"I think there is a big difference between being in 'IT' and being an engineer working for a tech firm. While might slash IT left and right and outsource jobs to overseas, R&D is usually the last to get the ax," one reader said. "I graduated with a computer science [degree] last year and had numerous job offers with great pay, so I don't agree that the job market 'sucks.'"

Some working in high-tech today, despite the tough job market and the challenging curriculum engineering demands, continue to encourage their children to explore careers in math and science.

"I am an engineer and currently going for the MS in Mechanical Engineering. I have had a long and fruitful career and I have already paid for one college student and two more going right now. Two of them are pursuing scientific careers -- one is pursuing Math and Economics and my two little ones are on their way to the sciences and engineering fields," one reader wrote. "To be an engineer is to tackle challenges no one else can and to prove that either it can be done or not. It is a world for the brave and visionaries."

Yet others working in IT supported the survey findings, citing the current and the trend for American companies to send engineering jobs overseas.

"Maybe if 45% of electrical engineering and computer science jobs hadn't disappeared overseas in eight years, leaving engineers holding large student loans and being overqualified for most positions, people might think differently," a comment reads.