Automotive Engineer Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Automotive Engineers earn a median of $104,110 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 104% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $50.05/hr. The middle half earn between $84,130 and $132,590. The top 10% earn $164,340 or more.

The median hourly wage for automotive engineers is $50.05 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $104,110 annual median works out to about $8,680 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of automotive engineers earn less than $73,990 a year and the bottom quarter less than $84,130 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

Yes, more often than not. The median is $104,110, so more than half of automotive engineers earn over $100,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 32 states the median itself is above $100,000: New Mexico ($157,710), District of Columbia ($133,300), California ($130,900), Delaware ($125,130), and 28 more.

The highest state medians for Automotive Engineers are New Mexico ($157,710), District of Columbia ($133,300), California ($130,900) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

BLS does not split automotive engineers' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $164,340, against a median of $104,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are New Mexico ($157,710), District of Columbia ($133,300), California ($130,900). BLS also counts 3 specialty careers inside this occupation (automotive calibration engineer, crash test engineer, vehicle dynamics engineer), which share its federal pay figures.

Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Automotive Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 71.4% hold bachelor's degree.

BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for automotive engineers is a bachelor's degree. O*NET classes the work as needing considerable preparation.

Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 11.2% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 17,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines. A core O*NET task: conduct or direct system-level automotive testing. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Customer relationship management CRM software.

Most work more than 40. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 71% of automotive engineers usually work more than 40 hours a week, 29% work exactly 40 and 0% work fewer. 91% say their schedule is regular and 10% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Automotive Engineers highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTP, ISTJ, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

Women make up 11.2% of automotive engineers, against 47.1% of all employed people: a heavily male-dominated occupation. 23.2% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 41.2 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.