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Engineering-Related Fields

Types of Degrees Engineering-Related Fields Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Engineering-Related Fields can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	37
Bachelor’s Degree	1,834
Master’s Degree	6,640
Doctor’s Degree	122

What Engineering-Related Fields Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Engineering-Related Fields emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Engineering-Related Fields graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Engineering-Related Fields emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Engineering-Related Fields program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Engineering-Related Fields careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Engineering-Related Fields graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Engineering-Related Fields professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Engineering-Related Fields graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Engineer
• Marine Engineering Professor
• Engineering Professor
• Electronics Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Lecturer
• Civil Engineering Professor
• Petroleum Engineering Professor
• Electronic Science Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Automotive Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Engineering-Related Fields graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.8%
Doctoral degree	16.5%
Master’s degree	11.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.6%
Some college courses	6.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.6%
Post-doctoral training	4.6%
Post-master’s certificate	4.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.5%
First professional degree	0.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Engineering-Related Fields?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 67.1% of Engineering-Related Fields degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,840	32.9%
Men	5,793	67.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Engineering-Related Fields graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,925	33.9%
Asian	522	6.0%
Hispanic or Latino	618	7.2%
Black or African American	414	4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	149	1.7%
Race Unknown	321	3.7%
International Students	3,657	42.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Engineering-Related Fields Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Engineering-Related Fields graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$86,644
4 years	$91,137
5 years	$104,461

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $104,461 — roughly 21% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Engineering-Related Fields Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Engineering-Related Fields. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	1
Bachelor’s	15	8
Master’s	57	41
Doctoral (Research)	6	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Engineering-Related Fields Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Engineering-Related Fields graduates earn a median of $91,137 four years after completion — roughly 140% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering Technologies	91,975
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	11,920
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	10,798
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,702
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,196
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	5,996
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	5,089
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	3,883
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,247

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.