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Top 15 Highest Paying Engineering Jobs

Salaries for engineers are well above the national average.

Updated on

January 23, 2024

Engineers are well-paid professionals with incomes above the national average.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2021 median salary for engineers was $79,840, which was $34,000 higher than the median pay for all occupations.

Here are the 15 highest paying engineering jobs.

1. Petroleum Engineer

Median Salary: $130,850

Education: Bachelor’s

Petroleum engineering tops the list of highest paying engineering jobs, with an annual median salary that is nearly three times the median salary for all occupations.

Petroleum engineers make their money by designing and developing systems for extracting oil and natural gas from deposits below the earth’s surface.

The petroleum engineering field is projected to grow much faster than the average occupation over the next five to 10 years.

2. Computer Hardware Engineer

Median Salary: $128,170

Education: Bachelor’s

With a median salary of $128,170 and salaries of over $185,000 for the top 10% in this field, computer hardware engineering is second among the best paying engineering jobs.

The position entails the research, design, development, and testing of computer systems and components such as memory devices, circuit boards, processors, etc.

Individuals aspiring to join the field of computer hardware engineering must be analytical problem solvers with an interest in physics or mathematics.

3. Aerospace Engineer

Median Salary: $122,270

Education: Bachelor’s

Aerospace engineers are trained to design and build aircraft, satellites, missiles, and spacecraft. These professionals received a median salary of $122,270 in 2021.

Aerospace engineers in the top 10% can expect salaries of over $166,000.

Individuals seeking to join the aerospace engineering field must be good at design, and they must also have sharp analytical skills and problem-solving abilities.

4. Nuclear Engineer

Median Salary: $120,380

Education: Bachelor’s

Nuclear engineering is fourth among the top paying engineering jobs with a median salary of $120,380, more than double the median salary for all occupations.

Nuclear engineers usually research and develop the processes, instruments, and systems needed to harness nuclear energy and radioactive materials.

Although the pay is good, the demand for nuclear engineers is expected to fall as more countries turn to alternative sources of energy such as solar and natural gas.

5. Chemical Engineer

Median Salary: $105,550

Education: Bachelor’s

Chemical engineers apply the principles of hard science to make compounds that are used in the production of drugs, food, fuel, and many other products.

With a median salary of $105,550 and over $176,000 for the top 10%, chemical engineering is a great career path for engineers with a background in chemistry, biology, or physics.

The chemical engineering field is projected to grow by 4% over the next five or 10 years, keeping pace with the national average for all occupations.

6. Electrical Engineer

Median Salary: $101,780

Education: Bachelor’s

Closing the list of engineering jobs with median incomes of more than $100,000, electrical engineering is a lucrative field whose top 10% make over $150,000.

Although electrical engineers work in various industries (automotive, telecommunications, agriculture, etc.) the primary duty of these professionals is to design, develop, test, and supervise the production of electrical components.

7. Health and Safety Engineer

Median Salary: $99,040

Education: Bachelor’s

Health and safety engineers combine engineering expertise with health and safety skills to design systems that protect humans from sickness and injury and property from damage.

With a median salary of $99,040, these professionals work to ensure that machinery, furniture, software, chemicals, and other products do not cause harm to humans or damage to property.

They also investigate factory accidents to determine their causes, whether they were avoidable, and what could be done to prevent such incidents.

8. Materials Engineer

Median Salary: $98,300

Education: Bachelor’s

Materials engineers are among the highest paid engineers with a median salary of $98,300 and upwards of $148,000 for the top 10% in this field.

These professionals develop, process, and test materials used in an extensive range of products, including plastics for mobile phones, lighter metal for cars, etc.

Although this is an important field of engineering, the demand for material engineers is expected to grow by 2% over the next decade, way below the national average for all occupations.

9. Mining and Geological Engineer

Median Salary: $97,090

Education: Bachelor’s

Mining and geological engineers design mines, oversee extraction projects, and prepare technical reports for review by site managers and miners.

Mining and geological engineering is a lucrative field for those who want to pursue a career that involves designing mines to safely extract precious minerals.

Indeed, the top 10% in this field make over $151,000.

10. Biomedical Engineer

Median Salary: $97,410

Education: Bachelor’s

Biomedical engineers merge engineering principles with life sciences to design and produce computer systems, equipment, devices, and software.

These professionals often work in a medical context to manufacture tools that help medical professionals better diagnose health issues and treat patients.

The top 10% in this field make over $148,000.

Biomedical engineering is projected to grow by 5% in the next five to 10 years.

11. Environmental Engineer

Median Salary: $96,820

Education: Bachelor’s

Environmental engineers combine engineering principles with biology, chemistry, and soil science to develop solutions to problems affecting the environment.

Since these professionals spend much of their time on job sites, environmental engineering is a great career choice for individuals who dislike office work.

12. Mechanical Engineer

Median Salary: $95,300

Education: Bachelor’s

Mechanical engineering is a broad engineering field whose professionals design and develop power-generating devices such as engines, generators, steam, and gas turbines, as well as power-consuming devices such as refrigerators and air conditioners.

Mechanical engineers are accountable for the integration of sensors, controllers, and machinery. These professionals use computers to create and analyse designs, run simulations, interact with interconnected systems, among other tasks.

13. Industrial Engineer

Median Salary: $95,300

Education: Bachelor’s

Industrial engineers develop systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, data, and energy to manufacture products or provide services.

These professionals design systems for moving heavy parts within factories, evaluating job performance, paying staff, and delivering goods to customers.

14. Marine Engineer and Naval Architect

Median Salary: $93,370

Education: Bachelor’s

Marine engineers and naval architects design, build, and maintain sailboats, submarines, cargo vessels, ships, and other water vessels.

These professionals not only design and build the body of vessels, but they also work on the internal components such as electrical, propulsion, and steering systems to ensure the vessels run smoothly.

The top 10% in this field make over $147,000.

15. Civil Engineer

Median Salary: $88,050

Education: Bachelor’s

Civil engineers design, build, oversee, and operate infrastructure projects and systems such as roads, railways, airports, dams, bridges, tunnels, etc.

Many civil engineers hold managerial positions ranging from overseer of a construction site to town engineer, public works executive, and city director.