Careers / Automotive Engineers
Automotive Engineers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$104,110
United States, 2025
Employment
296,810
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Develop new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology. Direct building, modification, or testing of vehicle or components.
- O*NET code
- 17-2141.02
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing.
- Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
- Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses.
- Calibrate vehicle systems, including control algorithms or other software systems.
- Design or analyze automobile systems in areas such as aerodynamics, alternate fuels, ergonomics, hybrid power, brakes, transmissions, steering, calibration, safety, or diagnostics.
- Prepare or present technical or project status reports.
- Conduct research studies to develop new concepts in the field of automotive engineering.
- Establish production or quality control standards.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$73,990
25th percentile
$84,130
75th percentile
$132,590
90th percentile
$164,340
Most important skills
- Complex Problem Solving4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Writing3.9
- Mathematics3.9
- Operations Analysis3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Systems Analysis3.8
- Systems Evaluation3.8
- Coordination3.5
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 23 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
23
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Mathematics | 3.9 | 4.9 | Not selected | 4.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.1 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Writing | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Science | 3.3 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Coordination | 3.5 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Technology Design | 3.1 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Automotive EngineersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $168,030 | 5,540 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $161,370 | 5,150 | 2025 |
| NM | $157,710 | 2,710 | 2025 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $135,530 | 540 | 2025 |
| DC | $133,300 | 510 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $132,920 | 190 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $132,560 | 70 | 2025 |
| CA | $130,900 | 30,530 | 2025 |
| Augusta, GA | $128,740 | 980 | 2025 |
| Peoria, IL | $128,710 | 2,120 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $128,180 | 4,530 | 2025 |
| Columbus, IN | $127,700 | 1,000 | 2025 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $127,650 | 670 | 2025 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $127,310 | 2,280 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $126,990 | 5,390 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $126,590 | 4,500 | 2025 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $126,090 | 110 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $125,780 | 650 | 2025 |
| Houston, TX | $125,350 | 8,310 | 2025 |
| Midland, TX | $125,200 | 250 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Automotive Engineers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.