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Engineering Average Salaries in United States 2024

How much money does a person working in Engineering make in United States?


Average Yearly Salary
80,300 USD
( 6,700 USD monthly)

LOW
25,400
USD
AVERAGE
80,300
USD
HIGH
169,000
USD
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working in Engineering in United States typically earns around 80,300 USD. Salaries range from 25,400 USD (lowest average) to 169,000 USD (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).


Salary Variance

The provided figure represents the median compensation that encompasses housing, transportation, and other perks. The salaries within the Engineering domain in United States exhibit significant discrepancies across various professions. In case you seek information about the remuneration of a specific position, please refer to the salaries listed below for respective job titles.

Salaries for specific jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Engineering
3D Printing Engineer78,700 USD
Acoustics Engineer78,200 USD
Assembly Engineering Technician64,700 USD
Assistant Chief Engineer96,600 USD
Associate Engineer78,500 USD
AutoCAD Drafter50,600 USD
Autocad Operator52,600 USD
Automation Engineer92,400 USD
Automation Engineer93,400 USD
Avionic System Support Engineer77,700 USD
Biochemical Engineer83,100 USD
BMS Engineer81,700 USD
Bridge and Lock Tender48,000 USD
Broadcast Engineer81,500 USD
CAD Design Engineer91,400 USD
CAD Designer51,600 USD
CAE Engineer82,300 USD
Ceramics Engineer81,300 USD
Chemical Engineer83,000 USD
Civil Drafter51,100 USD
Civil Engineer85,600 USD
Civil Site Engineer84,900 USD
Civil Technician51,600 USD
Cognitive Engineer78,500 USD
Commissioning Engineer86,700 USD
Communications Engineer92,600 USD
Condition Monitoring Engineer74,600 USD
Contract Associate Engineer84,600 USD
Contract Engineer78,900 USD
Control Systems Engineer80,800 USD
Controls Engineer86,500 USD
Controls Software Engineer74,700 USD
Corrosion Engineer76,800 USD
Design Engineer87,400 USD
Director of Engineering175,000 USD
Drafter52,200 USD
Drafting Manager98,800 USD
Drilling Engineer85,500 USD
Drilling Foreman25,800 USD
Electrical Draughtsman41,500 USD
Electrical Engineer90,000 USD
Electrical Engineering Manager121,000 USD
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist95,100 USD
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler43,300 USD
Energy Engineer86,900 USD
Engine Assembler39,900 USD
Engineer91,700 USD
Engineering Account Manager98,000 USD
Engineering Chief Designer97,100 USD
Engineering Consultant116,000 USD
Engineering Key Account Manager118,000 USD
Engineering Lab Technician81,300 USD
Engineering Manager123,000 USD
Engineering Planning Manager114,000 USD
Engineering Production Manager156,000 USD
Engineering Project Analyst98,900 USD
Engineering Project Coordinator 99,700 USD
Engineering Project Director173,000 USD
Engineering Project Leader110,000 USD
Engineering Project Manager122,000 USD
Engineering Research and Development Manager143,000 USD
Engineering Safety Coordinator69,000 USD
Engineering Sales Manager120,000 USD
Engineering Technician67,700 USD
Engineering Technologist66,100 USD
Environmental Engineer87,500 USD
Equipment Engineer76,000 USD
Equipment Engineering Manager113,000 USD
Estimator74,200 USD
Fabrication Specialist61,900 USD
Fabricator37,000 USD
Facade Engineer81,100 USD
Fiber Analyst47,500 USD
Field Engineer91,700 USD
Field Engineering Manager139,000 USD
Fire Engineer88,700 USD
Fitter and Turner26,400 USD
Forestry Strategic Planner98,000 USD
Generation Engineer89,300 USD
Genetic Engineer90,700 USD
Geological Engineer91,700 USD
Geotechnical Engineer90,100 USD
Heavy Equipment Mechanic45,400 USD
Highway Engineer86,800 USD
HSE Professional82,900 USD
Human Machine Interface Engineer77,000 USD
HVAC Engineer86,300 USD
HVAC Supervisor80,600 USD
Industrial Engineer80,400 USD
Industrial Engineering Technologist79,200 USD
Instrument Engineer84,200 USD
Instrument Technician48,900 USD
Instrumentation and Control Engineer82,100 USD
Instrumentation Designer72,300 USD
Instrumentation Engineer82,900 USD
Instrumentation Manager87,000 USD
Irrigation Engineer83,500 USD
Licensed Aircraft Engineer90,300 USD
Locomotive Engineer82,500 USD
Maintenance Engineer83,000 USD
Maintenance Fitter30,500 USD
Maintenance Manager84,500 USD
Manufacturing Engineer79,400 USD
Marine Engineer85,300 USD
Materials Engineer85,600 USD
Materials Researcher79,000 USD
Materials Technician64,100 USD
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer90,400 USD
Mechanical Design Engineer87,500 USD
Mechanical Designer73,000 USD
Mechanical Engineer86,500 USD
Mechanical Engineering Manager117,000 USD
Mechanical Inspector84,300 USD
Mechatronics Engineer86,700 USD
Mining Engineer82,800 USD
Nanotechnology Engineer88,300 USD
Natural Language Processing Engineer97,100 USD
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer96,700 USD
Optical Engineer84,600 USD
Optical Instrument Assembler41,100 USD
PCB Assembler30,800 USD
Photonics Engineer91,100 USD
Photonics Technician76,500 USD
Pipeline Engineer74,600 USD
Piping Designer45,500 USD
Piping Engineer79,100 USD
Planning Engineer82,200 USD
Pressure Vessel Inspector41,800 USD
Principal Cost Engineer85,800 USD
Principal Engineer86,400 USD
Principal Support Engineer88,900 USD
Process Engineer81,700 USD
Process Operator49,400 USD
Product Development Engineer88,500 USD
Product Development Technician61,500 USD
Product Engineer91,000 USD
Product Safety Engineer78,100 USD
Production Engineer80,900 USD
Project Engineer86,100 USD
Proposal Manager113,000 USD
Purchasing Engineer75,300 USD
Quality Assurance Engineer83,100 USD
Rail Engineer87,000 USD
Regional Field Engineer91,400 USD
Remote Sensing Engineer85,000 USD
Robotics Engineer96,800 USD
Robotics Technician72,100 USD
Safety Engineer88,700 USD
Safety Inspector69,300 USD
Safety Manager98,700 USD
Safety Officer44,600 USD
Sales Engineer92,300 USD
Scheduling Engineer80,400 USD
Security Engineer94,500 USD
Service Engineer93,100 USD
Smart Home Engineer89,100 USD
Solar Engineer92,200 USD
Staff Engineer87,200 USD
Static Equipment Engineer85,500 USD
Stationary Engineer73,700 USD
Stress Engineer82,500 USD
Structural Analysis Engineer81,000 USD
Structural Designer72,300 USD
Structural Engineer83,400 USD
Structural Technician56,300 USD
Subsea Engineer104,000 USD
Supply Chain Specialist86,900 USD
Surveyor65,000 USD
Technical Affairs Officer44,900 USD
Technical Assistant44,300 USD
Technical Engineer75,400 USD
Technical Support Engineer74,600 USD
Tender Engineer78,000 USD
Test Development Engineer84,500 USD
Test Engineer86,700 USD
Transportation Engineer78,500 USD
Urban Engineer83,500 USD
Validation Engineer73,000 USD
Verification Engineer81,800 USD
Wastewater Engineer84,900 USD
Wind Energy Engineer88,100 USD
Wind Energy Operations Manager119,000 USD
Wireless Engineer93,200 USD
Work Planner62,200 USD


