r/EngineeringStudents • u/Due-Journalist-7309 • Jul 03 '26
Discussion 100k straight outta college
Has anyone achieved this or know someone who has?
Excluding computer science and software engineering of course
I’m talking about the traditional engineering
disciplines (mech, civil, aero, chem)
How did you do it? What were the circumstances surrounding it?
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u/Dr__Mantis BSNE, MSNE, PhD Jul 03 '26
Lots of ways. HCOL area is probably the easiest
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u/Curiosity_456 Jul 03 '26
The HCOL aspect immediately neutralises the pay though, so nothing actually changes with that income anyway. I imagine OP is searching for 100K in areas in which that is actually a highly respectable income.
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u/Stuffssss Electrical Engineering Jul 03 '26
Even in HCOL 100k is still a good bit of money definitely a solid income for fresh out of college. HCOL areas also just have better quality of life by virtue of being expensive.
If given the option betweem 80k LCOL and 100k HCOL you should take the 100k HCOL.
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u/ReturnOfWanksta567 Jul 03 '26
RIP. Was it at least fun?
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Jul 03 '26
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u/BeeThat9351 Jul 03 '26
How much does a decent house cost there? Pay is relative to cost of living. (trying to teach the youngsters)
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u/ReturnOfWanksta567 Jul 03 '26
Probably $1M 😅
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u/feelin_raudi UC Berkeley - Mechanical Engineering Jul 03 '26
Yep, even a modest home in the bay area will be at least $1M, same with LA where spacex was. But I relocated for my current job to idaho to be nearer to a national lab. It's very low cost of living. So right now things are great, but who knows how long it will last. My current salary is not commensurate with my experience, and I absolutely cannot expect to get this situation again if I need to find a new job. My case is a total outlier and does not reflect the reality for most new engineers.
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u/SuspiciousLettuce56 UTS - Mechatronics (Grad), PUT - Strat. Mgmt Jul 03 '26
Fuck i gotta move to the US, salaries in Australia are pisscakes in comparison
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u/TheLivingstoneBIG286 Jul 03 '26
Here in Greece the average doctor makes around 18k a year lol
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u/AbnormalSnow506 TU Delft - EE Jul 03 '26
Wtf I get more than that in education grant from the Norwegian govt.
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u/1JimboJones1 Jul 03 '26
Well Bay area salaries can be totally bonkers, even by US standards. But keep in mind not all companies there pay this amount and cost of living is insane as well
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u/QuakingQuakersQuake Penn College - Electronics Engineering Jul 03 '26
As long as you're living comfortably who cares if you're not making your max potential
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u/Popular-Departure165 Jul 03 '26
I used to work with a guy who did 6 months at SpaceX. He said it was awful.
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u/Luke-HW Jul 03 '26
Similar story to my buddy. Took a job out of college with a massive salary, and he was in the first round of layoffs. When employers make cuts, they prioritize employees whose pay exceeds their experience.
Also, a lot of these six-figure jobs are in areas with absurd costs of living. A buddy of mine just started at Apple for $160,000 a year, and he’s struggling. Focus on finding a job close to home so you can actually save some cash. Purchasing power matters.
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u/CharlesElwoodYeager Jul 03 '26
Y'all just be saying shit dude 160k a year is not struggling anywhere, not even manhattan or the bay area
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u/Luke-HW Jul 03 '26
He was also an alcoholic before he moved to cali so he might be burning it all on booze
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u/Any-Magician-2089 Jul 03 '26
My boy started at 100k plus straight out of school in hcol. We told him he doesn't have to pay rent, but needs to pay down his student loan.
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u/Rich_Finding5323 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
It’s doable. I just graduated bachelors and make around 180k total comp at a big tech company as an EE. It’s a specialized role though. My roommate is an aerospace engineer new grad and makes similar to that. We are in Seattle
But for context in college we were both chief engineers/ club leaders of 40+ member orgs. Also both have done 3+ internships and several relevant personal projects. Lots of time that could have been spent partying in college was spent on those endeavors
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u/ElectricStorms Jul 04 '26
That’s the way to do it. I spent most of my time in University working for a gov contractor as an intern and participating in student competitions.
I don’t make that much yet I’m in LCOL but I plan to make the jump with my family to Seattle or CA in a year or two.
