Pay for engineers is growing, but it’s not keeping up with inflation. For some disciplines, engineering salaries are decreasing.

Rob Spiegel

March 3, 2023

16 Slides

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released new data on engineering salaries. This year, we’ve included the growth (or decline in some cases) from last year.

Since we last reported wages by engineering discipline, we’ve seen something new – wage decay. In some cases that means salary increases are not keeping up with inflation. In other cases, the pay for engineering has decreased in actual dollars.

The number of engineering jobs is in flux as well. The BLS stats show overall engineering occupations are projected to grow 6% from 2020 to 2030. A good portion of the projected job growth will come from services in demand such as rebuilding infrastructure, renewable energy, oil and gas extraction, software development, and robotics.

The Ups and Downs of 2022 Salaries

Some of the salary figures are odd. Average pay went down for agriculture engineers. Likewise with chemical engineers. It's hard to tell whether that is actually happening or whether that indicates a change in how the Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers data. The pandemic may have been a factor as well.

Click "start slideshow" to view details on engineering salaries. 

About the Author(s)

Rob Spiegel

Rob Spiegel serves as a senior editor for Design News. He started with Design News in 2002 as a freelancer and hired on full-time in 2011. He covers automation, manufacturing, 3D printing, robotics, AI, and more.

Prior to Design News, he worked as a senior editor for Electronic News and Ecommerce Business. He has contributed to a wide range of industrial technology publications, including Automation World, Supply Chain Management Review, and Logistics Management. He is the author of six books.

Before covering technology, Rob spent 10 years as publisher and owner of Chile Pepper Magazine, a national consumer food publication.

As well as writing for Design News, Rob also participates in IME shows, webinars, and ebooks.

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