Highest paying engineering careers in the US
Ranked by the typical pay shown on each career's own page, so the order here cannot disagree with the pages it links to. Typical means the middle: half earn more, half earn less. Starting pay is lower, and each career page shows the full range and what it takes to get there.
29 careers in the United States
Ranked by typical pay
291Computer EngineerDesign the chips, boards and machines that software runs on.Typical pay$162kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGood2Petroleum EngineerWork out how to get oil and gas out of rock, safely and cheaply. The highest paid bachelor's degree on this site, tied to a price you do not control.Typical pay$145kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandModerate3Aerospace EngineerDesign the things that fly. Four years of hard math, then aircraft, rockets, satellites or missiles.Typical pay$135kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandVery high4Nuclear EngineerKeep reactors running safely and design the next ones. A small field, a long career, and almost no room for a careless day.Typical pay$134kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandLimited5Chemical EngineerDesign and run the plants that turn raw material into fuel, medicine, plastic and food. Four years of hard math, then real money.Typical pay$125kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerate6Robotics EngineerDesign machines that sense, decide and move. Half mechanical, half electrical, mostly code.Typical pay$123kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerate7Electrical EngineerDesign the circuits, chips, motors and power systems that everything else quietly depends on.Typical pay$121kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandVery high8Power Systems EngineerPlan and protect the grid: the substations, transmission lines and controls that keep the lights on.Typical pay$121kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandVery high9Fire Protection EngineerDesign the sprinklers, alarms and escape routes that keep a building from killing the people inside it.Typical pay$115kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerate10Materials EngineerDecide what things are made of, and find out why they broke. Four years of chemistry and physics, then good pay in industry.Typical pay$113kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandVery high11Naval ArchitectDesign ships. Hulls, stability, structure and propulsion, for the Navy, shipyards and offshore industry.Typical pay$112kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGood12Biomedical EngineerDesign the machines and implants that keep people alive, then prove they are safe.Typical pay$109kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGood13Environmental EngineerDesign the systems that keep water drinkable, air breathable and contaminated ground safe. Four years of school, then a license.Typical pay$107kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGood14Geological EngineerWork out what the ground will do before anyone digs into it, and design the mine or tunnel around the answer.Typical pay$106kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandLimited15Mining EngineerWork out how to get rock out of the ground safely, cheaply and without wrecking the place, then keep the people underground alive.Typical pay$106kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandLimited16Mechanical EngineerDesign anything that moves, heats, cools or carries a load. The broadest engineering degree there is.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandVery high17Industrial EngineerMake a factory, hospital or warehouse work better. Four years of school and no licensing gauntlet.Typical pay$102kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandVery high18Civil EngineerDesign the roads, bridges, water systems and buildings everyone uses without thinking about them.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGood19Geotechnical EngineerEvery building, bridge and dam sits on soil. You are the one who decides whether the soil can take it.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGood20Structural EngineerWork out whether a building, a bridge or a stadium will stand up, then sign your name to the answer.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGood21Transportation EngineerDesign the roads, intersections, transit lines and traffic signals that a whole city depends on.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGood22Water Resources EngineerDesign the systems that move, store, clean and hold back water. Floods, dams, storm drains, drinking water and rivers.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGood23Agricultural EngineerEngineering for food, water and land. Machines, irrigation, grain storage and the systems that feed the country.Typical pay$99kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandVery high24Health and Safety OfficerFind the thing that is going to hurt somebody, and get it fixed before it does. Unpopular some days, and the reason people go home whole.Typical pay$90kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery high25Electrical Engineering TechnologistTurn an engineer's drawing into a working circuit, then test it until you know exactly why it fails.Typical pay$78kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited26Mechanical Engineering TechnologistBuild, test and fix the designs engineers draw. Two to four years of school, hands on the hardware.Typical pay$75kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited27Drafting TechnologistTurn an engineer's sketch into the drawing a crew builds from. Two years of school, no license.Typical pay$66kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerate28Engineering TechnologistEngineering work without the engineering degree. Two to four years of college, then drawings, testing and site work.Typical pay$65kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited29Chemical TechnologistRun the tests that decide whether a batch ships. Two years of college, a lab coat, and steady work in industry.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerate