The U.S. produces some of the best engineering talent in the world, and engineers trained in in-demand fields can command some of the highest salaries among college graduates.
Though a bachelor of science degree is the standard engineering qualification, for certain positions some employers will require a master’s degree or, occasionally, a doctorate. In all 50 states, engineers in any discipline generally must pass a licensure exam if they offer services directly to the public.
Who earns a high engineering salary? Here are six of the highest-paying disciplines, from entry level to senior engineer, with data from Monster.com's Salary Wizard:
Aerospace Engineer, Level V
Median Salary: $119, 431
Typical Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in aerospace or an allied engineering specialty, plus eight or more years’ experience.
Aerospace engineering jobs are one of those few, high-paying positions that actually may require rocket science. Working on multidisciplinary teams, aerospace engineers design, develop and test spaceships, aircraft and missiles, exploiting knowledge that spans aerodynamics, avionics, propulsion and materials science. A senior aerospace engineer typically has many years of experience, not necessarily all in the aerospace industry. At this level, aerospace engineers usually supervise other engineers and may have buck-stops-here responsibility for major projects, military or civilian.
Engineering Manager
Median Salary: $115, 176
Typical Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in engineering and eight or so years’ experience.
Engineers often make the best managers of engineers; that’s why many organizations have created the role of engineering manager. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of engineering talent, these managers oversee many engineering projects and processes, from creating design specs to managing people and budgets, and measuring and evaluating results. Engineering managers typically have talent and experience in general business management and in the engineering disciplines practiced within their organizations. An engineering manager might supervise half a dozen or more staff engineers; an engineering director might oversee hundreds or thousands.
Materials Engineer, Level III
Median Salary: $86, 773
Typical Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in engineering, plus four to six years’ experience.
