What is an engineering specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

John Irwin EdD

An engineering specialist provides expertise in a specific field of engineering, such as mechanical, electrical, or civil engineering. Engineering specialists design, test, and implement solutions for complex engineering problems. They use their technical expertise to develop solutions for industries such as construction, manufacturing, and technology. An engineering specialist may work independently or as part of a team and their work involves research, analysis, and development of new technologies, processes, and products.

What general advice would you give to an engineering specialist?

John Irwin EdD

Chair, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology, Professor, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Michigan Technological University

Engineering technology graduates are masters of technology, gaining a broad and deep understanding of the processes, systems, tools, and techniques necessary to construct, modify, operate, and maintain an engineering design. They act as technological integrators, bridging the gap between the skilled trades and engineering fundamentals. This is a great career path for those who enjoy engineering concepts but would rather spend time working with their hands solving specific technical issues than tackling broader, more complex design challenges.

ScoreEngineering SpecialistUS Average

Salary

7.2

Avg. Salary $91,767

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.2

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.32%

Asian 10.25%

Black or African American 9.70%

Hispanic or Latino 14.67%

Unknown 4.51%

White 60.55%

Gender

female 20.54%

male 79.46%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

7.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an engineering specialist?

Pros

High demand for engineering specialists
Opportunity for a high salary and benefits
Possibility for career advancement and leadership roles
Opportunities for international travel and work
Collaboration with other professionals and experts

Cons

Working in hazardous environments or situations
Potential for job instability due to economic fluctuations
High level of competition within the industry
Limited opportunities for creativity or personal expression in some roles
Potential for isolation or lack of social interaction in some roles

Key steps to become an engineering specialist

Explore engineering specialist education requirements

Most common engineering specialist degrees

Bachelor's

66.5 %

Associate

15.8 %

Master's

10.5 %

Start to develop specific engineering specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Keyword Research	6.16%
Google Analytics	6.10%
Digital Marketing	5.71%
WordPress	4.80%
Project Management	4.35%

Complete relevant engineering specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New engineering specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an engineering specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real engineering specialist resumes.

Gain additional engineering specialist certifications

Engineering specialist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific engineering specialist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for engineering specialists include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Six Sigma Green Belt.

More About Certifications

Research engineering specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage projects from booking to customer turnover.
Plan, implement and execute effective link-building strategy achieving agree KPIs.
Manage the SEO and SEM marketing strategy of the same 200 car dealer websites.
Modify template using basic CSS functions for better functionality and visuality, which lead to the higher visibility.

Prepare your engineering specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your engineering specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an engineering specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable engineering specialist resume templates

Build a professional engineering specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your engineering specialist resume.