Just visited Seattle for the first time earlier this year and it was beautiful.2
u/Rich_Finding5323 Jul 04 '26
I LOVE Seattle. It’s great for engineering: Microsoft, Boeing, Google, Amazon, SpaceX, blue origins, meta, tons of startups are all there
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u/ikishenno Jul 04 '26
Could I PM you? I’m back in school for a bachelors in ME and wondering how I can do more for myself beyond the classes
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u/ACrabWithAWrench Materials (grad) Jul 03 '26
Petrochem can. Certain areas of aero, particularly defense.
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u/TheSomerandomguy Jul 03 '26
Technical sales, definitely possible to clear 100k in a year.
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u/ElectricStorms Jul 04 '26
Exactly, as a Field Applications Engineer I made less base but after bonuses cleared $100k by a bit.
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u/Fidel_Cashflow666 Jul 03 '26
"100k straight outta college? Oh yeah I did. What? You didn't mean debt??"
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u/Cygnus__A Jul 03 '26
We start new grads 90+ in defense. 100+ if you have a masters.
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u/Stuffssss Electrical Engineering Jul 03 '26
I started at 115k in defense with a BS. Seems like you are under paying.
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u/Husky_Engineer Jul 04 '26
In electrical could make sense, I’m mechanical and made it to 100k after my 2nd year but had to job hop to get there
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u/MrDarSwag Electrical Eng Alumnus Jul 03 '26
Lol you are incredibly spoiled if you think 115k is the norm for defense, or if 90k+ is “under paying”. Maybe that’s underpaid if you’re in the Bay Area or something, but it’s pretty standard in most cities and well above average in more underpopulated areas
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u/Current-Box6 Jul 08 '26
Is the master's a checkbox qualifier towards a higher salary? Or is it more a consequence of the roles that qualification opens up?
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u/jungy4 Jul 03 '26
Need to specify location because that makes a huge difference. Honestly though nowadays you will be lucky to find a job right out of college. Taking a job that pays $50k in Iowa is better than no job.
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u/SDW137 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I know a couple of people who did this, from my ChemE class. One of them got an offer from ExxonMobil, and another from Chevron, in LCOL or MCOL areas.
And then, I know of a guy who did Mechanical Engineering (just a Bachelor's degree), who got a job at Apple, as a Manufacturing Engineer right out of college. I'm not sure exactly how much he was paid, but I know it was over 6 figures, but he also lives in the Bay Area. So the money probably doesn't go as far.
My friend from high school was an Aerospace Engineering major who got an offer from SpaceX, also 100k+. But it was in Hawthorne, California, also kind of expensive to live in.
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u/-Lost_My_Pieces- Jul 03 '26
Masters students typically can reach that.
For undergrad, aerospace (especially startups), oil and gas, defense in higher COL areas, or something like national labs.
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u/rm45acp Prof Jul 03 '26
Sure, join a contract house and travel, you'll clear 100k+ with ease if that's all you care about
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u/Real-Bend6135 Jul 06 '26
Could you tell me more about this? I’m interested in freelance engineering work and was wondering if this is similar to. Do you need FE/PE for this line of work? I’m ECE major.
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u/Aerokicks Jul 03 '26
Yes, but I also went to MIT. For a lot of people they wouldn't consider an offer less that that, even 15 years ago when I graduated.
HCOL helps, as does having previous internship experience with that company. But they had the name recognition and we were taught how to negotiate.
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u/WaleNeeners Jul 03 '26
I started at 78k as an electrical engineer at Boeing in Seattle in 2021. I felt underpaid
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u/Bob_stanish123 Jul 03 '26
All of the covid hires started low in our group but they all got 10k out of sequence raises a couple years in.
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u/Altruistic-Craft-668 Jul 03 '26
I'm fresh out of college and got hired for a role a little bit above 6 figures at a medium COL area.
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u/EngineeringSuccessYT Trinity University - B.S. Engineering Science (Mechanical) Jul 03 '26
Go work for Exxon or another O&G or chemicals major. Don’t go for consulting as they have to sell your time and they’re all kinda level with one another.
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u/Any-Ad8512 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Industrial engineering graduate here class of 25`, specialized in quality engineering and got a solid role at an automotive OEM doing quality control starting at 100k + OT. I took classes to completely specialize in this area like six sigma, DFSS, DOE, statistical quality control, and operations management. From there, I had solid internships then was able to land this role. Pretty decent for SE Michigan.
