If you are trying to plan a career for yourself, then engineering should be one of your considerations. You can easily land the highest paying engineering jobs after your education. Needless to say, engineering is one of the most crucial professions for the functionality of our communities. As you will have a reputable career, you can also make enough money to support a luxurious lifestyle.
Of course, it may be challenging to find the best engineering jobs for yourself without determining your expertise field. This is why we have listed some of the highest paying engineering fields for you in the following. We hope that the following guide can be a great source for you and contribute to your career planning.
Besides the highest paying jobs, you will also find the highest paying states in the United States, average engineer salaries by experience, and some of the best companies to consider working for. So, let’s stop wasting more time and provide you the facts.
How Much Does an Engineer Make?
Without a doubt, how much does an engineer make is one of the most wondered questions among those who are planning a new career. Therefore, we have compiled some of the highest paying engineering jobs in this section.
Please note that all the following figures are average figures offered in the United States. These wages or salaries may greatly vary depending on your current state or country. We have also provided detailed information about the average salaries in different states of the United States in the upcoming sections.
Here are the highest paying engineering jobs in the United States;
- Petroleum Engineering $137,000
- Computer Hardware Engineering $120,000
- Aerospace Engineering $119,000
- Nuclear Engineering $116,000
- Chemical Engineering $108,000
- Electrical Engineering $103,000
- Materials Engineering $96,000
- Marine Engineering $95,000
- Health and Safety Engineering $94,000
- Mining and Geological Engineering $94,000
- Biomedical Engineering $93,000
- Environmental Engineering $92,000
- Mechanical Engineering $90,000
- Industrial Engineering $89,000
- Civil Engineering $89,000
- Agricultural Engineering $84,000
Engineer Salaries by Years of Experience in the United States
Besides your expertise area, skills, and education, another important factor that can affect your average salary is your experience. It would be impossible to provide average salaries by experience for each highest paying engineering job. Therefore, we have provided average salaries on average for the overall engineering profession.
It will be worth noting that these figures may vary depending on your area of expertise and the company you are going to work for. As you can guess, in general, well-known, and international companies tend to pay more even for starting salaries for engineers.
Just like most of the other reputable professions and careers, you can expect to multiply your annual income as you gain more experience in your field. Here are the average engineering salaries by years of experience in the United States.
- 0 – 2 Years $48,000
- 2 – 5 Years $64,000
- 5 – 10 Years $95,000
- 10 – 15 Years $115,000
- 15 – 20 Years $126,000
- 20+ Years $136,000
We would like to note that the vast majority of engineering positions will reach three-digit figures once you have 5 or more years of experience. Moreover, some of the best engineering jobs such as petroleum engineering will make you earn three-digit figures at the end of your second year.
The Highest Paying States in the United States for Engineers
Another important thing to consider is the purchasing power and overall economy of each state. This is the main reason why the same professions in two different states make different figures annually. On average, the highest paying engineering jobs in California are the most profitable ones. However, since the living cost in this state is far more expensive than in other states, you may be making less in the long run.
This is why you may want to consider many factors in total to find the best engineering jobs for yourself. If you do not care a lot about where you are going to live, then preferring states with the lowest engineering salaries can make you save money by cutting your daily living expenses.
Of course, this totally depends on your preferences. Here are some of the highest paying states for engineers you may want to know.
- California $127,000
- Massachusetts $123,000
- Virginia $117,000
- New York $115,000
- Maryland $115,000
- New Hampshire $110,000
- Pennsylvania $107,000
- Colorado $106,000
- Texas $105,000
- Arizona $105,000
- Illinois $104,000
- Utah $104,000
- Oregon $103,000
- Rhode Island $103,000
- New Mexico $100,000
- Washington $100,000
- Georgia $100,000
- Minnesota $100,000
- Vermont $100,000
- Nevada $100,000
- New Jersey $100,000
Highest Paying Companies in the United States for Engineers
Starting your engineering career in a well-establish and global company is always a great option for you. As you are going to enjoy a higher starting salary for engineers in these companies, you will also earn a better experience.
Needless to say, you will strengthen your resume for your future applications. However, since the vast majority of new engineers want to benefit from the same advantages, the competition will be harsh. This should not worry you. Instead, it should motivate you to land a better job in worldly-famous companies.
If you are looking for a guide to determine which companies you should apply for, here are some of the companies you may want to consider. Landing a starting job in any of these companies will guarantee you one of the highest paying engineering jobs for your career.
- Shell $134,000
- Wells Fargo $132,000
- Qualcomm $129,000
- General Atomic $120,000
- Canadian National Railway $118,000
- L3Harris $116,000
- ExxonMobil $116,000
- Cisco $112,000
- Pratt & Whitney $111,000
- Marathon Petroleum $111,000
- Bechtel $110,000
- Intel $109,000
- KBR Inc $107,000
- Boeing $106,000
- CSX $102,000
- GulfStream Aerospace $102,000
- Lockheed Martin $102,000
- Motorola Solutions $102,000
- Northrop Grumman $101,000
- Caterpillar $100,000
Our guide ends here but we would like to emphasize some important facts about the highest paying engineering jobs. Keep in mind that the figures shared above are average figures. There are many factors that can affect these figures such as your personal skills, educational background, prior experience, the urgency of the company to fill the position, the state you are planning to live in or work.