Architecture and Engineering Jobs: Every Major Occupation’s Pay, Ranked (May 2025 BLS Data)
- The median annual wage for architecture and engineering occupations was $99,520 in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The group employed about 2,617,130 people nationwide.
- Its best-paid occupation with at least 10,000 jobs was computer hardware engineers ($161,740); the lowest-paid was surveying and mapping technicians ($54,240).
BLS sorts every job in the country into 22 major occupational groups. This one, “Architecture and Engineering Occupations” (SOC 17-0000), covers the occupations below. All pay and job counts come from the BLS OEWS national data, May 2025; the typical entry education for each job comes from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35. Use the tables to see where your job sits in its field and which nearby jobs pay more.
Highest-paying jobs in the group
Occupations with at least 10,000 U.S. jobs, ranked by median annual wage:
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Hourly median | U.S. jobs | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $161,740 | $77.76 | 76,660 | Bachelor's degree |
| Petroleum Engineers | $144,910 | $69.67 | 18,060 | Bachelor's degree |
| Aerospace Engineers | $134,960 | $64.89 | 67,710 | Bachelor's degree |
| Nuclear Engineers | $133,970 | $64.41 | 15,280 | Bachelor's degree |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | $62.60 | 96,900 | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemical Engineers | $125,040 | $60.12 | 21,070 | Bachelor's degree |
| Electrical Engineers | $120,630 | $58.00 | 198,750 | Bachelor's degree |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $115,160 | $55.36 | 21,450 | Bachelor's degree |
| Materials Engineers | $112,860 | $54.26 | 22,770 | Bachelor's degree |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $109,370 | $52.58 | 23,480 | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental Engineers | $107,110 | $51.50 | 38,340 | Bachelor's degree |
| Mechanical Engineers | $104,110 | $50.05 | 296,810 | Bachelor's degree |
Lowest-paying jobs in the group
| Occupation | Median annual wage | U.S. jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Surveying and Mapping Technicians | $54,240 | 58,010 |
| Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $59,920 | 12,190 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $64,950 | 68,520 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $66,120 | 75,570 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $66,150 | 103,700 |
The most common jobs in the group
These are the occupations most people in this field actually hold:
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 367,840 | $68,240 | $100,840 | $163,220 |
| Industrial Engineers | 365,740 | $74,370 | $102,440 | $159,860 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 296,810 | $73,990 | $104,110 | $164,340 |
| Electrical Engineers | 198,750 | $76,550 | $120,630 | $184,300 |
| Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | 106,770 | $62,300 | $99,280 | $161,420 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | 103,700 | $46,260 | $66,150 | $99,710 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 96,900 | $81,840 | $130,220 | $206,960 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 95,130 | $49,510 | $78,190 | $115,700 |
Where architecture and engineering jobs pay the most
States with the highest median wage for the whole group (BLS OEWS state data, May 2025):
| State | Group median wage | Jobs in the group |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $128,000 | 27,170 |
| District of Columbia | $125,650 | 11,790 |
| California | $124,010 | 327,600 |
| Washington | $112,400 | 78,360 |
| Maryland | $111,220 | 53,510 |
The lowest group medians were in Arkansas ($77,700), Nebraska ($81,040), Montana ($81,330). Part of the gap reflects living costs and part reflects which jobs in the group are common in each state.
No bachelor’s degree? The best-paid job in this group with a typical entry requirement below a four-year degree was aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians, at a median of $82,890 (associate's degree typically needed).
How to use this for a raise or a move
- Benchmark inside your field. Find your occupation in the tables and compare your pay with its median and with the 10th and 90th percentiles.
- Look one step over. The best-paid jobs in a group often use the same skills as the common ones. A certificate or license can move you up a row.
- Location matters. The state table shows how much the same kind of work pays in different places.
- Base pay only. OEWS wages exclude overtime, tips and most bonuses.
Published October 29, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point: the state where architecture and engineering jobs make up the largest share of local employment is New Mexico, with a location quotient of 1.85 (27,170 jobs at a group median of $128,000). A location quotient above 1 means the group is a bigger share of the state’s jobs than it is nationally. Source: BLS OEWS state data, May 2025; location quotients are explained in the BLS OEWS overview.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk