Engineering degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in engineering earn a median $88,063 four years after finishing, across 57 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in general engineering earn $81,220, $19,171 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is other engineers (10%).
Median across 57 colleges; middle half $84,649–$94,332.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $54,746–$107,616. 3,675 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "General Engineering"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$45,582/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs engineering graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in general engineering actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Engineers | 10% | — | — | — | — |
| Civil Engineers | 9% | $100,840 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Software Developers | 7% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Mechanical Engineers | 5% | $104,110 | +11.2% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Industrial Engineers, Including Health And Safety | 4% | $102,670 | +12.0% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Aerospace Engineers | 3% | $134,960 | +8.3% | Bachelor's degree | IRC |
| Construction Managers | 2% | $114,990 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree | ECR |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Engineering earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | — | $89,493 (552) |
| Colorado | — | $78,204 (108) |
| Florida | — | $70,383 (214) |
| Georgia | — | $89,205 (110) |
| Illinois | — | $78,204 (149) |
| Massachusetts | $96,695 (3) | $89,375 (119) |
| Michigan | $82,513 (3) | $78,204 (118) |
| New Jersey | — | $83,250 (152) |
| New York | $80,912 (4) | $88,155 (238) |
| North Carolina | $86,596 (4) | $89,375 (108) |
| Ohio | — | $76,611 (100) |
| Pennsylvania | $88,063 (14) | $81,220 (146) |
| Texas | — | $77,561 (326) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where engineering graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 5 in Florida, 8 in Virginia, 27 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvey Mudd CollegeCA | $122,845 | $22,240 |
| 2 | University of California-DavisCA | $114,228 | $15,000 |
| 3 | University of VirginiaVA | $101,078 | — |
| 4 | James Madison UniversityVA | $91,761 | $25,000 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Engineering degree questions
How much do Engineering graduates make?
Engineering graduates earn a median $88,063 four years after finishing, across 57 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $84,649 to $94,332; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in general engineering, the median is $81,220 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Engineering degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in general engineering earn a median $81,220: $19,171 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $45,582 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Engineering graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in general engineering, the most common jobs are other engineers (10%), civil engineers (9%), software developers (7%).
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Engineering degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/engineering.