Engineer Salary


How Much Does an Engineer Make?

On average, a Engineer make $121,720 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $62,840, while the top-paid 10 percent made $183,510.

Annually National Average Salary: $121,720

$62K
$85K
$121K
$152K
$183K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2024 salary report from the BLS.




Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Alabama$86,630$112,870$143,060$179,360$191,880
Alaska$83,120$110,530$132,190$161,030$179,440
Arizona$64,060$88,170$120,170$140,980$183,130
Arkansas$53,280$58,380$82,320$99,990$125,160
California$72,840$99,730$137,300$167,940$212,930
Connecticut$64,430$83,840$119,530$148,170$178,860
Delaware$68,390$80,020$103,960$121,950$158,150
District of Columbia$102,500$134,430$157,060$191,280$191,880
Florida$58,260$76,440$108,200$135,200$164,980
Georgia$61,920$79,720$112,880$136,560$165,730
Hawaii$78,190$98,230$123,070$140,150$167,360
Idaho$81,110$106,450$136,720$165,740$205,430
Illinois$61,700$81,440$112,020$137,020$164,040
Indiana$55,140$77,110$108,770$134,430$162,980
Iowa$69,630$81,280$99,560$114,080$125,710
Kansas$41,940$53,290$76,670$98,430$122,530
Kentucky$44,690$61,610$92,380$113,030$147,280
Louisiana$58,640$75,590$103,840$128,230$160,220
Maine$73,230$90,520$112,480$128,500$151,860
Maryland$50,320$81,010$129,520$179,170$191,880
Massachusetts$80,150$101,880$134,210$160,850$188,730
Michigan$60,530$83,060$110,960$128,320$158,060
Minnesota$64,110$85,000$122,620$128,130$161,720
Mississippi$39,440$54,700$103,110$134,430$158,850
Missouri$50,420$66,730$95,580$119,020$146,640
Montana$57,480$78,720$96,080$113,730$134,430
Nebraska$39,480$46,700$84,450$109,610$130,980
Nevada$43,430$78,620$104,630$128,400$164,960
New Hampshire$70,030$97,110$123,200$149,750$181,960
New Jersey$78,100$97,390$131,270$165,380$191,880
New Mexico$84,130$105,980$143,530$178,720$198,940
New York$71,500$87,550$118,930$142,340$170,760
North Carolina$61,010$80,190$113,690$148,760$170,710
North Dakota$62,010$64,570$97,940$118,780$149,890
Ohio$65,890$85,080$118,040$145,850$174,450
Oklahoma$47,010$84,770$107,120$134,430$151,990
Oregon$74,710$94,980$128,940$159,000$186,260
Pennsylvania$57,050$79,060$107,500$134,450$164,100
Rhode Island$51,920$95,200$134,590$172,620$226,870
South Carolina$77,380$94,240$122,000$144,520$175,430
South Dakota$52,010$52,710$88,390$109,660$135,950
Tennessee$57,990$72,320$103,310$131,780$168,870
Texas$56,990$84,070$119,500$153,240$181,830
Utah$65,830$84,150$113,260$134,430$160,370
Vermont$80,860$88,290$118,260$141,360$177,430
Virginia$77,760$111,740$142,400$181,210$195,080
Washington$69,220$97,170$123,590$150,530$174,060
West Virginia$52,480$76,330$109,010$139,170$168,460
Wisconsin$65,190$84,060$106,370$127,480$141,360
Wyoming$76,170$103,400$120,990$139,700$139,700
Guam$35,480$35,480$87,270$124,090$142,560
Puerto Rico$25,230$43,620$71,120$94,180$122,780

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is District of Columbia, where the average salary is $157,060.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

District of Columbia - $157,060
New Mexico - $143,530
Alabama - $143,060
Virginia - $142,400
California - $137,300

Engineers: Salary Overview

“Engineer” is a broad term that refers to a person who designs, builds, maintains, or repairs a variety of structures, machinery, or engines.

Engineers specialize in a specific field such as mechanical engineering, civil engineer, electrical and electronics engineering, aerospace engineering, environmental engineering, materials engineering, chemical engineering, computer hardware engineering, and more.

Their job responsibilities, job prospects, and salaries vary widely depending on the specialty.

For example, mechanical engineers typically earn less than nuclear engineers but mechanical engineers held more than 310,000 jobs in 2018 while nuclear engineers held only 17,700 jobs.

The level of experience and the industry of employment is another important factor that determines an engineer’s wage.

For instance, entry-level civil engineers who work in the non-residential building construction field may make less than $55,000 a year while experienced computer hardware engineers who work for computer manufacturers may make more than $180,000 a year.

The median annual salaries also vary widely depending on the engineer’s specialty.

The median annual wage for mechanical engineers was $88,430 in May 2019, while computer hardware engineers earned a median annual wage of $117,220.

Civil engineers earned around $87,060 a year in May 2019 while chemical engineers earned around $108,770 during the same time period.

The median annual wage was $93,360 for materials engineers, $91,410 for biomedical engineers, and $88,860 for environmental engineers.

Aerospace engineers made around $116,500 a year in May 2019 and nuclear engineers earned a median annual wage of $113,460.

As an engineer, you can make anywhere between less than $50,000 and more than $180,000 a year.

Engineer Salary by Industry

Salaries for engineers are greatly influenced by the industry of employment.

The number of jobs available in a specific industry for engineers depends on their specialty.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 312,900 mechanical engineers employed in the United States in 2018 while biomedical engineers held only 19,800 jobs.

The biggest employers for mechanical engineers were companies that provide engineering services, machinery manufacturers, transportation equipment manufacturers, and computer and electronics manufacturers.

Most environmental engineers worked for companies that provide engineering services, for businesses that provide technical consulting services or for the state or local governments.

Materials engineers held about 27,700 jobs in 2018, while environmental engineers held about 55,400 jobs.

The largest employers for materials engineers were transportation equipment manufacturers, engineering services providers, computers, and electronic product manufacturers.

Most environmental engineers work for companies that provide engineering services, for companies that provide technical consulting services, or for state governments.

For example, mechanical engineers who worked in the research field earned a median annual wage of $101,780 a year while the median annual wage for those who worked for machinery manufacturers was $80,720.

Materials engineers who worked in the research field earned a median annual salary of $108,860 in May 2019 while those who worked in primary metal manufacturing made around $81,580 a year.

Biomedical engineers who worked for navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturers earned a median annual wage of $105,720 while those who work for colleges, universities, and professional schools earned around $73,300 per year.

Engineer Salary by Compensation Structure

Typically engineers earn a fixed salary but some of them may be paid by the hour.

Some employers also offer bonuses, commission, profit-sharing, and other incentives designed to motivate workers.

These benefits can supplement an engineer’s annual salary with several thousands of dollars a year.

For example, according to payscale.com, structural engineers earned, on average, around $2,900 in bonuses, $4,500 in commissions, and around $3,000 in profit sharing, as of May 2020.

The numbers vary widely depending on the employer, the region, and the engineer’s skills and level of experience.

Some make less than $4,000 a year in benefits while others make as much as $30,000.

Many engineers also receive health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision.

* Based on information from the May 2024 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Engineers. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


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