Engineering Salary
By Sarah Stevenson and the All Engineering Schools career research team—Your source for Engineering Degree news, trends and programs.
Attention aspiring engineers: the Bureau of Labor Statistics has some good career news for you. Many engineering specialties show excellent job growth prospects, but that's not all—engineering is also an industry where earnings are high, even for those just starting out.
If you're stumped about choosing a specialty, consider the following tables depicting engineering salary data for top engineering specialties and career fields.
Engineering Technology Degrees and Salaries
Even if you don't plan to pursue a 4-year degree, you can still earn a competitive engineering salary. For the vast majority of engineering technician jobs, regardless of specialty, a 2-year associate's degree in engineering technology is sufficient. The following chart shows the 2009 salary range and median salary for engineering technology specialties listed on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website:
| Engineering Technology Specialty | Median Salary* | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering Technology | $56,960 | $35,610 – $87,280 |
| Civil Engineering Technology | $45,970 | $28,640 – $69,410 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technology | $54,820 | $33,380 – $79,660 |
| Environmental Engineering Technology | $42,350 | $27,160 – $70,840 |
| Industrial Engineering Technology | $46,760 | $30,820 – $71,470 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technology | $48,970 | $31,630 – $73,450 |
Engineering Salaries for Specialties
Some of the fastest-growing occupations are in the field of engineering. If you hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the right specialty, you can take advantage of rapid job growth in areas like computer software engineering, environmental engineering and even biomedical engineering, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports as the fastest-growing occupation on its chart of employment projections for 2008-2018.
Like any other career field, if you choose to go into management—an area which generally requires several years of job experience and possibly additional engineering education—salaries are even higher. Engineering managers have one of the highest median salaries in the industry, at $117,000.
Other lucrative specialties include aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering and petroleum engineering. Check out the chart below for salary data on a range of different engineering specialties, as well as links to further information on engineering degrees.
| Engineering Specialty | Median Salary* | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | $94,780 | $59,500 – $137,730 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $69,560 | $42,980 – $116,240 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $78,860 | $49,480 – $123,270 |
| Chemical Engineering | $88,280 | $56,090 – $132,980 |
| Civil Engineering | $76,590 | $49,620 – $118,320 |
| Computer Software Engineering | $87,480 | $54,840 – $132,080 |
| Electrical Engineering | $83,110 | $53,510 – $126,810 |
| Engineering Management | $117,000 | $75,350 – $166,400 |
| Environmental Engineering | $77,040 | $47,660 – $115,750 |
| Industrial Engineering | $75,110 | $48,840 – $109,220 |
| Materials Engineering | $83,190 | $52,670 – $125,660 |
| Nuclear Engineering | $96,910 | $66,590 – $140,140 |
| Petroleum Engineering | $108,910 | $58,600 – $166,400 |
| Telecommunications Engineering | $89,310 | $56,860 – $133,350 |
*2009 median salary and salary range data from Bureau of Labor Statistics
A Few More Facts About Engineering Salary and Education
A handy chart doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to engineering salaries. There are a number of other factors that affect your earnings:
- Industry: whether you work for the federal government, state government or the private sector can have an effect on your engineering salary.
- Location: your earnings may be greater if you live in an area with a higher cost of living.
- Certification: besides a mandatory Professional Engineer (PE) license, there are a number of optional certifications in specialty areas that may increase your earning potential and managerial prospects.
Find Engineering Training Programs Today—Getting Your Engineering Degree is One Step Away!
Engineering Careers
- Aerospace Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Software Engineering
- Construction Management Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Engineering Management
- Engineering Technology
- Environmental Engineering
- Fire Protection Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Technology Management
- Telecommunications Engineering