ASME survey shows engineer salaries rise

Base salaries for engineers rose 3% from 2011 according to salary surveys from ASME and ASCE.

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Good news for engineers on the salary front: on average, base salaries rose 3% from last year.

According to a new salary survey by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the average salary for engineers in 2012 is $95,603, an increase of $2,877 over last year. Annual income for engineers, including commissions and fees, increased nearly 4% from 2011 to 2012. 

The data were compiled from an online survey of 12,720 engineers in multiple age groups and employed in varied industry sectors and technical disciplines. Nearly 72% of the respondents indicated a salary increase.

Additional findings:

• Engineers working in the field of ocean engineering represent the highest full-time salaried median income, $169,000.
• The median annual income is the highest in California, Nevada and Hawaii, and lowest in the Upper Mountain states.
• Nearly 57% of respondents are recipients of a standard benefits plan from their employers; the remaining group receives flexible benefits. 

“There has never been a more exciting time to be an engineer, and the results of the 2012 Engineering Income and Salary Survey confirm what we already know: Careers in engineering are rewarding on many levels,” said Thomas Loughlin, executive director of ASME.

“We hope the survey will be a resource to the many organizations that track employment and salary data on engineers,” said Alicia Karwoski, P.E., director of professional activities at ASCE. “We are encouraged to see engineering salaries on the rise at a time when more engineers are needed to spur technological innovation in the United States and around the world.”