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Engineer: Salary, Job Outlook and Education by Specialty

Engineering is reported by discipline. This page compares several of the largest engineering occupations. Across the 6 official occupations below, BLS counts about 1,326,870 workers. National median annual wages range from $100,840 to $161,740 (May 2025).

$0$100K$200KComputer hardware engineers$161,740Chemical engineers$125,040Electrical engineers$120,630Mechanical engineers$104,110Industrial engineers$102,440Civil engineers$100,840
Annual wage distribution for engineer occupations, United States, May 2025. Highest median: Computer hardware engineers at $161,740. The bar spans the 25th to 75th percentile, the thin line spans the 10th to 90th percentile, and the red mark is the median.
Engineer occupations compared
OccupationMedian wageEmploymentChange 2025 to 2035Typical entry education
Computer hardware engineers
SOC 17-2061
$161,74076,660+9.1%Bachelor's degree
Chemical engineers
SOC 17-2041
$125,04021,070+4.7%Bachelor's degree
Electrical engineers
SOC 17-2071
$120,630198,750+9.9%Bachelor's degree
Mechanical engineers
SOC 17-2141
$104,110296,810+11.2%Bachelor's degree
Industrial engineers
SOC 17-2112
$102,440365,740+12.4%Bachelor's degree
Civil engineers
SOC 17-2051
$100,840367,840+6.4%Bachelor's degree

Compare the top five side by side

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.