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
- Computer hardware engineers$155,020
- Petroleum engineers$141,280
- Aerospace engineers$134,830
- Electronics engineers, except computer$127,590
- Nuclear engineers$127,520
- Chemical engineers$121,860
- Engineers, all other$117,750
- Electrical engineers$111,910
- Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors$109,660
- Materials engineers$108,310
- Bioengineers and biomedical engineers$106,950
- Marine engineers and naval architects$105,670
- Environmental engineers$104,170
- Mechanical engineers$102,320
- Industrial engineers$101,140
- Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers$101,020
- Civil engineers$99,590
- Architects, except landscape and naval$96,690
- Agricultural engineers$84,630
- Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians$79,830
- Landscape architects$79,660
- Cartographers and photogrammetrists$78,380
- Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other$77,390
- Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians$77,180
- Electrical and electronics drafters$73,720
- Surveyors$72,740
- Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians$70,760
- Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians$68,730
- Mechanical drafters$68,510
- Calibration technologists and technicians$65,040
- Industrial engineering technologists and technicians$64,790
- Architectural and civil drafters$64,280
- Civil engineering technologists and technicians$64,200
- Drafters, all other$62,010
- Environmental engineering technologists and technicians$58,890
- Surveying and mapping technicians$51,940
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.