Engineering Jobs Pay Scale and Salaries in United States

Median and salary distribution United States Engineering yearly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
84,600 USD or more
10% of people earn
69,900 to 84,600 USD
20% of people earn
37,600 USD or less
65% of people earn
37,600 to 69,900 USD
Minimum Salary
25,400 USD
Median
73,500 USD
Maximum
169,000 USD




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries in Engineering in United States range from 25,400 USD (starting average salary) to 169,000 USD (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). To clarify, the number presented is not the legally mandated minimum wage. Rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that involved thousands of participants and professionals from across the entire country.

  • Median Salary

    The median income in the field of Engineering is 73,500 USD, implying that half of the workforce in United States earns less than this figure, and the other half earns more. It represents the central value of salaries. As a rule of thumb, you would prefer to be part of the group earning above the median wage, situated on the right-hand side of the salary distribution chart.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    Two values that are highly correlated with the median are the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution diagram, it is possible to determine that 25% of individuals employed in Engineering in United States earn less than 55,000 USD, while 75% of them earn more. Additionally, the diagram reveals that 75% of individuals earn less than 91,000 USD, while 25% earn more than that.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    Data was regrouped into brackets to provide a better understanding of what salaries can be expected. This approach was deemed more accurate than relying solely on the average salary, as it offers greater insights into the distribution of salaries in the field of Engineering in United States. The analysis revealed that roughly 65% of all reported salaries fell within the range of 37,600 USD to 69,900 USD. Approximately 20% of salaries were below the 37,600 USD mark, while 10% ranged from 69,900 USD to 84,600 USD. Only 5% of individuals earned a gross salary of 84,600 USD or higher.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does a person's salary progress over time?

