Design engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Design engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates design engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our design engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about design engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 123,852 design engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 11.1% of all design engineers are women, while 88.9% are men.
- The average design engineer age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of design engineers is White (67.2%), followed by Asian (16.8%), Hispanic or Latino (8.2%) and Unknown (4.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 102% of what men earned.
- 5% of all design engineers are LGBT.
- Design engineers are 50% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Design engineer demographics by:
Design engineer gender statistics
11.1% of design engineers are women and 88.9% of design engineers are men.
- Male, 88.9%
- Female, 11.1%
Design engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 88.9% |
| Female | 11.1% |
Design engineer gender pay gap
Women earn $1.02 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$75,155
Female income
$77,029
Design engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in design engineer positions over time. Currently, 11.1% of design engineers are female.
Design engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 90.69% | 9.31% |
| 2011 | 93.44% | 6.56% |
| 2012 | 91.55% | 8.45% |
| 2013 | 92.04% | 7.96% |
| 2014 | 91.07% | 8.93% |
| 2015 | 90.32% | 9.68% |
| 2016 | 91.39% | 8.61% |
| 2017 | 89.66% | 10.34% |
| 2018 | 90.20% | 9.80% |
| 2019 | 90.10% | 9.90% |
| 2020 | 87.90% | 12.10% |
| 2021 | 88.86% | 11.14% |
Design engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared design engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Engineer | 11% | 89% |
| Design Engineer | 89% | 11% |
| Machine Tool Designer | 99% | 1% |
| Refrigeration Engineer | 99% | 1% |
| Senior Electronics Design Engineer | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Design engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among design engineers is White, which makes up 67.2% of all design engineers. Comparatively, 16.8% of design engineers are Asian and 8.2% of design engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 67.2%
- Asian, 16.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.2%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- Black or African American, 3.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Design engineer race
| Design engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.2% |
| Asian | 16.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.2% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| Black or African American | 3.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Design engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how design engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Design engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.39% | 3.24% | 14.67% | 5.87% |
| 2011 | 74.46% | 3.25% | 14.46% | 6.17% |
| 2012 | 74.89% | 3.47% | 13.61% | 6.50% |
| 2013 | 74.46% | 2.72% | 15.11% | 5.92% |
| 2014 | 72.49% | 2.82% | 16.22% | 6.92% |
| 2015 | 72.97% | 3.07% | 14.84% | 7.52% |
| 2016 | 70.99% | 3.27% | 15.93% | 8.11% |
| 2017 | 71.71% | 2.55% | 15.65% | 8.03% |
| 2018 | 72.49% | 2.86% | 15.29% | 7.26% |
| 2019 | 70.95% | 3.10% | 15.79% | 7.54% |
| 2020 | 67.44% | 2.81% | 17.29% | 8.90% |
| 2021 | 67.19% | 3.16% | 16.79% | 8.22% |
Design engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino design engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american design engineers have the lowest average salary at $71,661.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $75,245 |
| White | $76,055 |
| Black or African American | $71,661 |
| Asian | $75,535 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $77,402 |
Average design engineer age
See how the average age of design engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Design engineer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 39 | 36 |
| White | 40 | 33 |
| Black or African American | 40 | 48 |
| Asian | 38.5 | 34 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 26 |
Design engineer age breakdown
The average age of design engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 49% of the design engineer population.
Design engineer age breakdown
| Design Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 49% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Design engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 12%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Design engineers by degree level
| Design engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 72% |
| Associate | 12% |
| Master's | 12% |
| Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Design engineer jobs you might like
Design engineer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, design engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $92,052 annually. With a Master's degree, design engineers earn a median annual income of $85,544 compared to $76,407 for design engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,544 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,407 |
| Doctorate Degree | $92,052 |
Design engineer employment statistics
Most design engineers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where design engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where design engineers work.
Design engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 4% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 11% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 30% |
| > 10,000 employees | 42% |
Design engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the design engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most design engineers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Design engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 48% |
| Private | 50% |
| Government | 1% |
Design engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for design engineers are technology, manufacturing and professional.
Design engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 25% |
| Fortune 500 | 17% |
| Manufacturing | 15% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Automotive | 7% |
| Telecommunication | 5% |
| Transportation | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Design engineer turnover and employment statistics
Design engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for design engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Design engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Design engineer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.09% |
| 2011 | 4.26% |
| 2012 | 2.86% |
| 2013 | 1.99% |
| 2014 | 1.63% |
| 2015 | 1.74% |
| 2016 | 1.46% |
| 2017 | 1.74% |
| 2018 | 1.20% |
| 2019 | 1.42% |
| 2020 | 2.46% |
| 2021 | 2.18% |
Average design engineer tenure
The average design engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 39,318 design engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Design engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 38% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Design engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of design engineers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Testing Supervisor | 3.67% | 4,245 |
| Design Engineer | 4.55% | - |
| Seismic Engineer | 5.25% | 8,242 |
| Engineer In Charge | 6.39% | 28,324 |
| Propeller Engineer | 7.54% | 3,157 |
| Associate Project Engineer | 8.92% | 91,862 |
| Metallurgist | 10.43% | 25,545 |
Similar design engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Testing Supervisor | 3.67% | 4,245 |
| Seismic Engineer | 5.25% | 8,242 |
| Engineer In Charge | 6.39% | 28,324 |
| Propeller Engineer | 7.54% | 3,157 |
| Associate Project Engineer | 8.92% | 91,862 |
| Metallurgist | 10.43% | 25,545 |
Foreign languages spoken by design engineers
The most common foreign language among design engineers is Spanish at 34.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 8.8% and French is the third-most popular at 8.6%.
- Spanish, 34.8%
- Chinese, 8.8%
- French, 8.6%
- German, 7.5%
- Mandarin, 5.9%
- Other, 34.4%
Design engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 34.8% |
| Chinese | 8.8% |
| French | 8.6% |
| German | 7.5% |
| Mandarin | 5.9% |
| Other | 34.4% |
