A person working in Engineering in Brazil typically earns around 7,230 BRL per month. Salaries range from 2,290 BRL (lowest average) to 15,300 BRL (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Engineering careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Acoustics Engineer | 7,490 BRL |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 6,150 BRL |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 8,320 BRL |
Associate Engineer | 6,750 BRL |
Autocad Operator | 5,000 BRL |
Automation Engineer | 8,030 BRL |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 7,500 BRL |
Biochemical Engineer | 7,010 BRL |
BMS Engineer | 7,290 BRL |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 4,120 BRL |
Broadcast Engineer | 7,310 BRL |
CAD Design Engineer | 7,530 BRL |
CAD Designer | 4,710 BRL |
CAE Engineer | 7,540 BRL |
Ceramics Engineer | 7,020 BRL |
Civil Engineer | 8,170 BRL |
Commissioning Engineer | 7,770 BRL |
Communications Engineer | 8,320 BRL |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 6,430 BRL |
Contract Associate Engineer | 7,130 BRL |
Control Systems Engineer | 7,620 BRL |
Controls Engineer | 7,310 BRL |
Controls Software Engineer | 7,030 BRL |
Corrosion Engineer | 7,300 BRL |
Design Engineer | 7,550 BRL |
Drafter | 4,570 BRL |
Drafting Manager | 8,660 BRL |
Drilling Engineer | 7,400 BRL |
Electrical Draughtsman | 3,710 BRL |
Electrical Engineer | 8,620 BRL |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 10,500 BRL |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 7,840 BRL |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 3,950 BRL |
Energy Engineer | 7,740 BRL |
Engine Assembler | 3,340 BRL |
Engineer | 7,960 BRL |
Engineering Account Manager | 8,860 BRL |
Engineering Chief Designer | 8,450 BRL |
Engineering Consultant | 10,700 BRL |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 10,600 BRL |
Engineering Lab Technician | 7,350 BRL |
Engineering Planning Manager | 10,600 BRL |
Engineering Production Manager | 13,100 BRL |
Engineering Project Analyst | 8,970 BRL |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 9,080 BRL |
Engineering Project Director | 16,100 BRL |
Engineering Project Manager | 10,700 BRL |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 12,000 BRL |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 5,920 BRL |
Engineering Sales Manager | 10,500 BRL |
Engineering Technician | 5,920 BRL |
Engineering Technologist | 6,040 BRL |
Environmental Engineer | 7,620 BRL |
Equipment Engineer | 7,300 BRL |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 9,840 BRL |
Estimator | 6,300 BRL |
Fabrication Specialist | 5,240 BRL |
Fabricator | 3,470 BRL |
Facade Engineer | 7,330 BRL |
Fiber Analyst | 4,510 BRL |
Field Engineer | 8,000 BRL |
Field Engineering Manager | 13,400 BRL |
Fire Engineer | 7,740 BRL |
Fitter and Turner | 2,540 BRL |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 8,700 BRL |
Generation Engineer | 8,030 BRL |
Genetic Engineer | 8,280 BRL |
Geological Engineer | 8,170 BRL |
Geotechnical Engineer | 7,860 BRL |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 4,180 BRL |
Highway Engineer | 7,590 BRL |
HSE Professional | 7,440 BRL |
HVAC Engineer | 8,350 BRL |
HVAC Supervisor | 7,300 BRL |
Industrial Engineer | 7,040 BRL |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 7,410 BRL |
Instrument Engineer | 7,220 BRL |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 7,610 BRL |
Instrumentation Engineer | 7,830 BRL |
Instrumentation Manager | 7,300 BRL |
Irrigation Engineer | 7,330 BRL |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 8,340 BRL |
Locomotive Engineer | 7,410 BRL |
Maintenance Engineer | 7,290 BRL |
Maintenance Fitter | 2,590 BRL |
Maintenance Manager | 7,900 BRL |
Manufacturing Engineer | 7,710 BRL |
Marine Engineer | 7,500 BRL |
Materials Engineer | 7,540 BRL |
Materials Researcher | 7,220 BRL |
Materials Technician | 5,590 BRL |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 8,090 BRL |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 8,190 BRL |
Mechanical Designer | 6,830 BRL |
Mechanical Engineer | 8,440 BRL |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 10,400 BRL |
Mechanical Inspector | 7,710 BRL |
Mechatronics Engineer | 7,940 BRL |
Mining Engineer | 7,670 BRL |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 8,550 BRL |
Optical Engineer | 7,400 BRL |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 3,980 BRL |
PCB Assembler | 2,800 BRL |
Photonics Engineer | 8,110 BRL |
Photonics Technician | 6,820 BRL |
Pipeline Engineer | 6,880 BRL |
Piping Designer | 4,200 BRL |
Piping Engineer | 7,300 BRL |
Planning Engineer | 7,720 BRL |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 3,790 BRL |
Principal Cost Engineer | 7,490 BRL |
Principal Engineer | 7,410 BRL |
Principal Support Engineer | 7,640 BRL |
Process Engineer | 7,220 BRL |
Process Operator | 4,320 BRL |
Product Development Engineer | 7,840 BRL |
Product Development Technician | 5,370 BRL |
Product Engineer | 8,070 BRL |
Product Safety Engineer | 7,130 BRL |
Production Engineer | 7,590 BRL |
Project Engineer | 8,450 BRL |
