New projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals lukewarm growth for engineering salaries and job growth.
Overall job prospects over the coming decades varies by engineering discipline. Some disciplines are expanding at a good clip, while others are declining. Overall employment of engineers is projected to grow 3% over the decade, adding about 67,200 new jobs.
The employment growth rate for engineers is slower than the average for all occupations, in part because several occupations in the group are projected to decline as improvements in technology, such as design software and plant automation, make workers more productive.
The median annual wage for engineers is currently $76,870. That's more than twice the median annual wage for all occupations in the economy, which is $36,200.
Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 15 years, 12 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.