Best Long-Term Career in Sydney: Traditional Engineering or Data Engineering?

nvwaru on 01/06/2026 - 20:57

Which career path is objectively better in Sydney to pursue over the long term: traditional engineering (mechanical/electrical/mechatronics) or data engineering?

If you had to choose only one, assuming equal interest in both, which would it be and why?

I’m especially interested in:

Long-term job security
Salary growth in Sydney
AI automation risk
Ease of finding jobs
Work-life balance
Future relevance over 20+ years
Career ceiling/progression opportunities

Would be great to hear from people actually working in these industries.

Education & Work

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  • freefall101 on 01/06/2026 - 23:23

    Future relevance over 20+ years

    My magic 8 ball says "Reply hazy, try again"

    Everything I learned in uni 20 years ago is irrelevant (except SQL, remained weirdly useful), it's everything I kept learning since then that mattered. There's nothing you can learn now that will remain relevant forever.

    IMO traditional engineering is more relevant now than data engineering, because every data company is working towards AI crafting data queries for you. They're not working towards AI building a mine shaft for you, because that could kill someone by accident. But right now, asking the internet for an answer is a really bad idea. You need to talk to people specifically in the industry you're in.

    • 5
  • SBOB on 01/06/2026 - 21:15

    assuming equal interest in both,

    If this is actually true, then electrical engineer

    If not, the one you find the most interesting as you'll be more successful if you're actually engaged and interested in the topics/potential job prospects

    • 3
  • JIMB0 on 01/06/2026 - 22:07

    mechatronics

    That's not engineering

    https://youtu.be/tqcThEqoYmA?t=226&si=JyVND6AeaEDvqfWZ

    • 2
  • jv on 01/06/2026 - 21:23

    Traditional Engineering or Data Engineering?

    Neither, Steam Engineering…

    • 1
  • Wiadro on 01/06/2026 - 21:57

    Traditional Engineering

    • 1
    • JIMB0 on 01/06/2026 - 23:00

      And if that's too hard you can always transfer to business.

      • 2
      • Wiadro on 01/06/2026 - 23:18

        and if business is too hard, you can transfer to the arts

        • 1
  • prisonmike on 01/06/2026 - 23:20

    Anything to do with plumbing, building brick houses, carpentry would be fine and not replaceable by AI

    • 1
  • tenpercent on 02/06/2026 - 08:43

    Best Long-Term Career in Sydney:

    Lord of the land property baron

    • 1
    • JIMB0 on 02/06/2026 - 10:50

      The first one's the hardest, after that it's easily sailing.

      • 0
      • tenpercent on 02/06/2026 - 11:05

        So Albo's rule changes won't have the desired effect.

        • 0
        • JIMB0 on 02/06/2026 - 11:18

          Not on those who pay cash or are positively geared. In fact it's made it easier with falling prices. You can also avoid paying capital gains tax by never selling.

          • 0
  • Muppet Detector on 02/06/2026 - 11:23

    This is from my EEng kid.

    He says that of those choices, he believes that Civil Engineering would be the best, followed by Electrical Engineering. Note he has no projection about wage growth on either.

    CIVIL

    He says that Sydney have a lot of long term infrastructure projects going on now and in the planning pipeline, including Sydney Metro (and other transport considerations) and urban renewal. He feels that these kinds of projects would be the most AI proof.

    He says another big area moving forward in Civil Engineering will be the integration of digital technology such as real time sensors and data interpretation with physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and power grids.

    Note he believes that this will also include integrating some AI technologies, so take that into account as you specifically mentioned AI, and in the future, some of those type of applications may themselves succumb to outsourcing or Ai.

    He called it smart infrastructure and said Google it lol, but will be relevant in the Sydney Metro projects, overhead digital signs on roads and exits etc and in water and power monitoring and probably into commercial buildings (he said like smart homes using Alexis on steroids).

    He also says to keep in mind that this is a targeted area of skilled migration, so, on the one hand, this indicates that this sector is significantly under resourced right now, but there will likely be increased employment competition in future years.

    Electrical

    Note, son admits bias for this major as it is his personal preference for his own interests.

    Says for Sydney, will be high demand and job stability and fairly AI and outsourcing proof.

    Also says this is the most versatile skill set to utilise in other off label sectors.

    How about a double degree?

