Engineering
What you can do with Engineering
A broad path into designing and building technical systems across industries.
- Careers
- 10
- Early career
- $75,000
- Mid-career
- $105,000
- Growing fast
- 3 of 10
How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 10 careers an Engineering degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.
The New York Fed does not report Engineering on its own. Its early and mid-career figures here are for General Engineering, the broader group it places this major in.
3 of 10 careers this degree leads to are projected to grow faster than average from 2024 to 2034. Of those, Management Consultant has the most openings, about 98,100 a year.
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10 careers this degree leads to
Physicist
$172,250Research how matter and energy behave, powering everything from quantum computing to medical imaging.
- Middle half of workers
- $111,720 to $222,760
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 1,700
Work-life60Remote68- Theoretical Modeling
- Experimental Design
- Mathematics
- Programming
Product Manager
$166,790Define product strategy and roadmap, prioritize features based on customer needs, and coordinate cross-functional teams to deliver software products.
- Middle half of workers
- $123,020 to $216,410
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 34,300
Work-life55Remote78Satisfaction76- Product Strategy
- User Research
- Data Analysis
- Stakeholder Management
Mechanical Engineer
$104,110Design, develop, and test mechanical devices and systems.
- Middle half of workers
- $84,130 to $132,590
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 18,100
Work-life68Remote42Satisfaction76- CAD
- Thermodynamics
- Materials Science
- Problem Solving
Management Consultant
$101,860Advise organizations on improving efficiency, profitability, and strategic positioning through data-driven recommendations.
- Middle half of workers
- $77,950 to $133,370
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 98,100
Work-life38Remote65Satisfaction74- Strategic Analysis
- Data Analysis
- Presentation Skills
- Problem Solving
Technical Writer
$90,390Write technical content such as equipment manuals, appendices, operating instructions, and software documentation.
- Middle half of workers
- $70,880 to $115,510
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 4,500
Work-life78Remote90Satisfaction70- Technical Writing
- Documentation Tools
- Information Architecture
- Editing
Cost Estimator
$78,740Price the work before it happens: estimate what construction projects and products will cost to build.
- Middle half of workers
- $61,150 to $101,850
- Growth
- Declining
- Openings a year
- 16,900
Work-life52Remote62- Cost Analysis
- Blueprint Reading
- Mathematics
- Bid Preparation
Electrical Engineering Technician
$78,190Build, test, and repair the circuits and control systems electrical engineers design.
- Middle half of workers
- $61,610 to $97,650
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 8,400
- Circuit Testing
- Instrumentation
- Troubleshooting
- Schematic Reading
Mechanical Engineering Technician
$74,510Prototype, test, and tune machinery alongside mechanical engineers, from the shop floor to the test lab.
- Middle half of workers
- $59,510 to $88,110
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 3,200
Work-life56Remote17- Mechanical Testing
- CAD Modeling
- Machining Basics
- Measurement
Career and Technical Education Teacher
$66,270Teach the trades and technical skills that lead directly to careers, from health sciences to manufacturing.
- Middle half of workers
- $60,590 to $80,060
- Growth
- Declining
- Openings a year
- 6,200
Work-life57Remote52- Technical Instruction
- Lab Management
- Learning Strategies
- Industry Experience
Civil Engineering Technician
$64,950Support civil engineers with the drafting, surveying, and field testing that turn plans into infrastructure.
- Middle half of workers
- $51,490 to $80,650
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 5,500
Work-life64Remote60- CAD Drafting
- Materials Testing
- Surveying Support
- Mathematics
Related majors
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Where these pay figures come from
Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.