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Engineering

Automotive Engineers

Develop new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology. Direct building, modification, or testing of vehicle or components.

Median salary (BLS)

$104,110

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$74k – $164k

Job outlook

+9% (faster than average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 2 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $99,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Automotive Engineers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,175–$150,500

Time to qualify

4.2 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    FE exam (optional — PE track)

    Certification

    The Fundamentals of Engineering exam is the first step toward a PE license; many engineering roles never need it.

    $175–$500 · 2 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Automotive Engineers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Automotive Engineers Intern

    Internship

    $36,995

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Automotive Engineers

    Entry / Junior

    $73,990

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Automotive Engineers

    Established

    $104,110

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Automotive Engineers

    Senior

    $134,225

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing.
  • •Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
  • •Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses.
  • •Calibrate vehicle systems, including control algorithms or other software systems.
  • •Design or analyze automobile systems in areas such as aerodynamics, alternate fuels, ergonomics, hybrid power, brakes, transmissions, steering, calibration, safety, or diagnostics.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Engineering

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.