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Manufacturing Engineering

Types of Degrees Manufacturing Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Manufacturing Engineering have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	485
Master’s Degree	403
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Manufacturing Engineering Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Manufacturing Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Manufacturing Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Manufacturing Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Manufacturing Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Manufacturing Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Manufacturing Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Manufacturing Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Manufacturing Engineering graduates include:

• Engineer
• Refrigeration Engineering Teacher
• Radar Engineering Teacher
• Chemical Engineering Teacher
• Engineering Professor
• Engineering Fundamentals Instructor
• Electronics Engineering Professor
• Machine Design Teacher
• Research Professor
• Metallurgy Teacher
• Electronics Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Teacher
• Design Teacher
• Agricultural Engineering Teacher
• Engineering Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Manufacturing Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.1%
Doctoral degree	23.4%
Master’s degree	14.0%
Post-doctoral training	6.1%
Post-master’s certificate	5.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.1%
Some college courses	2.0%
Postsecondary certificate	1.6%
First professional degree	1.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Manufacturing Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 78.2% of Manufacturing Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	196	21.8%
Men	704	78.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Manufacturing Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	459	51.0%
Asian	55	6.1%
Hispanic or Latino	161	17.9%
Black or African American	22	2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.3%
Two or More Races	31	3.4%
Race Unknown	19	2.1%
International Students	150	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Manufacturing Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Manufacturing Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$77,503
4 years	$79,954
5 years	$88,040

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,040 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Manufacturing Engineering Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Manufacturing Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	2
Master’s	10	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Manufacturing Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Manufacturing Engineering graduates earn a median of $79,954 four years after completion — roughly 110% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Engineering	14
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	14.02
Agricultural Engineering	14.03
Architectural Engineering	14.04
Biochemical Engineering	14.43
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.06
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Civil Engineering	14.08
Computer Engineering	14.09
Construction Engineering	14.33

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.