Any professional engineers here?

[frugalnacho]

I have a degree in chemical engineering, and I've been working for 12 years as an environmental engineer.  I never needed to get my PE, and still don't need to for my job.  I've been thinking about getting it anyway.  I don't know if it will open up more career opportunities for me, I just wanted to get it as a personal goal.

So how many PEs are on MMM?

[theglidd]

I have a PE in mechanical engineering.

I'm in consulting, so it was "suggested" that I get it. Also it was a personal goal of mine.

I'd say go for it. Just some paper work and a test. Doesn't hurt to have it on a resume either.

[zolotiyeruki]

I'm in a similar position - an EE in the field for 12 years, but not a PE. I believe @Exflyboy is a PE, he might have some insights.

theglidd--my understanding is that in many places, you have to be mentored by a PE for a number of years before you can take the test.  Was that the case for you?  I imagine that for a lot of non-P engineers, they don't have a PE handy for mentoring.

[jinga nation]

I'm in a similar position - an EE in the field for 12 years, but not a PE. I believe @Exflyboy is a PE, he might have some insights.

theglidd--my understanding is that in many places, you have to be mentored by a PE for a number of years before you can take the test.  Was that the case for you?  I imagine that for a lot of non-P engineers, they don't have a PE handy for mentoring.

That was the case for me, EE since 2002. Worked in Fortune 500 companies but no EEs in industry. All the ones I know via IEEE conferences and local chapter meetings are consulting engineers and/or are mostly in the Power industry. At my engineering college, I think only civil engg students had to take the FE exam to graduate.

Eventually I transitioned into the IT field, don't need PE here.

[ncornilsen]

I'm taking the Mechanical Engineering - Machine design and materials PE in Mid April.

Get the practice exam. it was surprisingly easy... except where the writers made a mistake on whether they gave you a radius or a diameter for a particular dimension on something... they will try to trick you with unit conversions and things like that.

Reference material is important... but there are forums that can help with that.

Note to any young engineers out there - take the FE right after you graduate. Then take your PE exam as soon as you're elidgible. equation recall and study habits aren't particularly easy to dust off.

[frugalnacho]

I'm in a similar position - an EE in the field for 12 years, but not a PE. I believe @Exflyboy is a PE, he might have some insights.

theglidd--my understanding is that in many places, you have to be mentored by a PE for a number of years before you can take the test.  Was that the case for you?  I imagine that for a lot of non-P engineers, they don't have a PE handy for mentoring.

That is what the rules say, and I thought I would be unable to get it at my current company since there is only 1 other engineer, and he is not PE.  We do consulting work for a lot of PEs though so I have worked with many of them, though I wouldn't say I was directly under their supervision.  From my inquiries one of them would be able to sign off on my experience though.  FYI the one who would probably sign off for me is my bosses wife.  She doesn't work at our company, but we have done consulting work for the company she worked at.  That is of course according to my boss and his wife.  I'd like to get a second opinion on that since I've never actually gone through the process.

[theglidd]

If i remember correctly (in my state) I only needed 4/5 years of work experience and a reference letter from a working PE.

I did the FE right out of school, and then did my PE as soon as I met the 5 year experience requirement. 

If you don't have the FE under your belt, you might have to have 10 to 20 years work experience. Obviously it depends on your state.

[Brother Esau]

I'm a Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor and have the PE and LS. They are both basically required for the work I do.

[frugalnacho]

I've read that some states waive the FE requirement if you have the experience and can pass the PE exam.  I am in michigan, and from looking at the rules they still list the FE as a requirement.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/lara/Engineers_517625_7.pdf

MICHIGAN PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS LICENSING GUIDE ELIGIBILITY FOR LICENSING
 Possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a school and program accredited
by the Engineering Accreditation Commission/Accreditation Board of Engineering
and  Technology  (EAC/ABET)  or  Canadian  Engineering  Accreditation  Board
(CEAB).
 Possess at least 4 years of acceptable engineering work experience obtained after having received an acceptable bachelor’s degree.
 Experience  must  be  verified  by at  least  one  individual familiar  with  the nature of work performed by the applicant.
 Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination administered through the National Council of Examiners for Engineering an
d Surveying (NCEES).  The cost of the examination is $225. For additional information, please visit www.ncees.org.
 Pass  the  Principles  and  Practice  of  Engineering  (PE)  examination  administered through NCEES.  The cost of the examination is $350.
 Submit an online application at www.michigan.gov/mylicense. 
 Applicants  must  be  of  good  moral  character.    The  fee  due  at  the  time  of application is $75.

