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Manufacturing Engineering

Instructional content is defined in code 14.3601.

Types of Degrees Manufacturing Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Manufacturing Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	485
Master’s Degree	403
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Manufacturing Engineering Majors Need to Know

Studies in Manufacturing Engineering emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Manufacturing Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Manufacturing Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Manufacturing Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Manufacturing Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Manufacturing Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Manufacturing Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Manufacturing Engineering graduates include:

• Engineer
• Aeronautical Engineering Teacher
• Television Engineering Teacher
• Highway Engineering Teacher
• Mining Teacher
• Refrigeration Engineering Teacher
• Radar Engineering Teacher
• Chemical Engineering Teacher
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Engineering Faculty Member
• Adjunct Engineering Instructor
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Engineering Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Manufacturing Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.1%
Doctoral degree	23.4%
Master’s degree	14.0%
Post-doctoral training	6.1%
Post-master’s certificate	5.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.1%
Some college courses	2.0%
Postsecondary certificate	1.6%
First professional degree	1.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Manufacturing Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 78.2% of Manufacturing Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	196	21.8%
Men	704	78.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Manufacturing Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	459	51.0%
Asian	55	6.1%
Hispanic or Latino	161	17.9%
Black or African American	22	2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.3%
Two or More Races	31	3.4%
Race Unknown	19	2.1%
International Students	150	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Manufacturing Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Manufacturing Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$77,503
4 years	$79,954
5 years	$88,040

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,040 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Manufacturing Engineering Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Manufacturing Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	2
Master’s	10	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Manufacturing Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Manufacturing Engineering graduates earn a median of $79,954 four years after completion — roughly 110% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering	197,615
Mechanical Engineering	42,939
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	26,760
Civil Engineering	20,005
Computer Engineering	19,986
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	13,914
Engineering, General	13,411
Chemical Engineering	10,939
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	9,596
Industrial Engineering	8,533
Systems Engineering	3,956
Engineering, Other	3,529

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.