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Job outlook for senior engineers/scientist in the United States
Senior engineer/scientist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior engineer/scientist job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 3,700 new jobs for senior engineers/scientist are projected over the next decade.
Senior engineer/scientist salaries have increased 8% for senior engineers/scientist in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,406 senior engineers/scientist currently employed in the United States.
There are 83,474 active senior engineer/scientist job openings in the US.
The average senior engineer/scientist salary is $107,792.
Are senior engineer/scientist jobs in demand?
Senior engineer/scientist job and salary trends over time
Senior engineer/scientist jobs over time
Senior engineer/scientist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,406 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 6,857 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7,148 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7,233 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7,437 | 0.00% |
Average senior engineer/scientist salary over time
Senior engineer/scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $107,792 | $51.82 | +1.8% |
| 2025 | $105,875 | $50.90 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $104,712 | $50.34 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $102,721 | $49.39 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $99,650 | $47.91 | +1.7% |
Senior engineer/scientist jobs by state
Most common states for senior engineers/scientist
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 333 | 48% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,726 | 29% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,376 | 28% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 260 | 27% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,118 | 20% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 263 | 20% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,286 | 19% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 728 | 18% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 556 | 18% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 111 | 18% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 96 | 17% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,419 | 16% |
| 13 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,116 | 15% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 827 | 15% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 156 | 15% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 154 | 15% |
| 17 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 128 | 15% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 113 | 15% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 110 | 15% |
| 20 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,458 | 14% |
Most common cities for senior engineers/scientist
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Chicago | 1 | 3% | $102,455 |
| 2 | Cambridge | 2 | 2% | $107,694 |
| 3 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $91,108 |
| 4 | Waltham | 1 | 2% | $107,689 |
| 5 | West Lafayette | 1 | 2% | $80,650 |
| 6 | Irvine | 2 | 1% | $118,820 |
| 7 | Berkeley | 1 | 1% | $129,806 |
| 8 | Melbourne | 1 | 1% | $85,101 |
| 9 | Rockville | 1 | 1% | $102,006 |
| 10 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $107,712 |
| 11 | Fort Wayne | 1 | 0% | $81,736 |
| 12 | Saint Paul | 1 | 0% | $102,439 |
| 13 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $117,632 |
Senior Engineer/Scientist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior engineer/scientist experts
Quinnipiac University
University of Cincinnati
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Lycoming College
Indiana University Southeast
Alfred University
Weber State University
Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse
Robert Morris University
Brigham Young University – Idaho
Tiffin University
What Senior Engineer/Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ms. Tracee Friess A.V.P.: Aerospace Engineers use knowledge of physics, mathematics, chemistry and other science and non-science disciplines to design flight and space vehicles for specific applications.
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical SciencesQuinnipiac University
Microbiological Sciences And Immunology
What Senior Engineer/Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.: The first and foremost would be Critical Thinking. We live in a world where facts can be easily acquired, sometimes even by asking Siri/Alexa/ChatGPT/Google/etc. But critical thinking is timeless and priceless. I can ask anyone on the street what xyz is and they can look it up, but can they provide advice or interpret.
Also being a good steward towards science and being willing and able to communicate not just with peers as we are trained, but also with the public, the politicians, the board members. John Holdren*, stated that Scientists should be tithing at least 10 percent of their time to public service ... including activism. In the ever growing science denialism that is happening in our country being able to communicate science with the public is important. As Peter Hotaz states, "Anti-science propaganda is "killing Americans in unprecedented numbers,""
*Holdren is an American scientist who served as the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as assistant to the president for science and technology, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a Research Professor in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
Paul Orkwis
DrUniversity of Cincinnati
Aerospace, Aeronautical, And Astronautical/Space Engineering
What Senior Engineer/Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Paul Orkwis: My first advice for a graduate is to continue to think like a student, that is, continue to learn. Aerospace Engineering is a highly dynamic field that is truly on the cutting edge. Skills that are valuable now may not be valuable in 5-10 years. The successful engineer will look for opportunities to learn new things and improve their skillset.
