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Automotive Engineers in Pennsylvania

Automotive Engineers in Pennsylvania

Considering working as an Automotive Engineers in Pennsylvania? Below are the key facts. Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment such as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems.

What do Automotive Engineers Make in Pennsylvania?

For a automotive engineers working in Pennsylvania, the median annual wage is $97,450 per year (or roughly $46.85/hour).Annual wages span from $65,340 at the 10th percentile to $148,120 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $65,340 $31.41
25th percentile $79,100 $38.03
Median (50th) $97,450 $46.85
75th percentile $123,100 $59.18
90th percentile $148,120 $71.21
Salary ranges for Automotive Engineers in Pennsylvania

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Pennsylvania compared to the national average — is 1.28, indicating that automotive engineers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, automotive engineers earn a median of $107,733 per year ($51.79/hour), lower than the Pennsylvania median.

Automotive Engineers earnings in Pennsylvania vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 251,649 automotive engineers nationwide. In Pennsylvania alone, around 14,300 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 3,680 automotive engineers.

Automotive Engineers in Pennsylvania vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Automotive Engineers

Top Pennsylvania Metros for Automotive Engineers

The largest metro-area employers of automotive engineers in Pennsylvania.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5,010 $102,180
Pittsburgh, PA 3,570 $97,580
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 1,130 $106,590
York-Hanover, PA 680 $87,480
Erie, PA 570 $103,850
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 560 $96,050
Lancaster, PA 520 $84,970
Reading, PA 420 $96,680
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA 390 $85,570
Chambersburg, PA 190 $102,350
State College, PA 150 $89,000
Williamsport, PA 100 $77,980
Altoona, PA 80 $77,350
Johnstown, PA 60 $77,160
Lebanon, PA 60 $79,510
Gettysburg, PA 40 $75,810

Top States for Automotive Engineers Employment

The table below shows the states where the most automotive engineers work.

State Number Employed
Michigan 31,830
California 27,090
Texas 18,790
Ohio 16,420
Pennsylvania 14,300
Illinois 9,920
Massachusetts 9,430
North Carolina 9,390
Washington 9,350
Florida 8,860
Indiana 8,650
New York 8,420
Wisconsin 8,060
Virginia 7,960
Colorado 6,850
Maryland 6,330
Minnesota 5,970
Alabama 5,480
Arizona 5,440
Connecticut 5,310

Highest-Paying States for Automotive Engineers

Where automotive engineers earn the most: automotive engineers.

State Annual Median Salary
New Mexico $141,490
District of Columbia $130,000
Alaska $129,990
California $126,370
Massachusetts $122,670
Wyoming $116,910
Rhode Island $115,270
Louisiana $114,050
Maryland $111,740
Washington $109,370

Skills

Key automotive engineers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Critical Thinking  4.1 / 5
0
5
Complex Problem Solving  4.1 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Writing  3.9 / 5
0
5
Judgment and Decision Making  3.9 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.9 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Engineering and Technology  4.7 / 5
0
5
Physics  4.3 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  4.3 / 5
0
5
Mechanical  4.1 / 5
0
5
Design  3.9 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  3.9 / 5
0
5

Abilities

Top abilities for automotive engineers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Deductive Reasoning  4.0 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Problem Sensitivity  4.0 / 5
0
5
Inductive Reasoning  4.0 / 5
0
5
Written Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Oral Expression  4.0 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, automotive engineers typically:

  • Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing.
  • Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
  • Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses.
  • Calibrate vehicle systems, including control algorithms or other software systems.
  • Design or analyze automobile systems in areas such as aerodynamics, alternate fuels, ergonomics, hybrid power, brakes, transmissions, steering, calibration, safety, or diagnostics.
  • Prepare or present technical or project status reports.
  • Conduct research studies to develop new concepts in the field of automotive engineering.
  • Establish production or quality control standards.
  • Alter or modify designs to obtain specified functional or operational performance.
  • Research or implement green automotive technologies involving alternative fuels, electric or hybrid cars, or lighter or more fuel-efficient vehicles.
  • Develop calibration methodologies, test methodologies, or tools.
  • Create design alternatives for vehicle components, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative air-conditioning systems, to increase fuel efficiency.

Work Activities

  • Working with Computers
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Getting Information
  • Analyzing Data or Information
  • Processing Information
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
  • Thinking Creatively

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Atlassian Confluence, Atlassian JIRA, Autodesk AutoCAD, C In-demand technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD, Dassault Systemes CATIA

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Engineering Mechanics
  • Electromechanical Engineering

Related occupations to automotive engineers include:

Also Known As

Automotive Designer, Automotive Engineer, Automotive Power Electronics Engineer, Automotive Project Engineer, Automotive Quality Engineer, Automotive Systems Engineer, Chassis Engineer, Customer Quality Engineer, Design Release Engineer, Design Support Engineer, Dimensional Integration Engineer, Engineer, Engineering Designer, Fuel-Efficient Automobile Designer, Hybrid Powertrain Development Engineer.

References

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