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Job outlook for automotive engineers in the United States
Are automotive engineer jobs in demand?
Automotive engineer job and salary trends over time
Automotive engineer jobs over time
Automotive engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 124 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 131 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 137 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 136 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 130 | 0.00% |
Average automotive engineer salary over time
Automotive engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $82,211 | $39.52 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | $80,634 | $38.77 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $79,667 | $38.30 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $78,309 | $37.65 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $76,768 | $36.91 | +0.7% |
Automotive engineer jobs by state
Most common states for automotive engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 447 | 64% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,901 | 22% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 202 | 21% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,483 | 20% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,367 | 20% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 829 | 20% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,151 | 19% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,047 | 19% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 227 | 17% |
| 10 | California | 39,536,653 | 6,350 | 16% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 100 | 16% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 159 | 15% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 768 | 14% |
| 14 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,359 | 13% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 476 | 13% |
| 16 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 409 | 13% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 394 | 13% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 97 | 13% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,076 | 12% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 843 | 12% |
Most common cities for automotive engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belvidere | 1 | 4% | $76,814 |
| 2 | Bowling Green | 1 | 2% | $72,158 |
| 3 | Campbell | 1 | 2% | $121,322 |
| 4 | Detroit | 5 | 1% | $82,079 |
| 5 | Columbus | 1 | 1% | $80,824 |
| 6 | Dearborn | 1 | 1% | $82,035 |
| 7 | Flint | 1 | 1% | $81,683 |
| 8 | San Diego | 3 | 0% | $109,186 |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $112,966 |
| 10 | Arlington | 1 | 0% | $81,418 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $80,762 |
| 12 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $77,048 |
| 13 | Cleveland | 1 | 0% | $77,368 |
Automotive Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of automotive engineer experts
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Cincinnati State Technical & Community College
University of Delaware
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Washington
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Maryland
Jiayue Shen
Mechanical Engineering Technology Program CoordinatorWhat will help Automotive Engineers increase their earning potential?
Jiayue Shen: In the next 3-5 years, skills such as electronic control, basic programming, and critical thinking will become increasingly important in the field of Mechanical Engineering Technology. As industries like robotics, automation, and semiconductors continue to grow, professionals will need to be well-versed in these areas to stay competitive. Additionally, skills such as collaboration and effective oral and written communication will be crucial for advancing in one's career.
What Automotive Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mohammed Daqaq: Given its breadth, I feel that ME is the most versatile engineering degree. It covers many different fundamental fields including thermofluidic sciences, dynamical systems, controls, design, mechatronics, robotics, etc. With minor additional training, ME graduates can also easily adapt to work in the aerospace industry, nuclear, and bioengineering domains. Thus, an ME degree is always trendy and companies seek to hire ME graduates regardless of how the market changes.
What will help Automotive Engineers increase their earning potential?
Mohammed Daqaq: It depends on what aspect of the job they are hired to do. Some graduating MEs work in industrial plants where they are expected to deal with and fix engineering related problems, or work on the design and testing of innovative industrial solutions. Many MEs end up in the sales and maintenance departments of companies that manufacture specialized machinery and equipment. Some ME graduates are hired by the research departments of companies and federal labs where they participate in the research and development of new technologies, etc. A recent trend that we have been observing with our graduates is that they are being sought after by major consulting companies especially in business development and finance. Such companies like the versatility of the engineering education, and the logical/structured way of thinking that engineers are trained to follow during their studies.
Uises Gonzalez-Valle
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
What will help Automotive Engineers increase their earning potential?
Uises Gonzalez-Valle: The beginning of professional life is not simple independent of the career path that you follow and ME and MET can have their own complications. However, some good advice would be to develop independence and adaptability which are key traits of an engineer, and always keep yourself updated with the most recent technological developments. If you are independent and adaptable, you have all the skills to learn and further your professional development. In addition, I would say it is essential to start building a network, including peers and mentors. Having a strong network of peers and mentors helps you significantly to progress in your professional line. From day-to-day to daily changing decisions, having a strong network to support would significantly help in building your professional path. Lastly, I would say that having a good Work-life balance is vital too, since our personal life is as important as our professional life. Remember, we should work to live instead of live to work.
Mike DeVore Ph.D.
Professor & Program ChairCincinnati State Technical & Community College
Mechanical Engineering Technology
What hard/technical skills are most important for Automotive Engineers?
Mike DeVore Ph.D.: -Computer-Aided Design
-Knowledge of manufacturing processes
-A good mathematics foundation
-Technical communication
-Problem solving
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Automotive Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Ajay Prasad: Medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and most consumer goods are still strong. The pandemic is also unlikely to slow the demand in areas like artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality. While more manufacturing jobs are believed to return to the U.S., this likely will drive innovation for the automation of manufacturing processes. Going forward, demand is likely to be strong in infrastructure, renewable energy, automotive, and aerospace industries.
What experience really stands out on Automotive Engineer resumes?
Dr. Mingshao Zhang: Internship and Co-op (Cooperative Education) experiences that related to the industry.
What skills stand out on Automotive Engineer resumes?
Marco Salviato Ph.D.: I ask and I get asked this question a lot. Of course excellent academic performance goes a long way but it is not enough to be competitive. Most of the industrial partners I collaborate with tell me they are looking for "problem solvers", engineers who have strong fundamentals and who know how to apply them to solve engineering problems. They also look for "soft skills" such as project management experience, excellence in reporting scientific results and outcome of projects, leadership skills, and ability to work in a team.
My advice to students to nurture these skills is to engage as early as possible with student clubs such as UW Design Build Fly (DBF) or SARP (Society for Advanced Rocket Propulsion). Another good idea is to get involved as soon as possible in research activities conducted by faculty in the Department. Finally, I cannot stress enough the importance of participating in summer internships at aerospace companies. For all these activities to be relevant, it is important to make sure there are tangible outcomes and the contribution of the student is evident. A sentence such as, "I worked in a team of twenty people to design a new concept of bracket for an aerospace hydraulic fuel system. I was the leader of a team of five people in charge of the structural design. Leveraging Finite Element Analysis we were able to reduce the weight of the bracket of more than 50 percent compared to legacy design. In addition to the FEM simulations, my responsibilities included organizing weekly meetings with the team to discuss progress, deliverables, and timeline, presenting the results to the company, and writing monthly scientific reports" really stands out in a resume. All the industrial partners I work with told me that having these experiences with tangible outcomes in the resume is one of the key deciding factors for a new hire.
Charles Jenckes
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
Mechanical Engineering
What skills stand out on Automotive Engineer resumes?
Charles Jenckes: For new graduates
1.Where the candidate went to school and what was studied
2.GPA
3.Any successful internships
4.Projects completed by the student
How would you rate the starting salaries for Automotive Engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang: Above average, but you won't be a millionaire easily (you can with some effort, saving, and investing well). It is very unlikely you'll ever be *super* wealthy, but it's also very unlikely you'll ever not find employment in your field. You'll have a solid ticket to a modestly comfortable life, with some luxuries, too.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Automotive Engineers to find work opportunities?
Craig Carignan: My bet would be in remote sensing, automated delivery systems (e.g., quadcopters), and robotics. These fields were all doing well before the pandemic, and the current situation has just increased demand for these services. The telecommunications satellite industry is probably also going to be a strong area due to the heightened need for satellite TV and other communications services. I also think the automotive industry will be great for aerospace engineers because of their skills in vehicle design and development of autonomous technology.