There are many high paying engineering degrees available to students, but not all of them will lead to the jobs upon graduation. So, what are the highest paying engineering degrees that open job market doors?
I’ve got you covered with this list of the top 12 best highest paying engineering degrees and are in high demand. Each degree listed here earns an average starting salary of over $60,000 per year, plus. So if you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, this is the list for you.
List: 12 High Paying Engineering Degrees
Computer Engineering | Degree in Aeronautical |
Agricultural Engineering | Environmental Engineering |
Biomedical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
Electrical Engineering | Materials Engineering Degree |
Petroleum Engineering | Nuclear Engineering |
Data Science | Degree in Systems Engineering |
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01: Degree in Computer Engineering
Computer engineers design and build computers, as well as write software to run on those machines. They often specialize in one area of computing, such as networking or system management.
Computer engineers earned an average salary of $119,560 annually or $57.48 per hour in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) United States.
Besides, software developers create all kinds of software from iPhone apps to custom enterprise systems, but they’re also responsible for other technical aspects of a company’s products and services.
As a result, many employers pay their developers salaries comparable to those paid out by computer-engineering companies.
02: Agricultural Engineering Degree
Agricultural engineers are in high demand because their skills apply to several industries, including manufacturing, food processing, farming and even construction. It is one of the best high paying engineering degrees.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that agricultural engineers earned an average annual salary of $166,620 to $62,700 during 2020-21
These professionals specialize in applying engineering principles to solving agricultural problems. They may focus on machinery or systems used on farms or design environmentally friendly ways to harvest crops or process food products. For example, equipment for picking fruits and vegetables without damaging them.
The bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering requires a minimum of four years of full-time study, but can take longer. If you’re interested in completing an internship as part of your degree program, you might have to extend your timeline so that you have time to complete it.
03: Degree in Biomedical Engineering
Students majoring in biomedical engineering learn how to improve and design medical devices. This can involve designing tools that help a surgeon with their work, or building health monitoring devices to keep track of vital statistics.
According to U.S. News, students majoring in biomedical engineering can earn, on average $92,620 a year upon graduation. That’s nearly double what most people make during their first year on the job.
Also, according to some reports there in an increase in jobs for biomedical engineers since 2020 much faster than average for all jobs.
04: Electrical Engineering Degree
A typical electrical engineer can earn around $100,830 a year or $49.71 per hour. The average salary for an electrical engineer with three to five years of experience is about $80,000 or more.
Unlike, Electrical engineers who have ten or more years of experience can make about $102,000 per year. The highest-paid electrical engineers make between $124,000 and $162,000 per year.
To get into these top-paying jobs, you typically need a master’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field. A bachelor’s degree can sometimes qualify you for entry-level positions with smaller companies that don’t require specialized skills in higher-level positions.
Salaries at small firms are often lower than salaries at large corporations. Overall, electrical engineers with bachelor’s degrees are paid slightly less than those with graduate degrees. However, they may still find work in their area of expertise if they do not mind working for a small company instead of a major corporation.
05: Degree in Petroleum Engineering
An engineer has to be ready for anything good weather, bad weather, and high stress. It’s no surprise then that petroleum engineers take home a salary of $137,330 or more.
However, many petroleum engineers don’t start making that much money until they’ve worked in their field for at least 5 years and have at least 10 years of experience under their belt.
Entry-level engineers can expect to make closer to $80,000 annually, while mid-career professionals earn closer to $130,000 per year. This is one of those jobs where your pay really depends on what you do after you graduate from school.
The average starting salary for a petroleum engineer ranges between $137,330 per year or $66.02 per hour to $84,736. The average starting salary increases depending on how long someone has been working in their industry as well as how experienced an individual is within his or her field.
Overall though, if you want to engineer with a good salary attached to it, then petroleum engineering may be something worth looking into further.