Abigail Charest Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWentworth Institute of Technology
School of Engineering
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Engineer/Scientist job market given the pandemic?
Abigail Charest Ph.D.: -Students getting their Masters if they didn't get a job offer
-Less early offers from co-op employers
-Trends include continued connections online with clients, conferences, presentations
What soft skills should all Senior Engineers/Scientist possess?
Abigail Charest Ph.D.: -Graduate are ready to get back to "normal" but students will need to possess professional online skills, ie professional Zoom calls
-Presenting (in person and online)
How have salaries changed over time for Senior Engineers/Scientist?
Abigail Charest Ph.D.: Salaries have not changed much over time
What's a good job out of college for Senior Engineers/Scientist?
Dr. Jeremy Ramsey: The ideal first job for a chemistry major is one that provides advancement opportunities, possibilities for career development, and the ability to develop new skills. It may be that a first job after the degree will not provide all of these things, but any job in the chemical field will provide the opportunity to gain experience that can then lead to more desirable employment opportunities.
What will help Senior Engineers/Scientist increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jeremy Ramsey: Earning a degree that ensures hands-on experiences to enhance their learning. Our chemistry and biochemistry students build skills in the chemical laboratory and develop the ability to solve difficult chemical problems through research and internship opportunities. These experiences help to position new graduates for high quality employment possibilities and to achieve the salaries that they desire.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Engineers/Scientist?
Dr. Jeremy Ramsey: As with all aspects of the pandemic, it is difficult to know exactly what the long term prospects will be for graduating chemistry majors. I believe there will always be opportunities for candidates with a strong set of skills, significant practical experience and the ability to solve difficult problems-hallmarks of a quality Liberal Arts and Sciences education offered at Lycoming College.
Dr. Sridhar Ramachandran
Department Head and Professor of InformaticsIndiana University Southeast
Department of Informatics
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Engineers/Scientist?
Dr. Sridhar Ramachandran: This is a good time to improve ones' digital literacy skills and so taking courses or getting certified in technologies and skills that are now more widely being adapted can increase ones' chances of employment. For example, becoming proficient in using multiple operating systems can help a graduate adapt to whatever employer machine is provided to them for remote work. Most companies require you to use the company provided laptop for company business since it has the security built in and has proprietary software installed on it. On the same lines, taking courses in computer networking, cybersecurity and computer assembly and architecture will help you become comfortable with troubleshooting computer and technological issues on your own when you are working remotely. Highlighting these skills on your cover letter and in your resume can help communicate to your prospective employer that you can work independently when working remotely.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Engineers/Scientist?
Dr. Sridhar Ramachandran: For the last several decades, we have been seeing consistent and regular technological change that has slowly but surely permeated into our personal and social life. The pandemic is facilitating a technological revolution. The move from technological change to technological revolution comes with impacts that will definitely influence the world we live and work in. For example, the need for contact-less processes because of the pandemic had made way for revolutionary adaptation of automation. On the same vein, this pandemic has exposed the underlying digital divide and has thereafter facilitated in narrowing the identified gaps. For example, schoolchildren now have access to digital devices because school are providing them with computers and this generation of school kids have now had an early start in digital literacy. The same goes for college graduates because graduates of 2020 and 2021 have had to adapt to newer communication mediums as workplaces have become multi-modal (from job interviews over VoIP to remote work). Taken together, the pandemic has added more modalities to how our graduates can engage with their employers and this can have an enduring impact in how they will maintain their work and life balance.
What will help Senior Engineers/Scientist increase their earning potential?
Dr. Sridhar Ramachandran: Having an interdisciplinary skill set will definitely help people move between projects at their workplace and increase their earning potential. Having good management skills will help people get management roles as they advance through with their career. Having good leadership skills will help people accomplish tasks assigned to them and their team and that too will help in increasing their earning potential. Most importantly, in this era of internationalization and globalization in the context of this pandemic, having diversity consciousness and cultural intelligence will open the door to employment opportunities around the world because now many companies are open to hiring remote workers. The money saved by the companies because they do not need to have dedicated office space can translate into higher pays for the remote worker employee.