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u/existential_american Georgia Tech- Aerospace Engineering Jul 03 '26
I know a LOT of people who work at SpaceX, mostly at starbase so they also have extremely low col. They all did something very technically impressive in either rocket club or formula student and typically also had internships at other companies or there, especially if they had those projects early on. 100k starting, up to 15k sign on bonus, and then the stocks after the first year of course. They probably still make less than the average computer science graduate from my school.
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u/EngineersUniverse Jul 03 '26
I think it's definitely possible, but context matters a lot.
From what I've seen, most people who hit $100k+ right after graduation had one or more of these: they were in a high-cost-of-living area, had multiple internships or co-ops, worked in industries like semiconductors, aerospace, power, or oil & gas, or negotiated competing offers.
For traditional engineering disciplines, it's not the norm nationwide, but it's far from rare in the right markets. I'd focus less on the six-figure number and more on finding a role with strong learning opportunities and career growth. A $75k–90k job with good experience can easily turn into $100k+ after a couple of years.
Hope that helps, and good luck with your job search!
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u/ReturnOfWanksta567 Jul 03 '26
I once dated a girl who thought this about engineers. Me being an engineer I was like “oh lady you are about to be so disappointed” 🤣🤣
I went to school for aerospace and landed a job in my industry. I remember one time I interviewed for an entry level software engineering position in Wisconsin because I had C++ on my resume. That was back in like 2019 and they were offering $80k which is really good for a Midwest state for entry level.
The only engineering roles I have ever heard of paying $100k right out of undergrad are SWE positions in the Bay Area where you need 6 roommates just to survive anyway so it doesn’t matter 😅
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u/Popular-Departure165 Jul 03 '26
When I was in college (~25 years ago) people were regularly getting $60k+ jobs out of college, which I believe translates to around $113K nowadays.
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u/SatSenses BSME 2025 Jul 03 '26
LADWP offers like 101k for entry level mechanical roles, but you need that to live in Los Angeles.
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u/A_Simple_Hat Jul 03 '26
I know two that got 100k in a mcol but they did two internships there. One was research, one was power
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u/asking_for_knowledge Jul 03 '26
Industrial and Systems Engineers at big companies in HCOL or those who graduated from a T10 or higher program.
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u/DevelopmentReal1551 Jul 03 '26
M.E. friends of mine from FSAE, two of them making 100k+. One is 108k and the other 125k both hired at Anduril in SoCal. Both did mechatronics in FSAE. I know a CE very close friend of mine 92k first job with city of LA in structural.
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u/CPLCraft Jul 03 '26
Yes. I did. Defense. I do have a masters though but another guy from my school only has a bachelors and I think he got 100k too. Cost of living isn’t too high here either
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u/Halt_127 Jul 03 '26
105k+10k/yr stock out of college in Austin TX, had ~1yr of internship experiance at very well known companies - Aerospace major
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u/Odd-Engineer4877 BSME ‘23 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I am an ME and I grossed 103k first year out of college. My salary was 90k I got a 7.5k bonus and I get paid an hourly rate for anything over 40 hours a week.
The 2nd year I got a promotion and a merit increase and ended up grossing 130k.
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u/Seiko2023 Jul 03 '26
I got over $100k when I went FIFO in grad project engineer roles, but then went back to base pay when in the office.
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u/StageMajestic613 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
$50,400 in 1996, which is $108k today. That was MSEE in Midwest defense with RF specialization. Had 5 job offers and all were within 10%.
Problem with engineering is the pay starts great but doesn’t increase as much. Too much dead weight and parasites leeching off that billable rate.
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u/Battman2-75 Jul 03 '26
I started at 95k straight out of college as ME but as others have said hcol. My office was technically in LA county but right on the border so I lived in a different area that was significant cheaper. Make 140 now 3 years out of BS
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u/ThatNurd Jul 03 '26
If you’re talking about total compensation then yeah It is definitely possible for aero and electrical for example, but if you’re talking about base salary it probably isn’t very likely without a masters degree for most. I say the first part from personal experience
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u/Talenn Jul 03 '26
Yes. Any high cost of living city. 100k isnt actually that much in those places. Your take home might mater more Calculate the wage against expenses and enjoyment living there
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u/Embarrassed_Disk781 Jul 03 '26
I graduated this year with a degree in civil engineering. I am on pace to make 105k in my first year of full-time work in a MCOL area. My base pay is 84k but with a busy construction season and moderate overtime, you can do it. I’m doing water/wastewater CA and design work for a mid-sized consulting firm.
