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Earnings for engineers vary significantly by specialty, industry, and education. Variation in median earnings and in the earnings distributions for engineers in various specialties is especially significant. Table 2 shows wage-and-salary earnings distributions in May 2006 for engineers in specialties covered in this statement.
| Specialty | Lowest 10% | Lowest 25% | Median | Highest 25% | Highest 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aerospace engineers |
59,610 | 71,360 | 87,610 | 106,450 | 124,550 |
Agricultural engineers |
42,390 | 53,040 | 66,030 | 80,370 | 96,270 |
Biomedical engineers |
44,930 | 56,420 | 73,930 | 93,420 | 116,330 |
Chemical engineers |
50,060 | 62,410 | 78,860 | 98,100 | 118,670 |
Civil engineers |
44,810 | 54,520 | 68,600 | 86,260 | 104,420 |
Computer hardware engineers |
53,910 | 69,500 | 88,470 | 111,030 | 135,260 |
Electrical engineers |
49,120 | 60,640 | 75,930 | 94,050 | 115,240 |
Electronics engineers, except computer |
52,050 | 64,440 | 81,050 | 99,630 | 119,900 |
Environmental engineers |
43,180 | 54,150 | 69,940 | 88,480 | 106,230 |
Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors |
41,050 | 51,630 | 66,290 | 83,240 | 100,160 |
Industrial engineers |
44,790 | 55,060 | 68,620 | 84,850 | 100,980 |
Marine engineers and naval architects |
45,200 | 56,280 | 72,990 | 90,790 | 113,320 |
Materials engineers |
46,120 | 57,850 | 73,990 | 92,210 | 112,140 |
Mechanical engineers |
45,170 | 55,420 | 69,850 | 87,550 | 104,900 |
Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers |
42,040 | 54,390 | 72,160 | 94,110 | 128,410 |
Nuclear engineers |
65,220 | 77,920 | 90,220 | 105,710 | 124,510 |
Petroleum engineers |
57,960 | 75,880 | 98,380 | 123,130 | Over 145,600 |
All other engineers |
46,080 | 62,710 | 81,660 | 100,320 | 120,610 |
In the Federal Government, mean annual salaries for engineers ranged from $75,144 in agricultural engineering to $107,546 in ceramic engineering in 2007.
As a group, engineers earn some of the highest average starting salaries among those holding bachelor’s degrees. Table 3 shows average starting salary offers for engineers, according to a 2007 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
| Curriculum | Bachelor's | Master's | Ph.D. |
|---|---|---|---|
Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical |
$53,408 | $62,459 | $73,814 |
Agricultural |
49,764 | |
|
Architectural |
48,664 | |
|
Bioengineering and biomedical |
51,356 | 59,240 | |
Chemical |
59,361 | 68,561 | 73,667 |
Civil |
48,509 | 48,280 | 62,275 |
Computer |
56,201 | 60,000 | 92,500 |
Electrical/electronics and communications |
55,292 | 66,309 | 75,982 |
Environmental/environmental health |
47,960 | |
|
Industrial/manufacturing |
55,067 | 64,759 | 77,364 |
Materials |
56,233 | |
|
Mechanical |
54,128 | 62,798 | 72,763 |
Mining and mineral |
54,381 | |
|
Nuclear |
56,587 | 59,167 | |
Petroleum |
60,718 | 57,000 | |
|
Footnotes: | |||
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Engineers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm (visited March 20, 2009). Used by permission.
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