As this is an English speaking forum the Oxford English Dictionary (compact) makes a good guide.
Engineer
A person qualified in a branch of engineering.
A person who makes or is in charge of engines.
A person who maintains machines (a mechanic, a technician ).
This is the definition of the word. If someones ego drives them to believe it has a higher meaning "frankly my dear I don't give a damn.
To take Nick Lappos mechanics (in which he includes licensed engineers) earn 40% of what a "real " engineer earns and put figures to it we get the following.
For a UK based licensed engineer working shifts, 6 months with present employer, one company type rating.
£48,000 divide by 4 multiply by 10. A "real" engineer working for wastelands must be on £120,000 ($240,000)!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dream on Nick.
At the moment licensed engineers in the UK are doing ok. We are largely with Bellsux on this one. We don't give a ****e about the graduates who believe that 3 years in a university entitles them to a "title". Most of us have spent far longer achieving our qualification levels.
We can read the papers and we know what salaries "real " engineers are being offered in the UK jobs market. By and large we don't care because in general we earn more and we aren't stuck behind a desk clock watching.
Bellsux
I like the title Bellsux, as I am spending a lot of my time time working on the S76 (known over here as the plastic pig) I thought a new handle of Sikorskyshyte might be in order. What do you think?