Rick,
Engineers are definitely middle class by any definition. Perhaps not 'working class' but definitely middle class. Are they paid well? Of course they are, they've got at least 4 years of college, and many years of experience in the 'trenches' before they get to the upper levels of income.
My sister is a civil engineer, designs drainage for road projects, she makes a decent living, but is she wealthy? No,not by any stretch of the imagination, and she is at the top of her field in her area, responsible for a lot of 'baby engineers' and making certain that their designs are actually functional, as well it is her responsibility to act as liason with the state agencies. You'd think she'd be awash in money wouldn't you? You'd be wrong<G>