[mm1970]

I'm a lapsed PE in chemical engineering.  I took the PE exam after 4 or 5 years?  I think 1996, maybe 1997, in Virginia.  Passed.  Moved to California.  Continued to pay my annual dues for about 10 years.  Then stopped.

It never really did anything for me, but when I took the test I didn't know what I'd end up doing, so I figured it gave me options.

I'm glad I took it, though I sliced open my finger the afternoon before and ended up taking an 8 hour test with a throbbing left hand in a big bandage (with stitches), and a sore right arm from the tetanus shot they gave me at the Army base.

[Prairie Stash]

Non-American here.

I recommend the QEP (Qualified Environmental Professional) designation as well. Its recognized by the CESB (Council of Engineering Specialty Boards) in the US and recognized worldwide. I think it would be good practice for anyone in your position, the tests are somewhat hard and well rounded in the Environmental Engineering field. They have 4 disciplines; Air, Water, Soil and Regulatory. Its also recommended by the EPA, but that's never come up where I live (it sounds cool and I use it to impress my wife, but I think she may be humouring me).

PM for details or look up IPEP, the Institute for Environmental Practice. In the long run getting both is great, this will make it easier. I also wonder if it counts as verification of experience, they test knowledge and verify experience as well.

[SwitchActiveDWG]

I am taking the Control Systems PE exam this Fall. For me it is also a personal goal but I will get a pay bump and be expected to stamp certain documents for my projects once I've obtained it. I work as an Automation integrator and in my field it can result in increased opportunities and generally higher pay rates especially for contract work (which I plan to do lots of later in my career).

[HPstache]

Just got me P.E. in Mechanical Engineering in January of 2016 .  I fortunately had the opportunity to work under a P.E. for the last 8 years so it was a no-brainer to get my license even if I don't use it in my day-to-day.

[goalphish2002]

I have a degree in chemical engineering, and I've been working for 12 years as an environmental engineer.  I never needed to get my PE, and still don't need to for my job.  I've been thinking about getting it anyway.  I don't know if it will open up more career opportunities for me, I just wanted to get it as a personal goal.

So how many PEs are on MMM?

I work in environmental engineering.  I am in cost engineering and project controls (I have an accounting degree, not engineering).  Our engineers usually get the PE, PMP, or both.  It looks really good on government and large commercial contracts.  It usually helps engineers become project managers and then program managers- again, this is because many contracts are bid with these certified professionals in mind.  Is it necessary, no...  Will it help open doors, yes.

[BlueSky45]

I'm a P.E. in environmental engineering - also in Michigan.  I did take the FE right out of college and then took the P.E. about 5 years later.  My employer recommended taking it as one of my yearly goals and I'm glad he did.  Having the P.E. designation doesn't make or break your career, but it does enable you to do things that other non-P.E.'s can't do (such as certify SPCC plans).  I've also found it to be helpful when switching employers - the credential holds weight at most organizations.

[Cgbg]

I’m a PE in environmental engineering- took the FE senior year of college then went to work. Worked 3 years and had kids during those years. Stayed home for 8 years, went back to work and worked for a year and then sat for my PE. (Passed the first time, yay me!) It wasn’t particularly an efficient route to a PE.

[FrugalToque]

I've never gotten along well with the PEO in Ontario (Canada, we're talking).

As a Computer Engineer, it's never been important, at least in the fields I've worked in (mostly telco).  If I were designing rockets, bridges or medical equipment, I could see the point, but the people who got their P.Eng. in my field have never used their seal for anything, because there's nothing to mark with a seal in our work.

I'd be interested in hearing from a Comp.Eng. here in Canada who has found it useful.

Toque.

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Civil Engineering, in Wisconsin.

It takes 4 or 5 years of experience (if yow attended an accredited university some of that time can count).  Your application to sit for the exam requires references from two other PEs you had worked with/under.  It has been 13 years since I took my exam, so the requirements may have changed in the meantime.

In my profession having your stamp is worth more than a post-graduate degree. 

[Lanthiriel]

I work in the civil field (not a technical person but my husband is and I work with them) and it's pretty much required. Most of the folks I know get it within 5-6 years of finishing up school. Usually it comes with a raise. Most companies also brand you a technician or a designer until you're licensed, which is a bummer.

