Career field
Engineering & Architecture careers
Occupations that design and build machines, systems, structures, and the built environment. CampusPin lists 36 engineering & architecture occupations, with median pay ranging from $51,940 to $155,020 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
36
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$51,940–$155,020
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$90,660
median of these medians
Most common entry education
Bachelor's degree
across 36 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Civil engineers368,900
- Industrial engineers351,100
- Mechanical engineers293,100
- Electrical engineers192,000
- Engineers, all other158,800
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- Bachelor's degree: 22
- Associate's degree: 13
- High school diploma or equivalent: 1
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial engineers | $101,140 | 25,200 | +11% | Bachelor's degree |
| Civil engineers | $99,590 | 23,600 | +5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mechanical engineers | $102,320 | 18,100 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Electrical engineers | $111,910 | 11,700 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Architectural and civil drafters | $64,280 | 10,000 | +4.1% | Associate's degree |
| Engineers, all other | $117,750 | 9,300 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | $77,180 | 8,400 | +0.6% | Associate's degree |
| Architects, except landscape and naval | $96,690 | 7,800 | +3.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Surveying and mapping technicians | $51,940 | 7,600 | +4.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Industrial engineering technologists and technicians | $64,790 | 6,300 | +1.7% | Associate's degree |
| Electronics engineers, except computer | $127,590 | 5,700 | +6.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other | $77,390 | 5,700 | +1.5% | Associate's degree |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | $64,200 | 5,500 | +2.1% | Associate's degree |
| Computer hardware engineers | $155,020 | 4,700 | +7.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Aerospace engineers | $134,830 | 4,500 | +6.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Surveyors | $72,740 | 3,900 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mechanical drafters | $68,510 | 3,300 | -6.5% | Associate's degree |
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | $68,730 | 3,200 | 0% | Associate's degree |
| Environmental engineers | $104,170 | 3,000 | +3.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Electrical and electronics drafters | $73,720 | 1,700 | -5.6% | Associate's degree |
| Landscape architects | $79,660 | 1,700 | +3.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors | $109,660 | 1,500 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Materials engineers | $108,310 | 1,500 | +5.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Calibration technologists and technicians | $65,040 | 1,400 | +4.7% | Associate's degree |
| Bioengineers and biomedical engineers | $106,950 | 1,300 | +5.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Drafters, all other | $62,010 | 1,300 | -6.9% | Associate's degree |
| Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians | $70,760 | 1,300 | +1.1% | Associate's degree |
| Petroleum engineers | $141,280 | 1,200 | +1.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemical engineers | $121,860 | 1,100 | +2.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental engineering technologists and technicians | $58,890 | 1,100 | +1.2% | Associate's degree |
| Cartographers and photogrammetrists | $78,380 | 1,000 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians | $79,830 | 900 | +8.1% | Associate's degree |
| Nuclear engineers | $127,520 | 800 | -1.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Marine engineers and naval architects | $105,670 | 600 | +5.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers | $101,020 | 400 | +0.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Agricultural engineers | $84,630 | 100 | +5.9% | Bachelor's degree |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
- Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Architecture
- Computer Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Geography
- Environmental Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Marine Engineering
- Landscape Architecture
- Systems Engineering
- Mining Engineering
- Geographic Information Science
- Electrical Engineering Technology
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Civil Engineering Technology
- Robotics Engineering
- Construction Engineering
- Mechatronics
- Surveying
- Drafting and Design Technology
- Avionics Technology
- Biomedical Equipment Technology
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the engineering & architecture field?
CampusPin lists 36 engineering & architecture occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Computer hardware engineers, Petroleum engineers, Aerospace engineers, Electronics engineers, except computer. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do engineering & architecture careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $51,940 to $155,020 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $90,660. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do engineering & architecture careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is bachelor's degree. 22 occupations list bachelor's degree; 13 occupations list associate's degree; 1 occupation list high school diploma or equivalent.
Which engineering & architecture careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Industrial engineers (+11%), Mechanical engineers (+9.1%), Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians (+8.1%), Computer hardware engineers (+7.3%), Electrical engineers (+7.2%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across engineering & architecture occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.