What Can You Do With an Engineering Degree?
Engineers are innovative thinkers who apply the principles of mathematics, science and technology to solve practical problems. You’ll find engineers working on projects that touch upon virtually every industry and sector. They design everything from manufacturing machinery to spacecrafts, and they work on problems ranging from meeting the world’s need for clean drinking water to safeguarding the environment for future generations.
For the aspiring engineer, continue reading for answers to what can you do with an engineering degree?
In This Article:
- What Is Engineering?
- Benefits of an Engineering Degree
- Exploring Engineering Specializations
- Where Do Engineers Work?
- What Can I Do with an Engineering Degree?
- Discovering Engineering Degree Opportunities at GCU
What Is Engineering?
The simplest definition of engineering is that it involves solving practical problems. To accomplish this, engineers apply the principles of mathematics and physical and/or life sciences.
Engineering is a continually evolving field that presents a world of possibilities for those who are curious about how things work. An engineering degree program is designed to empower you to make positive contributions to the field that improve society in some way.
Engineers are responsible for designing everything from the International Space Station to prosthetic limbs to airports.1 Early engineers built the many wonders of the ancient world, including the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon and the Pyramids of Giza.1 In short, engineering represents the potential to build something new that can change the world and improve people’s lives.
Benefits of an Engineering Degree
There are many great reasons to earn an engineering degree. Job growth is one of them.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 188,000 new jobs are estimated to open for architecture and engineering fields from 2022 to 2032.2
According to the BLS, the following are the median annual wages for different types of engineers as of May 2023:3
- Mechanical engineers: $99,510
- Industrial engineers: $99,380
- Electrical and electronics engineers: $109,010
- Environmental engineers: $100,090
Of course, there are many other great reasons to consider earning an engineering degree. Some engineers chose the field because they like being able to exercise their creativity in the workplace. Solving problems often requires out-of-the-box thinking.
Other professionals might choose engineering because they may have the opportunity to develop innovations that affect people’s daily lives. Engineers can help solve water infrastructure problems, ensuring that communities have enough clean drinking water, for example. As an engineer, you can take pride in what you accomplish.
Exploring Engineering Specializations
There are many engineering specialties and subspecialties that students can explore. Here are a few options.
- Mechanical engineering: Mechanical engineers work on the design, development and improvement of machines and tools, often for use in manufacturing and other industrial applications.
- Electrical engineering: Electrical engineers design new electrical systems and equipment.
- Biomedical engineering: Biomedical engineers design medical equipment, ranging from prosthetic limbs to artificial internal organs.
- Robotics engineering: Robotic engineers develop automated machines and systems, such as robots and robotic systems (e.g. Mars rovers and robotic surgical platforms).
Within those broad categories, there are also subspecialties. After graduation, aspiring civil engineers may decide to focus their career on a subspecialty like geotechnical, structural, water resources or transportation engineering.
Where Do Engineers Work?
Engineers typically work in an office setting, although many make frequent trips out into the field to test their equipment and assess its function.4 Engineers work across a range of industries, depending on their area of specialization (e.g., aerospace or electronics).
For example, mechanical engineers may work in the following settings:5
- Architectural and engineering firms
- Machinery manufacturing
- Transportation equipment manufacturing
- Scientific research and development services
- Computer and electronics products manufacturing
What Can I Do With an Engineering Degree?
So, are you still wondering, What can I do with an engineering degree? There is a world of possibilities out there. With a solid framework of engineering-related competencies, you could pursue the following types of careers (depending on your degree concentration).
Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace engineers design and develop spacecraft, aircraft, satellites and missiles. They also evaluate malfunctioning components of these machines to identify the cause of problems and figure out how to fix them. Some aerospace engineers may have a subspecialty. For example, some may specialize in navigation and control systems, while others specialize in propulsion and combustion.
According to the BLS, about 34% of these engineers work in aerospace product and parts manufacturing, while others work on navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing.5 About 16% of aerospace engineers work for the federal government.5
Rehabilitation Engineer
If you have a passion for helping people overcome obstacles, you might consider pursuing a career as a rehabilitation engineer, which is a type of bioengineer and biomedical engineer, according to the BLS.6 These professionals have an academic background in biomedical engineering, which they use to design the assistive devices that people with health conditions or impairments need to do everyday activities.
You may find the possibilities in this career to be exciting. This field can include the following types of innovations:7
- Brain computer interfaces: Allow individuals with severe disabilities to manipulate computer cursors or robotic arms just by thinking about it (based on the brain’s electrical impulses)
- Sensory prosthetics: Include cochlear and retinal implants that enhance independence for people with hearing or vision loss
- Physical prosthetics: Replace missing hands, feet and limbs with powered artificial components and exoskeletons
- Virtual rehabilitation systems: Support physical and cognitive rehab through the use of virtual reality simulation devices
- Rehabilitation robotics: Provide robotic therapy aids for mobility training
Electrical and Electronics Engineer
If you choose an engineering degree program with a specialization in electrical engineering and enjoy using electronic equipment, a career as an electrical and electronics engineer may be ideal for you.
Electronics engineers design and improve electronic parts and systems intended for consumer, scientific, industrial or military use. These engineers may work on anything from satellites to communications equipment to radar and sonar systems.
Careers With an Engineering Degree in Tech
Are you interested in computers and software? Does the way computers and technology function interest you? If so, then GCU’s software engineering program may be a good fit for you.
This program teaches students how to use computer science practices and technologies to find solutions to software systems. As a software engineer, you could pursue employment across a wide range of industries, given that every industry relies on technology. Careers with an engineering degree that focus on software can be found in:8
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Information technology
- Gaming
- Automotive
- Finance
- Government
Discovering Engineering Degree Opportunities at GCU
Grand Canyon University invites prospective students to explore the possibilities at the College of Engineering and Technology. Our engineering degrees offer multiple specializations ranging from biomedical engineering to mechanical engineering to industrial engineering and more.
1 TeachEngineering. (2023). Engineering Design Process. TeachEngineering.org. Retrieved on July 10, 2024.
2 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Architecture and Engineering Occupations, retrieved in June 2024.
3 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Architecture and Engineering Occupations as of May 2023, retrieved on July 16, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as Architecture and Engineering Occupations, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 17). Mechanical engineers: Work environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 17). Aerospace engineers: Work environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
6 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 17). What Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers Do. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
7 Nih. gov. (2016). Rehabilitation Engineering. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
8 Indeed Editorial Team. (2022, Dec. 9). How To Become a Software Engineer (with salary and FAQs). Indeed. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
Approved by the assistant dean of the College of Engineering and Technology on Aug. 20, 2024.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
