Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Engineers, all other is a broad category that offers solid professional opportunities across the United States. National employment stands at 159,000, with projected employment growth of 2.1% and about 9,000 annual openings. The national median annual salary of $117,750 indicates strong earning potential for people who build a foundation in engineering and related skills. Typical entry into this field requires a bachelor’s degree, supported by strengths in mathematics, science, computers and information technology, and problem solving. The role also favors people who are detail oriented, analytical, and comfortable with project management and leadership responsibilities. For those exploring related paths, similar occupations include electrical, mechanical, agricultural, mining and geological (including mining safety), and industrial engineers. Overall, this career path suits students, recent graduates, and experienced professionals who want to use critical and analytical thinking, creativity and innovation, and strong communication skills in engineering-focused roles with nationally distributed opportunities.
Engineers, all other have a national median annual salary of $117,750, offering strong earning potential at the broad occupational level. Salaries vary meaningfully by state and metro. Among states with high opportunity scores, Washington shows a median salary of $134,570, Colorado $132,590, Massachusetts $131,260, and California $130,850, compared with $117,600 in New York. At the metro level, some areas show even higher median pay: San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA reports $169,650, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA $159,800, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV $151,340, and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ $135,300. Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH stands at $133,940. These figures show that location choice can significantly influence earnings, with certain metro areas in California and the Northeast offering median salaries well above the national median for this occupation category.
This occupation category has a national employment level of 159,000, indicating a sizable workforce of engineers grouped under “all other.” Projected employment growth is 2.1%, suggesting that jobs in this category are expected to expand over time. In addition to existing positions, about 9,000 annual openings are projected, combining new jobs and turnover. The combination of current employment, positive projected growth, and regular annual openings points to an ongoing need for professionals in this group of engineering roles. States and metro areas highlighted with high CareerGPS opportunity scores share the same 2.1% projected growth rate, reinforcing a consistent growth expectation across key regions. For students, early-career engineers, and career changers with the right education and skills, this environment offers a range of opportunities to enter or advance in engineering roles that fall into this broader “all other” classification.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for engineers, all other. At the state level, California leads in employment with 28,610 positions, followed by New York with 5,760, Washington with 3,580, Massachusetts with 2,850, and Colorado with 2,540. California also combines high employment with a median salary of $130,850 and an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts and New York offer similar opportunity scores (65.87 and 65.78) with median salaries of $131,260 and $117,600, respectively. Colorado and Washington show higher median salaries ($132,590 and $134,570) but somewhat lower opportunity scores in this group. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA stands out with a median salary of $169,650 and the highest listed opportunity score of 77.42. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ follows closely in opportunity score (77.27) with a median salary of $135,300. Other notable metros include San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA; Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV; and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH.
The typical education for engineers, all other is a bachelor’s degree. This means most people preparing for these roles will complete an undergraduate program that builds a foundation in mathematics, science, and engineering principles. Success in this field relies on a combination of technical and professional skills. Key strengths include mathematics, science, and computers and information technology, which support the analytical side of engineering work. Problem solving and decision making, critical and analytical thinking, and creativity and innovation are also central to developing and evaluating engineering solutions. Because many roles involve coordinating work and meeting specifications, project management, leadership, and being detail oriented are important. Strong writing and reading skills help with documentation, communication, and understanding technical information. Together, a bachelor’s degree and this mix of skills prepare individuals to pursue roles across the broad “all other” engineering category and to consider related paths such as electrical, mechanical, agricultural, mining and geological, and industrial engineering.
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