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage.

Generally speaking, employees in Engineering in United States having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.

Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.

As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.

Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.


Change in salary based on experience varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of many different jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.
On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.


Salary Comparison By Education

How does the education level affect your salary?

Salary Comparison By Education
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Change in salary based on education varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of multiple jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income?

We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degree levels across many jobs in Engineering in United States, below are our findings.

Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.

Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a certificate or diploma.

Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.

Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.


Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United States costs anywhere from 39,600 USD to 119,000 USD and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

Employees can't expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming they already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

The decision really depends on the situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if a person can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. Degree costs can be recovered roughly in a year or so.



Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Engineering / United States

Salary comparison by gender United States Engineering yearly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? In the field of Engineering in United States, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.

Male
82,400 USD
Female-5%
78,600 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender yearly United States
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Engineering / United States

How much are annual salary increments in United States for individuals working in Engineering? How often do employees get salary raises?

Professionals working in Engineering in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 15 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate United States Engineering
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

United States / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate United States
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in United States is 6%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.

Bonus and Incentive Rates / Engineering / United States

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate United States Engineering
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44% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 56% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
56%
No Bonus
44%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Hourly Average Wage / Engineering / United States


39 USD per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Engineering in United States is 39 USD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working in Engineering in United States is 12 USD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Atlanta81,100 USD
Austin94,200 USD
Baltimore82,400 USD
Boston87,600 USD
Bristol68,100 USD
Chicago93,000 USD
Cincinnati68,700 USD
Cleveland71,100 USD
Dallas95,800 USD
Denver86,800 USD
Detroit87,600 USD
Honolulu67,800 USD
Houston99,900 USD
Indianapolis85,200 USD
Iowa City66,300 USD
Jacksonville92,100 USD
Kansas City78,300 USD
Kent67,100 USD
Las Vegas81,900 USD
Long Beach77,300 USD
Los Angeles97,300 USD
Memphis85,500 USD
Miami78,700 USD
Minneapolis71,500 USD
New Orleans74,700 USD
New York103,000 USD
Oakland75,700 USD
Oklahoma City80,600 USD
Orlando72,100 USD
Philadelphia94,600 USD
Phoenix93,100 USD
Sacramento79,700 USD
San Antonio97,400 USD
San Diego92,400 USD
San Francisco88,500 USD
San Jose90,900 USD
Seattle84,900 USD
Tampa74,500 USD
Vancouver67,500 USD
Washington D.C.87,800 USD

Salary Comparison By State

StateAverage Salary
Alabama86,000 USD
Alaska75,200 USD
Arizona89,500 USD
Arkansas82,900 USD
California94,700 USD
Colorado85,500 USD
Connecticut83,100 USD
Delaware77,300 USD
District of Columbia75,700 USD
Florida94,300 USD
Georgia92,700 USD
Hawaii79,300 USD
Idaho79,400 USD
Illinois93,800 USD
Indiana89,700 USD
Iowa83,000 USD
Kansas83,100 USD
Kentucky85,700 USD
Louisiana85,800 USD
Maine79,100 USD
Maryland89,400 USD
Massachusetts89,400 USD
Michigan92,900 USD
Minnesota87,900 USD
Mississippi82,900 USD
Missouri88,900 USD
Montana78,700 USD
Nebraska81,400 USD
Nevada83,200 USD
New Hampshire79,800 USD
New Jersey92,800 USD
New Mexico82,600 USD
New York96,400 USD
North Carolina85,000 USD
North Dakota69,500 USD
Ohio85,900 USD
Oklahoma78,200 USD
Oregon78,300 USD
Pennsylvania87,000 USD
Rhode Island71,400 USD
South Carolina80,100 USD
South Dakota71,500 USD
Tennessee83,400 USD
Texas89,000 USD
Utah75,700 USD
Vermont70,300 USD
Virginia85,300 USD
Washington84,600 USD
West Virginia75,200 USD
Wisconsin82,400 USD
Wyoming69,800 USD

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in United States is 5% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
92,800 USD
Public Sector+5%
97,500 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Engineering in United States?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 73,500 USD and 91,000 USD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for jobs in Engineering in United States ranges from 25,400 USD to 55,000 USD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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