[Radagast]

I gots one, a civil engineer but lots of my work is similar to enviro. They are practically required for public works projects and work for many government agencies at every level. Lack of a PE cuts your salary potential in half and you can't even call yourself an engineer in writing. As an EnvE it seems like a PE would be valuable to you.

[Norioch]

Does software engineering count? Or do "real" engineers get offended when programmers call themselves engineers?

[HPstache]

Does software engineering count? Or do "real" engineers get offended when programmers call themselves engineers?

It sounds like you don't know what a professional engineering license is and would rather bait for a debate.

[Exflyboy]

I'm a PE mechanical.

As my Bachelors is from a foreign University and therefore not accredited, I had the option of either..

1) get my degree accredited.. Much easier sounding than it is.. Its also expensive. Then do the FE and PE exams.

2) have my references say nice things about me AND have 12 years of experience in the US at the professional level. Then do the FE and PE exams...

As I would have to do the FE/PE in either case and I had the required years of experience then doing option 2 make the most sense.

[SwitchActiveDWG]

Does software engineering count? Or do "real" engineers get offended when programmers call themselves engineers?

Could consider if a standard requirement to get a particular software engineering position requires a degree in computer engineering, if it doesn’t... probably not an actual engineering position. Software developer is often a more appropriate term depending on the specifics of the job, which is not a slight as they could easily be making more than engineers.

Engineer is a term thrown around wildly these days though. A friend of mine graduated college with a sports management degree and now he works for a company selling lifting equipment and his business card says he’s a sales engineer.

I don’t know think it’s a point of real engineers getting offended but randomly labeling somewhat technical roles as engineering is somewhat misleading.

[Engineer93]

There’s a new law in some states that allow you to take the PE exam right out of college.   Now I just have to get two more years of experience before getting the actual license.  I’m civil though and it’s pretty much required for my job.

[swampwiz]

I was an ME working in the aerospace industry, and did not need it, but a colleague of mine referred to it as "having another arrow in your quiver", and since my company would pay for a review course, I decided to do it.  However, within 2 years, I had decided to become a programmer, because of the opportunities back in the mid '90s.  I think it's good thing for folks working in a consulting firm, but I am not so sure it is worth much for folks working for a big company.  That said, it could be somewhat useful in getting work as a laid-off engineer, but it would have to be in a subfield where engineers actually need it.

[swampwiz]

I'm taking the Mechanical Engineering - Machine design and materials PE in Mid April.

Get the practice exam. it was surprisingly easy... except where the writers made a mistake on whether they gave you a radius or a diameter for a particular dimension on something... they will try to trick you with unit conversions and things like that.

Reference material is important... but there are forums that can help with that.

Note to any young engineers out there - take the FE right after you graduate. Then take your PE exam as soon as you're elidgible. equation recall and study habits aren't particularly easy to dust off.

I was virtually a straight-A engineering student, but I thought the problems on the real test were a bit challenging (in ME), although that could have been that as a student, I was so in to the material that I was confident - and that when taking the PE test I was not as confident.

There was a particular type of problem that I encountered in the practice exams and the real test - finding the stress on a hollow cylinder that was heat-pressed onto a solid cylinder (i.e., it slipped exactly on at a higher temperature than nominal) that was rotated - that I never did feel comfortable with.  This thread has motivated me to finally understand that problem thoroughly.

[Saskatchewstachian]

Maybe this is a CAN vs US thing but do those of you in the US need to complete a technical exam to get your PE even if you're from an accredited school?

It's uncommon for an engineer not to have their P. Eng designation where I am. 4 years worth of experience is required and reporting back to your governing body (reporting requirements differ between provinces) and an ethics exam to get your seal.

The only reason you would need to write a technical exam in your discipline would be if you got your degree for a non-recognized location. i.e. If I went to Latvia to get my degree then came home to register for a Canadian P Eng.

Does software engineering count? Or do "real" engineers get offended when programmers call themselves engineers?

Not that it matters, but more as a TIL for some people. The term "engineer" is a protected term in certain countries and requires a B.A or B.Sc in engineering and registration with the provincial body. We had an issue here where maintenance personnel we're listed as Reliability Engineers, one person in our company sits on the provincial governing board and had them change the title.

[SwitchActiveDWG]

Maybe this is a CAN vs US thing but do those of you in the US need to complete a technical exam to get your PE even if you're from an accredited school?

It's uncommon for an engineer not to have their P. Eng designation where I am. 4 years worth of experience is required and reporting back to your governing body (reporting requirements differ between provinces) and an ethics exam to get your seal.

