Engineers

Wages and salaries for engineers vary greatly by specialty, but starting salaries for engineers are often among the highest offered to workers with a bachelor's degree. A summer 2024 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that new graduates with a bachelor's degree in engineering had an average starting salary of $80,085.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that engineers earned the following mean annual earnings by specialty in May 2023:

• aerospace, $130,720
• agricultural, $88,750
• biomedical, $100,730
• chemical, $112,100
• civil, $95,890
• electronics, $119,200
• environmental, $100,090
• industrial, $99,380
• marine, $100,270
• materials, $104,100
• mechanical, $99,510
• mining and geological, $100,640
• nuclear, $125,460
• petroleum, $135,690

Salaries for engineers ranged from less than $62,150 (agricultural engineers) for the lowest 10 percent to $225,920 (petroleum engineers) or more for the top 10 percent.

Engineers who work for a company, nonprofit organization, or government agency usually receive benefits such as vacation days, sick leave, health and life insurance, and a savings and pension program. Self-employed engineers must provide their own benefits.