How to upgrade Engineer level?

Companies like Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop Gruman etc has these designations for their engineers to distinguish seniority, pay scale, and experience.

Engineer I are entry level positions. They are for people who just came out of college and possess little or no actual experience.

Engineer II are for engineers with some experience, maybe 2-3 years minimum.

Engineer III are for engineers with lots of experience, over 5 years at least. Engineer III are very senior and are likely able to manage a small team of engineers. The level III's are very well versed in their specific tasks that relate to their position in the company.

Engineer IV are the ones with the most experience, probably those that do not want to be managers but could be for their groups, departments, or divisions. They are vital to the company and have a wealth of experience and knowledge. Very hard to replace these types. A lot of times you might need over 20+ years of experience to get to this level.

Every company has their own way of evaluating their employees. You might have heard horror stories on the evaluation process, but it is something that has to be done in order to figure out where the employees rank in the company. If one is able to accept and finish tasks and one is able to gain lots of knowledge and apply in an effective manner, then the better the chances of going up the ladder. Usually the managers and senior engineers will have the most input on one's evaluation.

Certification only helps to get hired if the certification is for a skill required of the job. If it is extra, then it usually will not count for a higher level job. Most of the time what one learns in academia is a foundation for what one will learn in the company. Hopefully, the senior engineers will be good mentors and help one rise up the promotion ladder.

Job classifications are specific to a company. The salary ranges attached to those levels are also specific to the company.

The way to move up the levels is to go above and beyond, be very valuable to your boss, and earn a promotion. Certifications and years of service are nearly irrelevant. It's your value to the company that counts.