It has its ups and downs

This is a two-panel rage comic style meme. In the left panel, a generic stick figure character slumps over an office desk in front of a computer with his head in his hands, looking extremely defeated and burnt out, with overlaid text reading "Why the fuck did I ever become an engineer?". In the right panel, the same character sees a text notification for a $6197.00 direct deposit, his expression shifts to resigned, satisfied understanding, with overlaid text reading "Oh yeah, that's why". The joke illustrates the common mixed experience of engineers: frustration with high-stress, difficult work is balanced out by the high compensation the career provides, matching the core premise of the title that the job has both negative and positive aspects.

This meme was originally shared on Reddit in general meme or career-focused subreddits. It uses the widely popular rage comic stick figure template that was ubiquitous in 2010s internet meme culture, and the imgflip.com watermark indicates it was created and edited using the Imgflip online meme generator before being posted to Reddit for wider circulation.