Regarding engineering as a way to make money, I think back 25 years ago, there was a real drive for men to become engineers so they could support a family … and maybe this is still the case. Rutgers had lots of blue collar family students who would grind away 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, since engineering was seen by them and their families as a way to middle or higher class.
Women may think that income is not as important, but with high divorce rates and with high cost of living and two-income families … yes it does matter whether income 2 is $50K or $120K.
The idea of important work, meaningful work is a bit new to me … i kind of think everyone wants that but also a stable paycheck and a good life (or you spend a year in Africa building water systems with your savings from stable engineering job or give $$ to charity or whatever).
I think the idea of art as part of engineering has some merit … but you have to find the numbers to be interesting. If you want to design pretty things, not efficient things or 5% improved things, you are probably better off in graphics art or marketing or even management or money …
But I am in the boy’s side of engineering …