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Occupational Outlook Handbook > Field of Degree > Engineering >

Field of degree: Engineering

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Engineering field of degree. Employment: 4,700,460. Median annual wage: $90,000.

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Table 1. Engineering degree, 2018
Data	Engineering	All fields
Employment	4,700,460	55,381,020
Median wage	$90,000	$59,000
Percent employed part time	8	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	69	59
Percent with an advanced degree	42	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of engineering majors, 2018
Engineering majors	Major share
Electrical engineering	23%
Mechanical engineering	19
General engineering	14
Civil engineering	11
Computer engineering	9
Other	24
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with an engineering degree, by occupational group, 2018
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Architecture and engineering occupations	27%
Management occupations	21
Computer and mathematical occupations	14
Business and financial operations occupations	7
Sales and related occupations	6
Other	26
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with an engineering degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2019–29	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2018	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2018
Software developers and software quality assurance analysts and testers	22%	Bachelor's degree	8%	33%
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	21	Doctoral or professional degree	2	74
Industrial engineers	10	Bachelor's degree	2	22
Electrical engineers	5	Bachelor's degree	3	30
Mechanical engineers	4	Bachelor's degree	4	24
Architectural and engineering managers	3	Bachelor's degree	2	36
Civil engineers	2	Bachelor's degree	5	28
Engineers, all other	1	Bachelor's degree	7	32
Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; and managers, all other	-2	Bachelor's degree	7	21
Chief executives	-10	Bachelor's degree	2	30
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Engineering,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/engineering/engineering-field-of-degree.htm (visited June 16, 2021).

Last Modified Date: Monday, November 30, 2020