Proposal Manager | 9,550 BRL |
Purchasing Engineer | 6,730 BRL |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 7,380 BRL |
Rail Engineer | 7,740 BRL |
Robotics Engineer | 8,360 BRL |
Robotics Technician | 6,240 BRL |
Safety Engineer | 7,900 BRL |
Safety Inspector | 6,220 BRL |
Safety Manager | 8,920 BRL |
Safety Officer | 3,830 BRL |
Sales Engineer | 8,520 BRL |
Scheduling Engineer | 7,230 BRL |
Service Engineer | 7,740 BRL |
Solar Engineer | 7,900 BRL |
Staff Engineer | 7,610 BRL |
Static Equipment Engineer | 7,400 BRL |
Stationary Engineer | 7,230 BRL |
Stress Engineer | 7,290 BRL |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 7,160 BRL |
Structural Designer | 6,560 BRL |
Structural Engineer | 7,390 BRL |
Structural Technician | 4,990 BRL |
Supply Chain Specialist | 7,160 BRL |
Surveyor | 5,960 BRL |
Technical Affairs Officer | 3,820 BRL |
Technical Assistant | 3,780 BRL |
Technical Engineer | 6,900 BRL |
Technical Support Engineer | 6,430 BRL |
Tender Engineer | 6,820 BRL |
Test Development Engineer | 7,460 BRL |
Transportation Engineer | 6,990 BRL |
Validation Engineer | 6,680 BRL |
Verification Engineer | 7,500 BRL |
Wastewater Engineer | 7,840 BRL |
Wind Energy Engineer | 7,410 BRL |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 10,000 BRL |
Work Planner | 5,500 BRL |
Engineering salaries in Brazil range from 2,290 BRL per month (minimum average salary) to 15,300 BRL per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 6,940 BRL per month, which means that half (50%) of people working in Engineering are earning less than 6,940 BRL while the other half are earning more than 6,940 BRL. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 4,150 BRL while 75% of them are earning more than 4,150 BRL. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 10,700 BRL while 25% are earning more than 10,700 BRL.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning 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
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 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.
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 degrees levels across many jobs, 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 cerificate 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.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Brazil costs anywhere from 42,800 Brazilian Real(s) to 128,000 Brazilian Real(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you 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 into 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 your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in Brazil who work in Engineering earn 10% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 7,630 BRL | |
Female | -9% | 6,950 BRL |
Engineering professionals in Brazil are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 15 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 16 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely 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.
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
Banking | 3% | |
Energy | 6% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 3% | |
Travel | 6% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 3% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Brazil for the year 2021. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Engineering is considered to be a moderate bonus-based field due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
49% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 51% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 51% | |
No Bonus | 49% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, 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 BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
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.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting 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: | Example: |
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.
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.
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 fix 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.
The average salary for Engineering is 16% less than that of All Jobs.
City | Average Salary |
Aracaju | 7,230 BRL |
Belem | 7,820 BRL |
Belo Horizonte | 8,060 BRL |
Brasilia | 8,320 BRL |
Campinas | 7,590 BRL |
Cuiaba | 7,140 BRL |
Curitiba | 7,960 BRL |
Fortaleza | 8,170 BRL |
Goiania | 7,750 BRL |
Joao Pessoa | 7,280 BRL |
Londrina | 7,080 BRL |
Macapa | 7,030 BRL |
Maceio | 7,500 BRL |
Manaus | 8,060 BRL |
Maringa | 6,790 BRL |
Natal | 7,410 BRL |
Petrolina and Juazeiro | 6,610 BRL |
Porto Alegre | 7,620 BRL |
Recife | 7,860 BRL |
Rio de Janeiro | 8,350 BRL |
Salvador | 8,220 BRL |
Santos | 6,800 BRL |
Sao Luis | 7,570 BRL |
Sao Paulo | 8,420 BRL |
Teresina | 7,350 BRL |
Vale do Aco | 6,940 BRL |
Vitoria | 6,640 BRL |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Brazil earn 6% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 8,330 BRL | |
Public Sector | +6% | 8,850 BRL |