General Engineering
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Types of Degrees General Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many general engineering graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 2,939 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 430 |
| Graduate Certificate | 80 |
What General Engineering Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, engineering majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the 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.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- 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.
Skills for Engineering Majors
A major in engineering prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- 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.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for Engineering Majors
A major in engineering will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- 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.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a General Engineering Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with engineering:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
| Energy Engineers | 6.4% | $96,980 |
| Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in General Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of engineering majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 244 |
| Black or African American | 153 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 128 |
| White | 1,055 |
| International Students | 1,220 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 139 |
Geographic Diversity
Engineering appeals to people across the globe. About 41.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- India
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Iran
How Much Do General Engineering Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a master’s degree in general engineering made a median starting salary of $87,600 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $76,750 (25th percentile) and $93,850 (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
Average salaries range from $99,410 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to engineering. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
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 General Engineering
Some degrees associated with engineering may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 |
|---|---|
| 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) | 2.5% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.1% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 43.9% |
| 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. | 8.7% |
| Master’s Degree | 21.6% |
| 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. | 3.5% |
| 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. | 1.3% |
| Doctoral Degree | 13.0% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 3.5% |
Online General Engineering Programs
In 2018-2019, 687 schools offered a engineering program of some type. 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) | 25 | 1 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 26 | 0 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 7 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 389 | 10 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 13 | 4 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 25 | 1 |
| Master’s Degree | 114 | 29 |
| Post-Master’s | 2 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 46 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 1 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in General Engineering Worth It?
The median salary for a engineering grad is $113,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 185% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,475,600 after 20 years!
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Majors Related to General Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to engineering.
References
- 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 Rémi Kaupp under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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