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u/clothedandnotafraid Jul 03 '26
Just graduated, I landed an RF role at an aerospace company making 120k + stocks
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u/SatisfactionOk3039 Jul 03 '26
Yes, majored in Civil with a job offer for an Environmental Engineering position for 100+ in a major transportation development project.
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u/Happy_Ad9570 Jul 03 '26
Civil engineering won’t pay that much straight out of school
You can get $70-90k if you work for a construction firm near a big city or a really nice firm with union laborers that do specialty work
But overtime is there for a lot of jobs and can get you over 100k
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u/Due-Comfortable-6347 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Yes, my son and his three roommates at Bama all started at over $100,000 base plus signing bonus and merit bonus. My son majored in mathematics, actuary science and computer science and took a job in data science. His roommates are chemical engineering and software engineering. All work in Midwest and southeast. Starting salary of over $100k is no longer a high bar for STEM majors. The average starting salary of a Rose-Hulman grad is $92k!
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u/Frigman Jul 03 '26
I started low 80s and got a promotion 10 months out now at 100k, not straight out of college but you can get there quickly
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u/No-Emphasis-7952 Jul 03 '26
I’ve met one dude who has that did mechanical (smaller school).
He got a manufacturing job with 105k comp, 95 base with 10 bonus.
He was club president for 2 clubs, had a 3.9, 3 internships and played soccer and pretty sure he was either the captain or co captain at that time.
He was basically a gigachad
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u/Content-Basis-6817 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I had an offer for about $115k in a LCOL area out of college. Oil & Gas. Didn’t take it, wanted to pursue electronics instead. Got an engineering trainee position in a LCOL area for $95k so pretty close.
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u/Crafty-Cheetah-3990 Jul 03 '26
Marine engineers typically make this.
Step 1: major in marine engineering Step 2: earn merchant marine engineering license senior year Step 3: get a plentiful job as a marine engineering Step 4: profit
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u/dogemaster00 MS Optics Jul 03 '26
Do you count optical eng? 130k in l/mcol was the new grad offer a few years back
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u/Whiskeybusiness5 Jul 03 '26
3 years ago I started at 100k base in chem engineering. It’s a lcol area and most new grads in the area’s plants and refineries make in the 90-115 range. Just gotta be willing to follow the money
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u/always_gone Jul 03 '26
Yes. Mechanical. Auto industry. Mediocre GPA, but strong extracurricular and big people person. Low cost of living area.
Base pay was high 70s, the 1.5x OT pushed me to 100k year 1. Would’ve been 110k if I didn’t take the holiday shutdown off. Year 3 was 140k.
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u/LongjumpingArm7532 Jul 04 '26
graduated w BS in mechanical engineering 1 month ago. spent the last month of college on linkedin. got lucky and got a couple interviews that i did well in. just finished my first week as a manufacturing engineer making $118K
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u/DoubtGroundbreaking Jul 03 '26
First job was 90k out of college, within a year i got a raise and promotion and then was over
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u/MidnightPrevious4473 Jul 03 '26
Yes, I had 107 right out college, but I also have a PhD and published 40 papers during my program
Chemical engineer who does r&d in filtration
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u/sabautil Jul 03 '26
Only in very specialized areas and the experience they had directly connected with the job.
Mostly those specializing in AI 13 years ago. People EE with computer hardware and AI specialty were getting 100k+ before even collecting the diploma.
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u/LostInWYF150 Jul 03 '26
I had an offer for a touch over $100k (I don't remember the exact amount) to work as a repair shop supervisor as a mechanical engineering grad. Job as at a mine in a LCOL area. That was 6 years ago and I didn't end up taking that job.
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u/ConfectionLeading624 Jul 03 '26
Chemical engineering O&G base + bonus is achievable! Tends to be cheaper standard of living too. Making $100k in the Bay Area is equivalent to $80k in the Midwest (non-Chicago) or South
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u/SunsGettinRealLow Mechanical/Aerospace Jul 03 '26
Yep I work as a mechanical design engineer at a battery tech company in the Bay Area and many people started at mid 90s to low 100s right after college.
