According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs for engineers are expanding, and so are salaries.
The BLS figures are similar to results from the Desgin News study presented in the article, Engineering Career & Salary Survey – Are You Getting Paid Enough?. The average salary in our survey was $98,000, which is quite a bit higher than the average engineering salary of $85,000. The difference is likely because the Design News respondants included a preponderance of electrical and mechanical engineers, whose salaries tend to be higher than the average engineering salary.
The BLS data shhows that engineering jobs are projected to grow 3% from 2017 to 2024, adding about 67,200 new jobs. The growth rate is slower than the average for all occupations, in part, because several technician occupations in the group are projected to decline from 2017 to 2024 as improvements in technology, such as design software and surveying equipment, make workers more productive.
The median annual wage for engineering occupations was $76,870 last year. The median annual wages for all occupations in this group was significantly higher than the median annual wage for all occupations in the economy, which was $36,200.
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians
Entry-level education: Associate’s degree
Median pay: $66,180
Aerospace Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $107,830
Agricultural Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $75,090
Biomedical Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $86,220
Chemical Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $97,360
Civil Engineering Technicians
Entry-level education: Associate’s degree
Median pay: $49,260
Civil Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $82,220
Computer Hardware Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $111,730
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians
Entry-level education: Associate’s degree
Median pay: $61,130
Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $95,230
Electro-mechanical Technicians
Entry-level education: Associate’s degree
Median pay: $53,340
Environmental Engineering Technicians
Entry-level education: Associate’s degree
Median pay: $48,650
Environmental Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $84,560
Health and Safety Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $84,600
Industrial Engineering Technicians
Entry-level education: Associate’s degree
Median pay: $53,780
Industrial Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $83,470
Materials Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $91,310
Mechanical Engineering Technicians
Entry-level education: Associate’s degree
Median pay: $53,910
Mechanical Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $83,590
Mining and Geological Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $94,040
Nuclear Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $102,950
Petroleum Engineers
Entry-level education: Bachelor’s degree
Median pay: $129,990
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Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 17 years, 15 of them for Design News. Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years, he was owner and publisher of the food magazine Chile Pepper.
Image courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
