Average Engineering Salaries
What is an engineering degree worth? Year after year, engineering jobs in the United States and abroad are paid the highest average starting salary.
How Much Do Engineers Make?
Engineers get top pay. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) engineers have a median annual wage of $100,640. The engineering field projects to have employment growth of 6 percent from 2020 to 2030. Nearly 146,000 new engineering jobs will be created over the next decade. One thing is certain: engineers will continue to play a major role in shaping the world of tomorrow.
So how much do different engineering careers pay? Review average engineer salaries by specific discipline or field:
Industry | BLS Stats | Mean Entry-Level Salary1 | Mean Annual Salary2 | Top 10 Percent3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aerospace Engineering | National Labor Stats | $89,464 | $127,090 | $176,280 |
Biomedical Engineering | National Labor Stats | $65,904 | $108,060 | $159,130 |
Chemical Engineering | National Labor Stats | $70,555 | $117,820 | $171,400 |
Civil Engineering | National Labor Stats | $61,597 | $97,380 | $138,690 |
Computer Engineering, IT Engineer | Computer Hardware Engineers | $75,069 | $140,830 $132,930 | $208,200 $198,100 |
Construction Management | National Labor Stats | $60,449 | $112,790 | $163,390 |
Electrical Engineering | National Labor Stats | $71,403 | $114,050 | $166,970 |
Engineering Management | National Labor Stats | $99,000 | $163,310 | $221,550 |
Environmental Engineering | National Labor Stats | $61,184 | $101,670 | $150,840 |
Electrical Engineering Technology | Recruiter | $68,3104 | $99,8104 | |
Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences | National Labor Stats | $69,879 | $101,290 | $158,540 |
Geospatial Science and Technology | National Labor Stats | $59,952 | $75,300 | $107,600 |
Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering | National Labor Stats | $71,896 | $98,560 | $134,990 |
Materials Science and Engineering | National Labor Stats | $71,550 | $105,420 | $162,300 |
Mechanical Engineering ME Salaries Details | National Labor Stats | $67,038 | $100,820 | $151,260 |
Mechanical Engineering Technology | National Labor Stats | $70,042 | $111,280 | $168,320 |
Mechatronics Engineering, Robotics Engineering | Payscale | $89,9481 | $133,0001 | |
Surveying Engineering, Geospatial Engineering | National Labor Stats | $82,411 | $71,060 | $106,880 |
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Engineering salaries can vary widely based on factors other than the type of engineering field. Additional factors include job location, experience level, education, and the specific industry or company. The bottom line: it is well worth the time and effort it takes to become an engineer.
Additional Engineering Salary and Career Information
Best Engineering Jobs
The occupations on the US News and World Report's 2022 Best Engineering Jobs list are diverse and offer good salaries.
Highest-Paying College Majors, 5 Years After Graduation
Engineering degrees took nine of the top 16 rankings for college majors with the highest income five years after graduation, according to a recent New York Federal Reserve study of full-time workers.
NACE's Salary Projections
Engineering Majors Once Again Among Those Most in Demand: This year, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer engineering are interspersed throughout the list.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
"Employment in architecture and engineering occupations is projected to grow 6 percent from 2020 to 2030. Employment is projected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations, although growth will vary by specialty; overall job opportunities for engineers are expected to be good. A bachelor's degree in engineering is required for most entry-level jobs, but some research positions may require a graduate degree. Starting salaries are among the highest of all college graduates."
PayScale College Salary Report
"It's no surprise that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) majors are the top college majors by salary, but that doesn't mean that we discourage students from studying majors in the humanities, social sciences, education or arts. In fact, some of those majors lead to high-paying careers as well—it just often takes a longer time for those graduates to reach their prime earning potential."
Hot Jobs for Engineering Graduate Degrees
"From US News and World Report, here are six engineering career paths that demonstrate faster than average job growth rates and offer high-paying salaries."
Types of Engineering Fields
While there are many different ways to organize the various engineering disciplines, according to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), there are twelve types of board engineering categories1:
- Aerospace Engineering
- How to Become an Aerospace Engineer
- Bioengineering
- What is Biomedical Engineering?
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- What is Civil Engineering?
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Electric Power/Energy Systems Engineering
- Electronics, Communication, and Information Systems Engineering
- Industrial, Manufacturing, and Operational Systems Engineering
- What is Mechatronics?
- Manufacturing Engineering vs. Industrial Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- What is Materials Science and Engineering?
- Mechanical Engineering
- What is Mechanical Engineering?
- Earth Resources Engineering
- Special Fields and Interdisciplinary Engineering
- Engineering vs. Engineering Technology
1: Categories from the National Academy of Engineering, accessed October 2023