Manufacturing Engineering: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 14.36. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 141 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 16 | 18 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 6 | 5 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 42 | 485 | $75,888 | $88,451 | $21,386 9 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 53 | 343 | $103,190 | $122,873 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 6 | 5 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 16 | 44 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public · 58 graduates measured | $82,864 | $93,042 | $15,000 |
| Dunwoody College of Technology MN · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $81,165 | $90,176 | Data unavailable |
| Grand Valley State University MI · Public · 30 graduates measured | $77,793 | $95,416 | Data unavailable |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $77,750 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Western Washington University WA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $76,872 | $85,314 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout WI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $76,703 | $87,431 | $25,139 |
| Oregon State University OR · Public · 77 graduates measured | $76,612 | $85,369 | $21,386 |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR · Public · 77 graduates measured | $76,612 | $85,369 | $21,386 |
| Georgia Southern University GA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $75,132 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 43 graduates measured | $74,580 | $92,122 | $8,625 |
| Ferris State University MI · Public · 36 graduates measured | $74,104 | $80,996 | $26,000 |
| Texas State University TX · Public · 42 graduates measured | $72,860 | $88,995 | $19,875 |
| Bradley University IL · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $70,995 | $88,690 | $27,000 |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus ND · Public · 18 graduates measured | $70,367 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College PA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $118,435 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $118,435 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $118,435 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 60 graduates measured | $106,942 | $141,296 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $94,160 | $129,151 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout WI · Public · 30 graduates measured | $90,988 | $114,649 | Data unavailable |
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico PR · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $80,488 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Manufacturing Engineering
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Cost estimators | $78,740 | -3.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial engineers | $102,440 | +12.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineers, all other | $122,930 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
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.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 14.3601 Manufacturing Engineering