The only reason you would need to write a technical exam in your discipline would be if you got your degree for a non-recognized location. i.e. If I went to Latvia to get my degree then came home to register for a Canadian P Eng.

Does software engineering count? Or do "real" engineers get offended when programmers call themselves engineers?

Not that it matters, but more as a TIL for some people. The term "engineer" is a protected term in certain countries and requires a B.A or B.Sc in engineering and registration with the provincial body. We had an issue here where maintenance personnel we're listed as Reliability Engineers, one person in our company sits on the provincial governing board and had them change the title.

In the US a professional engineering designation generally requires a degree from an ABET accredited engineering program,4 years of professional experience working with/under other registered PEs, a discipline specific technical examination, an ethical exam, and a supplemental experience record denoting your body of work as an engineer.

Particulars can vary depending on state, experience, degree, etc..

[EngineeringFI]

Yes, in the U.S. even if you are from an accredited (ABET) school you still need to take the F.E. and P.E. exams for the P.E. title. Unless, as others have posted, you have sufficient work experience to wave the F.E. requirement. Since I believe ABET is in no way affiliated with the government, but the P.E. title is, I think the technical exams make sense.

Personally, I work as an E.E. in semiconductor / integrated circuit development and have never once wished I had my P.E. To me, the extra effort required to earn the P.E. would not produce as much income as putting that extra effort into excelling in my day-to-day work. At this point, it's too late for me since FIRE is 2-4 years away and I don't anticipate needing it in retirement!

[MissNancyPryor]

Mechanical engineering PE here.  No-brainer decision to acquire at the earliest opportunity.  I have never stamped anything and don't intend to.  After I retire I will probably not pay the renewal fee once I am sure that I don't intend to do any level of consulting. 

I do believe it has made a difference in my career and the street cred associated with it has been a leg up. 

[MayDay]

I'm a chemE and never even took the FE.

My husband is a ChemE and took the FE. Later he worked for a consulting company who gave you a raise if you were a PE. So he took it. For him it was easy to pass without studying. All those formulas just stay in his head.

For me, I was anA student, but I'd fail if it took it now (13 years out of school).

[Exflyboy]

Mechanical engineering PE here.  No-brainer decision to acquire at the earliest opportunity.  I have never stamped anything and don't intend to.  After I retire I will probably not pay the renewal fee once I am sure that I don't intend to do any level of consulting. 

I do believe it has made a difference in my career and the street cred associated with it has been a leg up.

I stamped my Wife's birthday cards...:)

[67z400]

I am scheduled to take the PE exam in April.  It is not a requirement for my field, Industrial, but more of a goal.  I took my FE right out of school.  I am currently taking a course through the school of PE as a refresher.  I graduated in 2006, some of the topics I haven't touched since school.

[HPstache]

I am scheduled to take the PE exam in April.  It is not a requirement for my field, Industrial, but more of a goal.  I took my FE right out of school.  I am currently taking a course through the school of PE as a refresher.  I graduated in 2006, some of the topics I haven't touched since school.

I did the school of PE online courses too as a refresher.  I graduated in 2007 and was in a pretty similar boat as you trying to remember how to do everything 10 years later!  I passed the Mechanical Machine design and Materials first try.  Though I do feel I got a bit lucky.  They don't give you your results if you pass so you'll never know how close or far you were from passing .  If you take the test this April, you'll get a white pencil for the test... book it!

[Exflyboy]

The mechanical PE exam is challenging (a little harder then the FE I would say as I took them 1 year apart).. But like all things it feels great to walk out the exam hall feeling like you've nailed it..:)

[Brother Esau]

Mechanical engineering PE here.  No-brainer decision to acquire at the earliest opportunity.  I have never stamped anything and don't intend to.  After I retire I will probably not pay the renewal fee once I am sure that I don't intend to do any level of consulting. 

I do believe it has made a difference in my career and the street cred associated with it has been a leg up.

I stamped my Wife's birthday cards...:)

First thing my colleagues told me once I obtained the PE was "Don't use it". That and if you do stamp something, make sure it's not plans for something that can fall down ;-).

[libertarian4321]

I have a degree in chemical engineering, and I've been working for 12 years as an environmental engineer.  I never needed to get my PE, and still don't need to for my job.

Same here.  Except I've been doing it for 33 years. 

I haven't even considered taking the PE since sometime in the late '80s.  And even back then, I only thought about it as a "follow the crowd" thing. 