    Then he suggested, that if you're up to it, for the greatest future proofing, why not do a double degree in Engineering (either Civil or Elec) and team it wit a data science or computer science Bach.

    He said these will be the guys earning the really big bucks and have the most security as, not much entry level competition (yet), but you would have the long term physical stability of the Engineering component and have the necessary programming skills that's needed to make the future of integration possible.

    • 1
  • payton on 02/06/2026 - 12:31

    Social Engineering

    • 1
  • pyramid on 01/06/2026 - 21:18

    Working in data space, I realised data analysis and engineering jobs will be obsolete may not be tomorrow but in coming year for sure.

    • 0
    • plmko on 02/06/2026 - 09:44

      Started. Know a few people paid a mint but were suddenly made redundent. Anyone starting now would be competing against experienced analysts willing to step down to 'average' salary just to get a job.

      • 0
  • AustriaBargain on 02/06/2026 - 04:55

    Why not both, you could engineer the massive warehouses for data centres.

    • 0
  • joka on 02/06/2026 - 07:04

    Those good old days when you’d believe you would enjoy your career and you’d do what you’re passionate about, getting paid to do what you love.

    • 0
    • Checkmate3023 on 02/06/2026 - 07:43

      Those good old days when you’d believe you would enjoy your career and you’d do what you’re passionate about, getting paid to do what you love.

      In fairness this is still and was one of the biggest lies we tell our children 'do what you love'

      how the f—k do you know what you love at 16 with zero life experience and almost no concept of money?

      50% have no clue what they what they want out of live and for an occupation and the other 49.9% find they 'dont love' the job they thought they would love but end up doing it for the money. - the 0.01% probably do love their job but their job it like a sport superstar/movie star etc these are the ultra lucky/talented people we all wish we could of been

      I have legit met doctors, laywers -probably the 2 more accept prestigue professions who thought this is what they wanted and 10 years in and they are 'over it' the long hours, demanding clients, stress etc none of that was what they expected but like all of us they need money to live and thus are stuck working the grind till they have enough to retire or do something else - i suspect most people would be in similar senarios

      • 1
  • 7ekn00 on 01/06/2026 - 21:16

    Things that have set parameters, rules and guidelines (like engineering) will be early AI targets :/

    Trades (like a sparky/chippy) will be the last (AI will not be able to look at a power point and work out where the physical wire runs to fix / test / replace / etc) …

    • -1
    • JIMB0 on 01/06/2026 - 22:02

      Trades will certainly be the most difficult and therefore last thing to get replaced by AI and robotics.

      • 0
    • apsilon on 02/06/2026 - 07:28

      I agree that trades will be one of the last but I can guarantee AI absolutely will be able to (if it can't) already look at a power point and use a variety of sensors to map the wiring faster through the wall than a fleshie sparky could dream of.

      • -2
      • 7ekn00 on 02/06/2026 - 07:58

        Proof of concept link somewhere?!?

        • 0
        • apsilon on 02/06/2026 - 10:37

          As I said, may not have happened yet but absolutely will. Some tradies are using thermal cameras now to locate in wall services. You don't think at some point (if they haven't already) someone will add thermal, ultrasonic, IR, endoscopes, LIDAR etc sensors to an AI and it won't be able to learn do these things? I'm not a fan of AI in it's current guise/capabilities but you'd be a fool to think it's not going to be able to do simple tasks like trace wiring. That's an apprentice job even today because it requires only basic skill/knowledge.

          • -1
          • 7ekn00 on 02/06/2026 - 11:14

            @apsilon: Tracing a wire, sure … tracing THE wire, right …

            Thermals don't tell you where the wire comes from nor goes too, it doesn't see thru brick, etc etc

            • 0
            • apsilon on 02/06/2026 - 13:55

              @7ekn00: Yep, it's going to be trivial for it. Pattern recognition is one of it's strong points today let alone in the coming years. Can't believe you think it's not going to be able to handle such a basic task.

              • 0
              • 7ekn00 on 02/06/2026 - 14:08

                @apsilon: Ok AI, sensor and robotics expert, if you say so …

                • 0
      • Boioioioi on 02/06/2026 - 16:46

        What does map the wiring even mean? What do you think a sparkie does? I could also take a crayon and draw where the wire goes in seconds - no sensors required!

        • 0
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