngology, Surgery, Plastic Surgery, etc. Engineers have their own considerably diverse branches too.  

Engineers have mechanical, electrical, industrial, chemical, environmental, civil, and aerospace engineering branches. These branches are fast-growing in recent years.  

In this article, we are going to introduce some common types of engineers generally. Including Hardware Engineers, Firmware Engineers, Software Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Electronics Engineers, Test Engineers, Quality Engineers.

．Hardware Engineers

．Software Engineers

．Firmware Engineers

．Mechanical Engineers

．Electronic Engineers

．Test Engineers

．Quality Engineers

．Software & Hardware Engineers Vs. Computer Engineers

．Summary

To explain what firmware engineers to, we need to define what firmware is first. Firmware has both features of software and hardware. Its very nature is software, but it focuses more on how to make hardware operate properly, like BIOS system. Firmware engineers make sure hardware have excellent and stable function in fields. They, develop, maintain firmware and often work with hardware team to solve product issues. This type of engineers is familiar with programming language C or C++.

What mechanical engineers do is quite similar to what hardware engineers do, whereas mechanical engineers focus more on mechanical components, devices and engines specifically. They involve with planning, conceptualizing and create mechanical designs of new products. Not just designing, they develop work instructions for production, manufacturing process. What’s more, they conduct analyzing data and interpreting results methodically then use them to support quality engineers, manufacturing. Sometimes, they also support marketing/sales with product proposals, samples and technical literature. Compare to other 6 types of engineers, mechanical engineers collaborate with vendors and contractors more among the rest 6 types.

Electronics engineers are involved with any electrical systems, components, equipment, and software. They focus on improving and assessing data of electrical product performance. They deal with designing, developing, improving, and testing electrical equipment that operate on electricity and equipment that is used to generate electricity. They evaluate electrical systems, components, applications and products are in the line with customer needs and safety regulations. To prepare electrical specifications for purchases and performance reports for products qualification can also be parts of what they do. This type of engineers is commonly employed in manufacturing industries. Detailed job description varies from companies and industries.

Test Engineers involve in inspecting and reporting all testing program result through the entire production cycle. They comprehensively examine materials, procedures, and systems. In order to troubleshoot technical issues in early stages and fix them as soon as possible, test engineers meet with product design team to determine test parameters, run tests on diverse components and features, and write up final test processes. All tests will be ensured to meet company and industry standard by test engineers.

This engineer is also commonly employed in manufacturing industries. Detailed job description varies according to industries. In general, quality engineers develop and implement quality standards and control systems. Consistently collaborate with product development team to confirm project execution. They ensure all production processes, workflows and products comply with safety requirement. Furthermore, they determine quality assurance goals, prepare and present these quality reports and metrics to senior management.

This is a bonus subject to this article. A lot of people or students or even engineers in different branches confuse computer engineers with hardware & software engineers.  

Computer engineering is like a broad overview of both hardware and software engineering. Some may feel confused between hardware engineering and computer or electronic engineering. Hardware engineering is more towards electronics engineering yet not the same.  

Hardware engineers are more involved with actual hardware and actually doing the lower level of programming like assembly language. Although hardware engineers can do exactly the same as computer engineers in computer engineering, but hardware engineers work more with a computer more than what computer actually does.  

Computer engineers also do lower-level assembly language as well as the microcontroller like hardware engineers, but they also do coding with that microcontroller and operating systems on computers where you go and you build programs and you make sure they’re running appropriately, like software engineers.  

Not just with the microcontroller but also operation with other software systems withing computers. It’s not just the harbor aspect of a computer, it’s also like the software and the operating system. That’s the main distinction between computer engineering and hardware engineering.

Chin Nan's brand spirit is to support people who change the world, like engineers. Anything we see, touch, use has partly associated with engineering careers. Each field or branch of engineering has countless possibilities. Some of their job duties might cross over, but they still have major distinctions.  

With this ever-changing world that engineers have brought to us, there is an unlimited chance for growth and development to our future. And what Chin Nan offers is to be a spark that support these engineers to shape a better future.  

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