How have salaries changed over time for Senior Engineers/Scientist?
Tim Keenan Ph.D.: I am a relatively young biomaterials engineer, and so I cannot draw from a long career of working in this field, but I can say that I would not have spent nearly a decade in school to obtain knowledge across mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering if the statistics had not suggested that it would eventually be worth the time and effort. As any graduate with a degree related to biomedical engineering surely knows, this is not a niche field, but rather, a nearly all encompassing one, and so it is very difficult to point to the history of the salaries of one particular cohort of professionals to answer this question. With that said, it is generally suggested that with increased demand comes increased opportunity, and so with an ever-increasing global population and expanded life expectancies, and now with an accrued backlog of patients awaiting medical procedures, it is logical to assume that this industry will continue to grow, along with the salaries of its employees. One point which graduates should also consider is not only the salaries associated with positions, but where those positions are located, and how the employer is willing to allow you to work (i.e. on-site vs. remotely). When surveying the data on starting salaries, as I did when deciding my career path, there is often little consideration for the cost of living associated with where those types of jobs may be located. A large number of the companies associated with this sector are situated in some of the most expensive places to live across the entire country, both in terms of real estate costs and taxation, and so some of the salary information may be misleading if those additional factors are not also considered. So, although there is no doubt that graduates in this field can expect to earn a relatively high starting salary, I would urge them to consider their offers in terms of both salary and cost of living, so they can determine which is the most financially advantageous, especially if they are exiting their education with loans which need to be repaid.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Engineer/Scientist job market given the pandemic?
Tim Keenan Ph.D.: This is difficult to predict, as responses to the pandemic have varied from state-to-state within the U.S., and from country-to-country around the world. With regards to how routine medical visits are conducted, I think this transition to a more electronic interaction will continue to gain momentum, as well as further development of the concept of medical personnel traveling to treat the elderly, rather than the other way around, and so I believe there will be an increase in opportunities for jobs related to telehealth and traveling medical personnel. Additionally, we are rounding the 1-year mark from which many people abstained from having elective or non-critical procedures conducted, and so I believe the next several years will see a dramatic increase in medical imaging and orthopedic, dental, and cosmetic procedures, in order to catch up with the accrued demand. This likely will not only lead to an increase in the number of professionals directly associated with conducting these procedures, but also with the professionals involved on the manufacturing side of the materials and instruments required for these procedures, which includes everything from R&D, QA, production, and packaging personnel, to financial, sales, marketing, and management personnel. Lastly, this pandemic has introduced many people to the fields of virology and epidemiology who may not have otherwise ever encountered these topics, and so I believe these fields will linger in the collective mind of the public for many years, and could potentially influence future policy decisions, which could ultimately act to procure significant funds for expanded growth in these fields.
What soft skills should all Senior Engineers/Scientist possess?
Tim Keenan Ph.D.: Pandemic aside, every graduate in the modern era should have the ability to effectively communicate across multiple platforms. Even before video chats and e-mail were the primary modes of communication between students and instructors, employees and employers, and patients and doctors, the ability to effectively communicate through both verbal and written modes has been established as a necessary attribute across many fields for quite some time. Particularly, in any field even peripherally associated with medicine, it is not only important to clearly communicate so that information pertaining to diagnoses/procedures/materials/devices is correctly received and acted upon, but also to instill confidence in those receiving the information that you know what you are doing, and that you are a trusted source of this information. This includes taking the time to properly structure and edit e-mails and memos, to sufficiently prepare and appear presentable for any virtual interactions you may have, and to not only speak clearly and confidently when meeting face-to-face, but also attentively listen to those you are meeting with.