Never saw a need for it, and I can always think of something better to do than pay to take a test.  Plus, the idea of paying a yearly fee for what is, for me, a useless credential, isn't very appealing.

[robartsd]

It seems PE is pretty much only useful if it is required for your job (civil/structural work, government/large contracts, power grids). ME's I've spoken with have seen little to no value in a PE license. I think a big difference between work that requires a PE and work that does not is that work that does not require PE can have the finished product extensively tested and/or there is little safety risk in a failure.

[boarder42]

I'm a PE and a consultant - if you're a consultant you need it we seal everything that leaves here.  The stuff we seal for Telecom drawings is far from dangerous like a building that could collapse. I'm a EE and you hit celings at our firm if you havent passed the FE and then another when you havent passed the PE.

I personally thought neither tests were much of a challenge - passed the FE after partying the night before in college - took 1 hour per session - passed the PE on my second try only studying done was a 4 hour practice test before the first attempt- then just collected the books i was missing for the sections i wasnt strong in..


These are open book mulitple choice tests i dont see how they are difficult or how it takes 4 hours per session to take.

[GuitarStv]

I've never gotten along well with the PEO in Ontario (Canada, we're talking).

As a Computer Engineer, it's never been important, at least in the fields I've worked in (mostly telco).  If I were designing rockets, bridges or medical equipment, I could see the point, but the people who got their P.Eng. in my field have never used their seal for anything, because there's nothing to mark with a seal in our work.

I'd be interested in hearing from a Comp.Eng. here in Canada who has found it useful.

Toque.

You get a discount in car insurance for being a P. Eng.  Other than that . . . I've never had a need for it.  My whole career has been as a computer engineer (including time worked designing safety critical software systems in the transportation industry).   :P

[SwitchActiveDWG]

I'm a PE and a consultant - if you're a consultant you need it we seal everything that leaves here.  The stuff we seal for Telecom drawings is far from dangerous like a building that could collapse. I'm a EE and you hit celings at our firm if you havent passed the FE and then another when you havent passed the PE.

I personally thought neither tests were much of a challenge - passed the FE after partying the night before in college - took 1 hour per session - passed the PE on my second try only studying done was a 4 hour practice test before the first attempt- then just collected the books i was missing for the sections i wasnt strong in..


These are open book mulitple choice tests i dont see how they are difficult or how it takes 4 hours per session to take.

What’s easy for one can be difficult for another.

[mm1970]

I'm a PE and a consultant - if you're a consultant you need it we seal everything that leaves here.  The stuff we seal for Telecom drawings is far from dangerous like a building that could collapse. I'm a EE and you hit celings at our firm if you havent passed the FE and then another when you havent passed the PE.

I personally thought neither tests were much of a challenge - passed the FE after partying the night before in college - took 1 hour per session - passed the PE on my second try only studying done was a 4 hour practice test before the first attempt- then just collected the books i was missing for the sections i wasnt strong in..


These are open book mulitple choice tests i dont see how they are difficult or how it takes 4 hours per session to take.

I wonder.  I took the PE (chem E) and passed first time (as mentioned upthread, with a bandaged hand and throbbing arm).  The guy next to me was on his third (and final) try - his company paid for it, but I just couldn't figure out why he couldn't pass it. 

Then I realized that he was just trying to do the first 4 problems.  Back then, I think there were 10 questions per 4 hour section.  You only had to complete 4.  So, um...you pick the easy ones first?  I got started on one that was going to take a really long time, so quit 10 minutes in, and moved on.

I don't think he did that.  We chatted on the lunch break and he mentioned a REALLY HARD problem, that I just skipped.

[okits]

I'm a PE and a consultant - if you're a consultant you need it we seal everything that leaves here.  The stuff we seal for Telecom drawings is far from dangerous like a building that could collapse. I'm a EE and you hit celings at our firm if you havent passed the FE and then another when you havent passed the PE.

I personally thought neither tests were much of a challenge - passed the FE after partying the night before in college - took 1 hour per session - passed the PE on my second try only studying done was a 4 hour practice test before the first attempt- then just collected the books i was missing for the sections i wasnt strong in..


These are open book mulitple choice tests i dont see how they are difficult or how it takes 4 hours per session to take.

I wonder.  I took the PE (chem E) and passed first time (as mentioned upthread, with a bandaged hand and throbbing arm).  The guy next to me was on his third (and final) try - his company paid for it, but I just couldn't figure out why he couldn't pass it. 