06: Data Science Engineering Degree
Data science engineering is a field of computer science, engineering, and mathematics that uses interdisciplinary techniques from several subfields of computer science and engineering to extract knowledge from data.
It employs techniques and theories drawn from many fields within computer science and artificial intelligence. Data scientists also use programming languages, software development, database systems, math modelling, statistics and machine learning to build models capable of making predictions from raw data.
If you want a job with high pay, then data scientist could be your ideal degree, as it has been ranked at number six in our list of high paying engineering degrees with an average starting salary of $126,830 per annum.
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07: Degree in Aeronautical Engineering
The engineering field is demanding, but with a degree in aeronautical engineering, you’ll get good job opportunities. This high-paying degree can take five to six years of schooling and $100,000+ to complete.
The exact time depends on whether you earn an advanced degree after your bachelor’s. But it’s worth it. The median salary for someone with an aeronautical engineering degree is $104,000 per year. If you want something even more lucrative, a graduate degree (such as a master’s) will land you about $120,000 per year.
08: Environmental Engineering Degree
Graduates from an environmental engineering program will find a job in both the public and private sectors. In fact, there are far more environmental engineers working in government than there are in private industry.
Engineers who work for government agencies typically must have a master’s degree, but those who work in consulting firms may only need a bachelor’s degree. Entry-level salaries are high around $92,120 per year or $44.29 per hour.
09: Degree in Chemical Engineering
A chemical engineering degree is one of the best degrees for making a lot of money after graduation. The starting salary for new engineers who hold a BS in chemical engineering is around $108,540, so over a 20-year career you can easily earn more than $millions.
If you get an MS or PhD and work as an engineer or management, you’ll make even more. The reason for a chemical engineering degree’s high pay is that it can be used in a variety of fields.
These professionals are needed in industries from manufacturing to health care, and from food production to oil drilling. According to reports, over 90% of people with a BS or MS in chemical engineering work outside of academia.
10: Materials Engineering Degree
Materials engineers create, maintaining and improving all of those materials we take for granted. But that are crucial to our everyday lives.
You could help build a better airplane or train, create new drugs and medicines, or make sure that industrial processes don’t pollute our air or water. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in engineering (like materials engineering) and some work experience in order to get on board with one of these companies. Many employers also require that you have a master’s degree as well.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that annual median pay for engineers was $95,640 or $45.98 per hour in 2020. The BLS also notes that materials engineers were among one of three engineering occupations (along with chemical and aerospace engineers) that earned more than $90,000 a year.
11: Degree in Nuclear Engineering
The average starting salary for nuclear engineers with a bachelor’s degree is $116,140 per year or $55.84 per hour. By mid-career, nuclear engineers have an average salary of $84,000 and by late-career, they bring in an average of $116,000.
While experience dictates higher pay for nuclear engineers, so does education. A master’s degree in engineering increases your earnings potential even more. In most industries, engineers will see higher starting salaries with a master’s degree in engineering.
12: Degree in Systems Engineering
Systems engineers plan, coordinate, and direct activities in both business/commercial and industrial organizations. They also often serve as consultants to management in both private and public organizations, and raised $151,150 annually as of 2020.
Systems engineering is a highly specialized field that requires academic knowledge of mathematics, computer science, management science, systems analysis, probability and statistics. Additionally, successful systems engineers are often skilled in finance or accounting because they work with these issues regularly.
Systems engineers who work in business and commercial settings usually must have a bachelor’s degree. While some entry-level positions require a certificate, most employers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree.
Conclusions
For finding a high-paying career, engineering is a great option. There are many engineering degrees that can offer a high salary, but not all of them will lead to the jobs you want. For example, an aerospace engineer can earn a six-figure salary, but the field is competitive and requires a lot of schooling. A programming analyst can earn a good salary with only a bachelor’s degree.
Therefore, I tailored this blog to show about high paying engineering degrees to the future engineers. For more details, you can go through the highlighted links in the paragraphs.