Biomedical engineering research students dressed in safety gear.

2018 Engineering Salary Statistics

Engineers Get Top Pay

What is an engineering degree worth? Year after year, engineering tops the list of majors with the highest average starting salary. The bottom line: it is well worth the time and effort it takes to become an engineer. So how much do engineers make?

Industry	Median Entry-Level Salary¹	Mean Annual Salary²	Top 10 Percent³
Biomedical Engineering National Labor Stats	$62,010	$89,970	$134,620
Civil Engineering National Labor Stats	$58,763	$89,730	$132,880
Computer Engineering Computer Hardware Engineers National Labor Stats Software Developers, Systems Software National Labor Stats	$72,030 $70,477	$118,700 $110,590	$172,010 $163,220
Chemical Engineering National Labor Stats	$67,868	$105,420	$158,800
Electrical Engineering National Labor Stats	$67,550	$98,620	$149,040
Environmental Engineering National Labor Stats	$59,133	$88,530	$130,120
Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences National Labor Stats	$60,327	$103,010	$160,510
Materials Science and Engineering National Labor Stats	$68,358	$97,050	$148,840
Mechanical Engineering National Labor Stats	$64,695	$89,800	$131,350

1: Figures from payscale.com, October 2017
2, 3: Figures from National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, United States Department of Labor, May 2016

NACE’s Salary Projections

Employers anticipate making engineering, computer science, and math and sciences majors the top-paid graduates from the Class of 2017, according to NACE’s Winter 2017 Salary Survey report. Engineering leads the way with an average salary of $66,097.

Check out the results.

“What’s It Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors”

This 2015 report from Georgetown University analyzes earnings data on 137 different majors. The highest-paying group is engineering.

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

“Employment is projected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations, although growth will vary by specialty; overall job opportunities for engineers are expected to be good. A bachelor's degree in engineering is required for most entry-level jobs, but some research positions may require a graduate degree. Starting salaries are among the highest of all college graduates.”

PayScale College Salary Report

“It's no surprise that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) majors are the top college majors by salary, but that doesn't mean that we discourage students from studying majors in the humanities, social sciences, education or arts. In fact, some of those majors lead to high-paying careers as well—it just often takes a longer time for those graduates to reach their prime earning potential.”