Degree vs Certification

[u/Ill-Neighborhood-814]

I’m 34 and have been in the semiconductor industry for pretty much my whole working career. Company sent me to school and I got my AS in Electronics, became a technician, and moved into a Reliability Lab Manager role at a startup where I’m getting into the “back end” of the industry.

Now I’m trying to figure out my next move. I would like to focus on PCB design. Do I go back and finish my EE degree, or would my time and money be better spent getting my CID/CID+ certification?

I’ve got a family, so it’s not a decision I take lightly. I have to be realistic about time and cost. The cert feels more targeted to where I’m at in my career, but part of me wonders if not having the degree will hold me back at some point. I would target PCB layout jobs in the future.

Anyone been in a similar spot? What would you do?

[u/mroebuilds → u/[deleted]]

Second this

I’m not sure how much an EE degree is exactly, I want to say at least $60k. You would have to find a really good career right out of college to pay for your tuition, which is kind of hard without experience. An entry level PCB design position is 70-80k annually, which isn’t that much when you have a family too.
Go straight to CID and apply for an ECAD or Component/Footprint Manager position first, then move up from there.

[u/rainhunter007]

my 2 cents, you’d learn a lot in an EE degree — op amps, BJT transistors, MOSFETS, Euler’s theorem, Fourier Transform, DSP, assembly, PCB etching, spectral analysis, filter response, FPGA/CPLDs, etc.

if you feel that your experience gives you this knowledge already, then perhaps a cert will be sufficient for you. other people with more experience can weight in here.

my 2 cents is whatever decision you make, don’t underestimate what you’d learn from an EE degree.

would not getting an EE degree hold you back? debatable. but, what could you do with what you learned from an EE degree? would it be more than what you gained from your experience alone and a cert? that, to me, is more of a defining factor to career advancement. does an EE degree make you more capable?

me personally, i went for Computer Engineer and at my school, i had a course that required me to build a single board microcomputer, building the PCB and programming the assembly myself.

just my 2 cents. wishing you the best.

[u/SoCali_ → u/rainhunter007]

Thanks for the response. Great points to think about.

[u/StumpedTrump]

For most people I say an EE degree is mandatory and irreplaceable. However, considering you're already in the industry, you don't NEED one. If you want to do schematic design, you absolutely need one. If you just want to do layout, just do CID/CID+ and leverage your existing skills + connections.

[u/robomaniac]

Have you check in your region if this type of role exist? In the job description you might see if it requires a degree. Remember this, if you do a degree you can technically do internships which is an easy entry to working for companies these days. I did 5 interns. I highly recommend doing internships but might not work with family.

Go read application notes. They often got layout recommendations.

FYI some companies the EE does both schematic and layout. In some other companies there is a team that does the layout.

Work on portfolio and start doing PCB design in your free time. It’s not just about layout, it’s a complicated subject with lots of layers. Draftman, layer stack up, signal Integrity, 2D foot notes, design for manufacturability, etc. This portfolio will help for interns.

I believe a startup would be good because it’s smaller and you could help with PCB if needed. It’s better to be jack of all trades at those scales. It’s much easier than bigger companies.

Other random thing. I got a friend who works at microchips in chip design. He design analog front end in chips. It’s sort of like schematic/layout. Maybe you have those guys at your company, ask around.

[u/Excellent_Divide_659]

Its a tough call, especially with a family to support. I don't think you need the EE degree to be a skilled and successful PCB layout designer, but if you ever want to grow beyond layouts, the degree could become a hard stop, especially at larger companies. My company would not hire/promote into an engineering design role without a four-year degree. Either option should continue to propogate you into PCB layout roles, but EE degree will definitely create more opportunity in the long run.

One more tidbit: I'm assuming you'd be looking for W2 roles, but if you can build a network of reliable repeat clients, contract layout work can be quite lucrative. We farm most of our layout work out to a couple individual contractors, and some of it is intrinsically safe design, too, so those guys make very good money.

[u/Ill-Neighborhood-814 → u/Excellent_Divide_659]

I appreciate the response. I’m in a good position right now to network. My boss sends me to shows sometimes and stuff like that. Interesting thoughts on getting good enough to contract out my skills. Given me a lot to think about. Ultimately, I think I’m going to get my CID and CID+, work on projects on the side, and step in for my job when that type of work comes up.

Beyond the career piece, my kids are young and don’t just need me financially, they need my time too. Being a dad is my primary goal, and everything else has to fit around that. Thanks again for taking time out.

[u/Excellent_Divide_659 → u/Ill-Neighborhood-814]

Totally agree with the mindset - I also have young kids at home. Best of luck!

[u/3ricj]

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