Then I realized that he was just trying to do the first 4 problems.  Back then, I think there were 10 questions per 4 hour section.  You only had to complete 4.  So, um...you pick the easy ones first?  I got started on one that was going to take a really long time, so quit 10 minutes in, and moved on.

I don't think he did that.  We chatted on the lunch break and he mentioned a REALLY HARD problem, that I just skipped.

Possibly the bolded part is the real test.  If you can't figure out the optimal way to ensure a passing grade you don't deserve the designation!

[ysette9]

I’m 13 years into my career in engineering and only heard about the PE exam and license a few years ago. My husband graduated with an ME degree and my undergrad is ChemE. Neither of us have needed or really even worked with PEs.
He does consumer electronics and I’m in aerospace.

[boarder42]

I'm a PE and a consultant - if you're a consultant you need it we seal everything that leaves here.  The stuff we seal for Telecom drawings is far from dangerous like a building that could collapse. I'm a EE and you hit celings at our firm if you havent passed the FE and then another when you havent passed the PE.

I personally thought neither tests were much of a challenge - passed the FE after partying the night before in college - took 1 hour per session - passed the PE on my second try only studying done was a 4 hour practice test before the first attempt- then just collected the books i was missing for the sections i wasnt strong in..


These are open book mulitple choice tests i dont see how they are difficult or how it takes 4 hours per session to take.

I wonder.  I took the PE (chem E) and passed first time (as mentioned upthread, with a bandaged hand and throbbing arm).  The guy next to me was on his third (and final) try - his company paid for it, but I just couldn't figure out why he couldn't pass it. 

Then I realized that he was just trying to do the first 4 problems.  Back then, I think there were 10 questions per 4 hour section.  You only had to complete 4.  So, um...you pick the easy ones first?  I got started on one that was going to take a really long time, so quit 10 minutes in, and moved on.

I don't think he did that.  We chatted on the lunch break and he mentioned a REALLY HARD problem, that I just skipped.

Possibly the bolded part is the real test.  If you can't figure out the optimal way to ensure a passing grade you don't deserve the designation!

yeah its 2 40 question multiple choice sections now.  But great point its about optimizing your test and you should focus on the easier ones at least whats easiest for you first. 

[Highbeam]

I'm a civil PE. Stamp is a must-have credential but I very rarely stamp anything. Take it as soon as you can, it only gets harder with time.

You can stop renewing the license for many years and then just start paying again and get your license back. No retest.

[Toad]

Does software engineering count?

No

Or do "real" engineers get offended when programmers call themselves engineers?

Yes, go away.

A good friend of mine is a computer science major (programmer).  I make sure to call him a fake engineer every chance I get.  He gets the last laugh though since he has a much lower stress job with higher pay.

First thing my colleagues told me once I obtained the PE was "Don't use it". That and if you do stamp something, make sure it's not plans for something that can fall down ;-).

All joking aside, this is definitely a main driver for me to get FI ASAP.  I am a structural engineer working at a consulting firm, so EVERYTHING I do has the potential to fall down and often with a high probability of substantial loss of life.  My seal is on many thing that could potentially kill many people...schools, hotels, major distribution centers, etc..  This is the main source of stress for me at my job.  I mean, I know what I am doing, but at the same time, I am human.

Needless to say, for structural engineering a PE license is essentially a must have--I got mine as soon as I could (after 2 years working).  I was planning on getting a SE license as well when I became eligible (4 years working), but have started putting that one off...just not sure it really makes sense for me since I am planning on early retirement.  No real pay increase with it where I am at, and with a ~30% pass rate I am not super motivated to dedicate time to it.

[3for3]

I got a 20% salary increase upon passing it. As a civil consultant it is pretty mandatory for my job.

[frugalnacho]

I purchased an FE prep book https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591263336/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and an environmental practice exam https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1532827237/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 shortly after starting this thread and studied for about 7-8 weeks.  There was a lot of math I had completely forgotten how to do, and a lot of stuff I don't use everyday that I had to review.  There was also a lot of discipline specific stuff I had to learn (I work in air only, but the exam covers air/water/soil).

I took the practice exam and got 75/110 which should be a passing score, so I scheduled the real exam for yesterday.  The real exam seemed pretty comparable to the practice exam, so hopefully I passed.

I submitted an expense report for both books and the exam fee and my company paid it no questions asked.

I'll update next week when I get my results.

EDIT: I took the environmental FE if that wasn't clear.