Systems Engineering

Types of Degrees Systems Engineering Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	2,186
Graduate Certificate	769
Doctor’s Degree	113

What Systems Engineering Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to systems 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 Systems Engineering Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• 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 Systems Engineering Majors

When studying systems engineering, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• 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.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Systems Engineering Majors

As a systems engineering major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• 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.
• 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 Systems Engineering Major?

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

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
Manufacturing Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Mechatronics Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Solar Energy Systems Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Wind Energy Engineers	6.4%	$96,980

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 73% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	185
Black or African American	125
Hispanic or Latino	191
White	1,060
International Students	459
Other Races/Ethnicities	166

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Systems Engineering, too. About 21.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• India
• China
• Saudi Arabia
• Iran
• Mexico

How Much Do Systems Engineering Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a master’s degree in systems engineering have a median salary of $100,114 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $96,211 (25th percentile) and $105,415 (75th percentile).

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

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $99,410 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to systems engineering. 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 Systems Engineering

Some degrees associated with systems engineering may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.5%
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)	1.9%
Some College Courses	2.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	62.1%
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.	5.9%
Master’s Degree	11.9%
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.	1.5%
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.	1.6%
Doctoral Degree	6.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	1.5%

Online Systems Engineering Programs

In 2020-2021, 112 schools offered a systems 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)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	37	11
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	79	23
Post-Master’s	9	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	32	2
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Systems Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a systems 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!

Majors Related to Systems Engineering

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

Major	Number of Grads
Electrical Engineering	11,021
Mechanical Engineering	9,007
Civil Engineering	6,042
Computer Engineering	5,557
Biomedical Engineering	4,252
General Engineering	3,548
Industrial Engineering	3,028
Chemical Engineering	2,662
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering	2,375
Other Engineering	1,820
Materials Engineering	1,810
Operations Research	1,191
Electrical and Computer Engineering.	928
Environmental Engineering	919
Robotics Engineering	560
Engineering Science	451
Nuclear Engineering	437
Manufacturing Engineering	423
Petroleum Engineering	401
Agricultural Engineering	332
Construction Engineering	288
Engineering Physics	286
Architectural Engineering	243
Geoscience Engineering	173
Polymer & Plastics Engineering	167
Engineering Mechanics	144
Mining Engineering	132
Ocean Engineering	112
Textile Engineering	96
Biological Engineering	80
Energy Systems Engineering	79
Marine Engineering	44
Metallurgical Engineering	40
Biochemical Engineering	21
Ceramic Engineering	20
Electromechanical Engineering	16
Surveying Engineering	11
Paper Science & Engineering	7
Forest Engineering	0

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 luis gomes under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.