Consulting Engineer

Start-up cost: $20,000–$50,000

Potential earnings: $40,000–$85,000+

Typical fees: Depends on length and extent of project; can be as little as $175 for a minor project and as high as several thousand for the larger ones

Advertising: Trade journals, classified ads, federal publications, networking, banner ads on building- and construction related Web sites that link to your own informative site (which may include case studies showing how you solved engineering problems)

Qualifications: Degree and certification necessary (sometimes in each state you do business in)

Equipment needed: Drafting equipment and reference materials, computer aided design (CAD) software, perhaps surveying equipment

Staff required: Not initially, although you may want to hire an administrative assistant early on

Hidden costs: Liability insurance, mileage

What You Do

When a big project is launched at a corporation or even in a municipal environment, the expertise needed to actually create the “great idea” isn’t necessarily in house. You can really carve a nice niche for yourself as the “hired gun” who pulls together all the necessary finishing touches for construction, manufacturing, or technical situations. Consulting engineers offer their expertise or hands-on abilities to bring special projects to fruition. This could involve anything from creating CAD designs to developing a better means of production for wiring harnesses. If you don’t mind the pressure of coming into a potentially volatile (and political) situation, and particularly if you are amenable to long hours for a short-term project, this could be a perfectly workable business for you.

What You Need

Your start-up costs will consist mainly of basic equipment. Expect to spend at least $20,000 (more if you’re planning to have others working along with you). Invest in a professional-looking Web site, at the very least. But if you’re good at what you do, you’ll be able to earn a considerable amount of money within the first year or two—perhaps as much as $100,000 or more.

Keys to Success

The key to success as a consulting engineer depends heavily on your ability to establish yourself as an industry expert of some kind. The more well-known you are for solving manufacturability problems, for instance, the more calls you’re going to get—and the richer you’ll become.