In addition to effective communication, it is also natural to assume that eventually, many positions will once again require on-site labor, and so emotional intelligence will once again become an essential skill for every graduate to develop. It has become easier than ever to express our frustrations throughout the workday, as a simple click of the "mute" and "camera" buttons during meetings allows us to vent in ways which will not be possible once on-site days become normal again, and we can no longer simply disappear from the meetings or workplace. Learning to effectively work alongside both those you adore and those you loathe is not only a skill which will help graduates obtain thier first position, but will also allow them to excel throughout their entire careers.
What will help Senior Engineers/Scientist increase their earning potential?
Dr. A. Tye Gardner Ph.D.: Getting a master's degree goes a long way to making candidates stand out and improving earnings. My recommendation is to tailor your MS degree to the specific field you're interested in working in, because employers really want to see candidates that are passionate about the field, and very few people survive a graduate degree without at least a little passion. Available salary data indicates that if you choose an affordable program (let's just say Weber State University), it takes only a few years to pay off the added cost, increases starting salaries, and dramatically improves long-term earning potential. Moreover, you can find electrical engineers with MBAs at C-level positions all over the country. It turns out being an EE makes you a good candidate for business leadership.
What type of skills will young Senior Engineers/Scientist need?
Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.: Seemingly a paradox, there will continue to be a need for very general, but highly fungible, skills and demand for too specialized skills, requiring advanced education. Coding, statistics, and data analysis related skills will remain a hot growth area. The aging of the baby boomers will create demand for medical and healthcare-related regions, especially nursing, nursing aides, and emergency services. Despite the automation of many people facing jobs, there will continue to be a demand for interpersonal and people skills, including various types of sales. The switch to remote work, due to COVID, will create a substantial future market to fill the leadership and managerial skills gap. In many areas of Technology and engineering, it is already challenging to find a combination of technical knowledge and people skills, and this demand will intensify.
What are the best companies to work for a Senior Engineer/Scientist?
Paul Badger Ph.D.: Some of the best companies to work for are companies or industries with a long history of research and development in the general field of biology. Explicitly speaking, companies associated with the healthcare industry, life sciences, or environmental sciences usually hire graduates with degrees in science fields.
Those jobs are relatively secure with opportunities for advancement over the long term. Another occupation with potential for growth that traditionally hires biology graduates in the field of forensic science. The demand for qualified biology educators has been relatively steady over the years and offers another lot where biology graduates may find employment. Science is the driver for innovation in many areas, from technology to healthcare to agriculture, and design in these areas can lead to market growth and job creation.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Senior Engineers/Scientist in the next 5 years?
Paul Badger Ph.D.: The demand for skilled research scientists in the healthcare industry or related industries will almost certainly grow in the next five years. There is nearly always a need for entry-level positions, such as laboratory scientists or medical laboratory technicians. The recent increase in pressures placed on the health care sector will likely lead to more hiring as testing facilities, and analytical labs are expanded.
Nels Hansen Ph.D.
Department ChairBrigham Young University – Idaho
Department of Applied Plant Science
What experience really stands out on Senior Engineer/Scientist resumes?
Nels Hansen Ph.D.: I think that the following areas stand out to employers when they review a resume. Students who acquire real-world experience in one or more (and hopefully more) of the following will likely have their resumes rise to the top.
-Irrigation planning and system management.
-Safe chemical handling and application.
-Pest identification and management.
-Soil and plant testing combined with plant nutrient recommendations.
-Data gathering, power, and analysis.
-Verbal fluency in Spanish.
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science, Assistant Dean, Graduate ProgramsTiffin University
School of Arts & Sciences
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Engineers/Scientist to find work opportunities?
Sami Mejri Ph.D.: With the rising cost of living, a college graduate's ideal first job may not be in their home state or favorite vacation town. According to Business Insider, MidWestern cities like Columbus-Ohio, Cincinnati-Ohio, Madison-Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, and Indianapolis-Indiana were some of the best geographical areas to live for college graduates. The cost of living in these Midwestern states remains relatively lower than coastal areas, making these locations ideal for college graduates entering the workforce. However, college graduates with degrees in healthcare, computer science, and data analytics may not be limited to these geographical areas, given employers' incentives to these in-demand jobs.