Compensation research
Engineering Salary Report
VerifiedAn institutional read of U.S. engineering pay, built entirely on the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024 release — the highest-paying occupations, states, and metropolitan areas across 3,401,780 engineering jobs.
Across 14 engineering occupations and 3,401,780 U.S. jobs, the blended national median engineering wage is $120,395 (BLS OEWS May 2024). Pay is highest for engineering managers ($167,740), in California ($154,208), and in the San Jose metro ($198,002).
Engineers employed
3,401,780
14 occupations
National median
Estimate$120,395
blended, all engineers
Top occupation
Verified$167,740
Engineering Manager
Verified data points
3,206
role × geography cells
Highest-paying engineering occupations, nationally
Median annual wage by BLS-tracked engineering occupation. Every figure is published, unmodified.
| # | Occupation | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering Manager | $167,740 | ≥$239,200 | 210,340 |
| 2 | Petroleum Engineer | $141,280 | $228,790 | 18,970 |
| 3 | Aerospace Engineer | $134,830 | $205,850 | 68,440 |
| 4 | Software Engineer | $133,080 | $211,450 | 1,654,440 |
| 5 | Nuclear Engineer | $127,520 | $187,430 | 14,740 |
| 6 | Chemical Engineer | $121,860 | $182,150 | 20,330 |
| 7 | Electrical Engineer | $111,910 | $175,460 | 188,790 |
| 8 | Materials Engineer | $108,310 | $172,000 | 22,770 |
| 9 | Biomedical Engineer | $106,950 | $165,060 | 21,860 |
| 10 | Environmental Engineer | $104,170 | $161,910 | 37,950 |
| 11 | Mechanical Engineer | $102,320 | $161,240 | 286,760 |
| 12 | Industrial Engineer | $101,140 | $157,140 | 350,230 |
| 13 | Civil Engineer | $99,590 | $160,990 | 355,410 |
Highest-paying states for engineers
Blended engineering median by state, employment-weighted across every published occupation. Top 15 shown.
| # | State | Blended median | Engineers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $154,208 | 472,160 |
| 2 | Washington | $150,511 | 144,060 |
| 3 | New York | $141,848 | 160,650 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $138,532 | 14,800 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $134,435 | 100,150 |
| 6 | Maryland | $129,604 | 64,920 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $129,370 | 16,000 |
| 8 | Colorado | $129,051 | 76,830 |
| 9 | Virginia | $126,416 | 126,990 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $125,670 | 86,000 |
| 11 | Oregon | $125,134 | 41,210 |
| 12 | Delaware | $123,035 | 7,420 |
| 13 | Alaska | $122,934 | 4,090 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $121,746 | 10,710 |
| 15 | Texas | $120,423 | 286,770 |
Highest-paying metro areas for engineers
Blended engineering median by metropolitan area (≥3,000 engineering jobs). Top 15 shown.
| # | Metro area | Blended median | Engineers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San JoseCA | $198,002 | 111,310 |
| 2 | San FranciscoCA | $165,321 | 106,150 |
| 3 | SeattleWA | $156,767 | 107,280 |
| 4 | New York CityNY | $148,991 | 163,580 |
| 5 | BoulderCO | $144,540 | 12,930 |
| 6 | Washington, D.C.DC | $144,482 | 101,110 |
| 7 | Santa MariaCA | $142,013 | 4,120 |
| 8 | San DiegoCA | $139,762 | 41,290 |
| 9 | BridgeportCT | $138,843 | 8,430 |
| 10 | BostonMA | $137,589 | 86,780 |
| 11 | Lexington ParkMD | $137,174 | 4,290 |
| 12 | Los AngelesCA | $135,996 | 114,060 |
| 13 | PortlandOR | $132,422 | 34,290 |
| 14 | KennewickWA | $130,817 | 3,640 |
| 15 | SacramentoCA | $130,787 | 18,860 |
Key findings
- ▹Engineering Managers lead on pay. At a median of $167,740, they out-earn the blended engineering median by 39%.
- ▹Geography moves pay as much as discipline. The gap between the top state (California, $154,208) and the median state is a five-figure swing for the same work.
- ▹The widest ladders reward seniority most. Petroleum Engineers span 2.9× from the 10th to the 90th percentile ($78,840 to $228,790).
- ▹Every figure is traceable. This report is built from 3,206 published role-by-geography wage cells — no modeled numbers. Open any occupation or place to see its full percentile breakdown and source.
Frequently asked
What is the highest-paying engineering job?
Among BLS-tracked engineering occupations, engineering managers have the highest median annual wage at $167,740 (BLS OEWS May 2024), followed by petroleum engineers ($141,280) and aerospace engineers ($134,830).
Which state pays engineers the most?
California has the highest blended engineering median at $154,208 per year, ahead of Washington ($150,511) and New York ($141,848). Figures blend the published medians of every engineering occupation BLS reports in the state, weighted by employment.
How many engineers are there in the United States?
BLS OEWS May 2024 reports roughly 3,401,780 people employed across the 14 engineering and engineering-management occupations tracked here, with a blended national median of $120,395.
How reliable are these engineering salary figures?
Every figure comes directly from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — the largest and most authoritative wage survey in the country, covering roughly 1.1 million establishments. We publish BLS figures unmodified and label anything derived (like the blended "all engineers" medians) as an estimate.