Engineering

Types of Degrees Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many engineering graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	48,049
Doctor’s Degree	10,936
Graduate Certificate	2,806

What Engineering Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to engineering and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Engineering Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in engineering should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Skills for Engineering Majors

engineering majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Engineering Majors

Engineering majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

What Can You Do With a Engineering Major?

People with a engineering degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Aerospace Engineers	6.0%	$115,220
Agricultural Engineers	7.4%	$77,110
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Architecture Professors	10.5%	$86,980
Automotive Engineers	8.8%	$87,370
Biochemical Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Biomedical Engineers	7.0%	$88,550
Chemical Engineers	7.3%	$104,910
Civil Engineers	10.6%	$86,640
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Computer Hardware Engineers	5.4%	$114,600
Cost Estimators	10.5%	$64,040
Electrical Engineers	8.6%	$96,640
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	3.7%	$102,700
Energy Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Engineering Professors	14.7%	$101,720
Environmental Engineers	8.4%	$87,620
Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers	8.5%	$89,130
Fuel Cell Engineers	8.8%	$87,370
Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists	9.7%	$87,040
Industrial Engineers	9.7%	$87,040
Industrial Safety and Health Engineers	8.5%	$89,130
Manufacturing Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Marine Architects	12.2%	$92,560
Marine Engineers	12.2%	$92,560
Materials Engineers	1.9%	$92,390
Mechanical Engineers	8.8%	$87,370
Mechatronics Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Microsystems Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers	8.2%	$92,250
Nanosystems Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Nuclear Engineers	4.0%	$107,600
Operations Research Analysts	27.5%	$83,390
Petroleum Engineers	15.1%	$137,170
Photonics Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Physicists	14.5%	$120,950
Product Safety Engineers	8.5%	$89,130
Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists	3.7%	$102,700
Robotics Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Software Developers, Applications	30.7%	$103,620
Software Developers, Systems Software	11.1%	$110,000
Solar Energy Systems Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists	6.5%	$109,020
Transportation Engineers	10.6%	$86,640
Validation Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860
Water/Wastewater Engineers	8.4%	$87,620
Wind Energy Engineers	6.4%	$96,980

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Engineering?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 72% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of engineering majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3,909
Black or African American	1,273
Hispanic or Latino	2,672
White	15,127
International Students	22,983
Other Races/Ethnicities	2,085

Geographic Diversity

Engineering appeals to people across the globe. About 47.8% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Engineering Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that engineering students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $82,679 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $73,350 (25th percentile) and $95,659 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to engineering.

Salaries According to BLS

Engineering majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $93,720 to $114,000 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Engineering

Some careers associated with engineering require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for engineering careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	3.2%
Some College Courses	3.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	58.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	3.7%
Master’s Degree	16.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.7%
Doctoral Degree	5.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	1.3%

Online Engineering Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,245 schools offered some type of engineering program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	89	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	7	0
Associate’s Degree	691	21
Bachelor’s Degree	453	100
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2,261	218
Post-Master’s	113	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1,383	14
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	6	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	2	0

Is a Degree in Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a engineering grad is $101,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 155% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,234,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to engineering.

Major	Number of Grads
Computer & Information Sciences	60,971
Biological & Biomedical Sciences	28,851
Mathematics & Statistics	15,127
Physical Sciences	12,705
Engineering Technologies	7,672
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations	7,531
Architecture & Related Services	6,944
Natural Resources & Conservation	5,744
Communications Technologies & Support	585
Science Technologies / Technicians	79

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Petty Officer 3rd Class Declan Barnes under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.