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Engineering Manager

Overview and Key Facts

three people looking at data on a laptop in a car under construction
Education
Education
Bachelor's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$167,740
Job Growth
Job Growth
3.80%
(US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
220,500

What Do They Do?

An Engineering Manager could...

 
Tesla
Lead a team to create a product that revolutionizes transportation, like a self-driving car, from concept to reality.
Runner on track with carbon fiber blade prosthetic ready for start
Oversee the design and manufacture of cutting-edge prosthetics, like carbon fiber blades for high-speed running.
people sitting at table looking at construction documents
Guide an architectural team to overcome construction challenges, such as in building an energy-efficient skyscraper.
Meeting wwith clients
Meet with customers to understand their challenges and work to integrate solutions into the next product release.
 
Tesla Runner on track with carbon fiber blade prosthetic ready for start people sitting at table looking at construction documents Meeting wwith clients

Overview Listen to this section

Engineering managers not only have to be knowledgeable about engineering, but they also need the right skills to be a good manager. Engineering managers supervise and coordinate a team of engineers. There are many specific engineering fields in which they could work, including manufacturing, electrical design, nuclear engineering, software, aerospace, and many others.
Watch this video to find how a love of problem-solving led Cynthia Munerol, who has a degree in mathematics, to become a manager of construction and engineering at AT&T.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNHemPJPW6U

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of an Engineering Manager?


  1. Reading Comprehension: ?
  2. Writing: ?
  3. Active Listening: ?
  4. Complex Problem Solving: ?
  5. Speaking: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks an Engineering Manager might do:
  • Create a detailed schedule to accomplish feasible goals by setting specific deadlines, while taking into consideration possible delays and setbacks.
  • Use engineering skills to improve and troubleshoot a product.
  • Interact with senior management to understand and incorporate bigger-picture and longer-term goals for the company.
  • Work with other engineers to design a new product based on customer feedback.
  • Work with other engineers to improve, or tailor, a product based on specific customer needs.
  • Hire a person with the right skill set for a project.
  • Supervise and manage a team of engineers and others involved in a project to accomplish a goal by a specific deadline.
  • Meet with customers to understand their product needs and advise them on using a certain product.
  • Meet with customers to get feedback on a product.
  • Relay customer feedback on a product back to others in the company and discuss how the product should be improved, or how a new one should be designed.
  • Determine how to meet specific goals while staying within a tight budget.
  • Meet with people in sales and go over financial reviews and budgeting records to determine what financial avenues to pursue for the company.
  • Travel to meet with customers, and possibly collaborators, at other locations.
  • Write summaries and give presentations on a project and its progress.
  • Interact with specialists that may be required for a specific project.
  • Train customers in using the company's product.
  • Update senior management on the progress of a specific product or project.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Engineering Manager Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Engineering Manager jobs (3.80%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming an Engineering Manager

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

To become an engineering manager, experience in an engineering discipline is important in order to understand and guide the work of subordinate engineers, and to explain the work in nontechnical terms to senior management and potential customers. Consequently, most engineering managers typically have a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline and professional work experience as an engineer, as well as management experience or training (sometimes in the form of a specialized master's degree).

If an engineering manager is in an engineering discipline that is rapidly changing, they may pursue continuing education, attend professional development seminars and conferences, read research and trade journals, and do other activities to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

A bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering discipline is typically required for all entry-level engineering jobs. Most engineering-related degrees are granted in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, computer science, or software engineering. Occasionally, college graduates with a degree in a natural science, architecture, or mathematics may qualify for some engineering jobs, especially in specialties that are in high demand. Engineers trained in one branch may work in related branches. For example, many aerospace engineers have training in mechanical engineering.

Some engineering managers have more educational training in a management-related area than they do in engineering. For example, they may have a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance but not in an engineering discipline. However, they still need to be experienced in, and have technical knowledge of, the particular engineering discipline that they supervise.

A master's degree in engineering management (MEM), technology management (MSTM), or business administration (MBA) is common for an engineering manager to have to be more competitive.

Companies That Hire Engineering Managers

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Get to know Gitanjali Tomar, a Project Expeditor for Fluor Corporation, and what he values about his job.
There are various domains in engineering. Picking one that interests you and you like is of utmost important. Once you do that, the rest is easy and full of amazingness. 
Gitanjali Tomar, Project Expeditor
Sean Swearns, Project Engineering Manager at Fluor Corporation, has been part of building some amazing industrial projects; learn about the one that impresses him most.
A lot of grit and determination are required when solving extremely complex problems, which is the heart of engineering. 
Sean Swearns, Project Engineering Manager
Meet Kate Jackson, Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse, and read about her work with nuclear power plants.
I have a physics undergraduate degree. I decided on physics because it allowed me to learn about the theory of how things work. I think that is why I am a good manager, because I can understand the technology but also think beyond the equations. 
Kate Jackson, Chief Technology Officer
Read an interview with engineering manager Imran Akbar to find out what he does as the Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Networks & Communications at Motorola Solutions.
I most enjoy anticipating or realizing customers' wants and needs for today and tomorrow and figuring out how we can be first to meet those needs. 
Imran Akbar, Engineering Manager
Read an interview with engineering manager Jeff Hagen to find out how, as a Medtronic software engineering manager, he works to make sure that the web-based software for helping doctors diagnose heart conditions works flawlessly.
I direct a team of software test engineers to test the new version of our website that is used by doctors and nurses to help diagnose patients' heart conditions. 
Jeff Hagen, Engineering Manager
Meet Blake Bullock, Civil Air and Space Director of Business & Advanced Systems Development at Northrop Grumman, and learn how she spends her time figuring out what will be the next big aerospace innovation and how to achieve it.
I'm trained as an astrophysicist and have always wanted to explore the fundamental nature of the world around us—contributing to a team that works at the cutting edge of technology allows me to be a part of that discovery. 
Blake Bullock, Civil Air and Space Director

Nature of the Work

Engineering managers plan, coordinate, and direct research, design, and production activities. They may supervise and manage junior engineers, technicians, specialists, and other support personnel. Senior management typically outlines projects and goals that need to be accomplished in general terms, and engineering managers then break the projects and goals down into smaller, feasible goals. Engineering managers must use relevant engineering skills to create detailed plans to accomplish these goals by specific deadlines. This can involve planning, strategizing, and innovating with other engineers for years in advance, and may include developing a new product, and/or upgrading and improving an existing product. Once detailed plans are made, the engineering manager must then guide, supervise, and coordinate subordinates to meet specific deadlines, while anticipating potential delays, troubleshooting, and setbacks.

Engineering managers may need to carry out several administrative-related procedures. In addition to planning and coordinating production with engineers, this can include hiring, interacting with people in sales, going over financial reviews and budgeting, and overall helping to determine the best financial strategy to pursue in the marketplace for the company to succeed.

Engineering managers also frequently interact with customers, typically showing them the company's product, discussing how it could help customers, and discussing how the product could be improved/altered (or a new product developed) to better meet customers' specific needs. Customer feedback is passed back to the company and the company determines whether it should be altered, or if a new one should be made. Frequent travel may be involved.

Work Environment

Engineering managers spend most of their time in an office, but depending on how involved they are with the production aspect, they may also work in manufacturing plants, laboratories, or other places where production is being done. Engineering managers may also travel to meet with customers. Many engineering managers work at least 40 hours a week and might work much longer, on occasion, to meet project deadlines. Some might experience considerable pressure to meet production goal deadlines and work within a tight budget.

More Information

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