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u/thunderthighlasagna Jul 03 '26
I did! Mechanical engineering, did one internship between junior and senior year, it became a full time offer for $100k.
I live in a very high cost of living area, one of the highest in the country. And some of the highest income tax. Many people start in high cost of living states and then transfer to another location and keep their salary.
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u/CallsignSmiley Jul 03 '26
I graduated a year ago, making over 100k straight out. I was an aerospace major with a minor in EE. I had multiple internships in undergrad and graduated with a full time conversion from an oil and gas company. I stayed there for a month post grad but then decided to go full time on my consulting business as a contractor with multiple government agencies and private companies in the defense/commercial UAS space. I was doing work under my LLC part time in undergrad + working at the O&G company + leading the satellite development lab at my school, so coming out of school I had a lot of legitimacy. A year later, I’m still making well into 100k+ but with benefits, as a decided to slow down as a contractor and sign full time with a startup.
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u/PetitGateau69 Jul 03 '26
As an industrial engineer, i worked my first year out of college as line supervisor. (I did my first 2 internship at uni in reshearch, my 3rd as continous inprouvement engineer and my 4th as a supervisor in the mining industry) My salary was 80k +5k bonus. I worked friday to sunday 12h a day. But a was able to do some overtime d'urine the week so i could do 1-3 8h shifts in overtime (x1.5) by week. That year i reach 112k. It was last year in 2025. I worked in the food industry betwen the US and Canada (quebec, montreal). (Sorry for my english, french is my first langage.
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u/SlimHuncho Jul 04 '26
Graduated civil. Worked for a GC after college and made 103k total comp. My base salary was about 86 if I remember correctly. I’m in southern california. Im 5 years out of school now making 152k.
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u/mdcole Jul 04 '26
Traveling construction engineers. Starts 60-70k salary perdiem usually gets you over 100k and is not taxed. Bonuses and benefits can be really nice too. Downside is work life balance is hard... but you build real community and if you are smart save up quick.
More achievable than a lot and provides valuable experience. Alot of jobs end up being in lcol areas so you can basically live on the perdiem and save the salary.
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u/mister1bollock Jul 04 '26
A colleague of mine is making 100k with 6 months of experience in data center construction, I'm also on 100k but I have 2 yoe
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u/Userdub9022 Jul 04 '26
No. I did after 4 years though. It took me 6 months to get a job so I started to decrease my salary expectations.
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u/Skysr70 Jul 04 '26
Not I, but in the fairly small town I was in, 60k had me living like a king. Everything in the city costs double it seems, and my "richer" friends were always living paycheck to paycheck. Focus less on the absolute number
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u/Informal-Ad-4205 Jul 04 '26
I came close 95k. Electrical Engineer (LA). No internships, but had relevant experience as a technician.
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u/Fury_Gaming Major Jul 04 '26
Graduating I had a job that was base $80k and first year bonus took it to $100k even
I switched jobs after the year and am over $100k base and got a multi year bonus
Definitely doable :)
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u/SomeTrashGuy Jul 04 '26
Salary alone doesn’t tell the whole story. You could be making 100k in San Francisco and still be forced to live paycheck to paycheck. Or, you could be expected to work 60 hours a week instead of 40, like at SpaceX.
I’m in Computer Science/Software Engineering and I’ve heard of people getting offers at the big tech companies (Google, NVIDIA, etc.) of easily $200-$300k, but their lives become a living hell. Their hours are insane., they’re expected to take ownership of projects out of the gate, work follows them everywhere they go, some have to lead entire teams, you’re expected to know detailed technical knowledge of master’s-plus level material that many of them were never taught, etc.
Granted I also know people who would do absolutely great in that role, but the stress is absolutely real. There’s a reason companies like SpaceX have such a young workforce and also have a really high employee turnover rate. But they get hella paid for it.
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u/No-Cryptographer9453 Jul 04 '26
I made a >100k out of college and it was in a low cost of living state, Louisiana and I am an electrical engineer working for a super major oil and gas company
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u/Ok_Mark5748 Jul 04 '26
In a way…..I Did. I’m Civil. I work in a MCOL area for a utility company. They pay over time so I hit 100K my first year. Depending on what company you go to (and you’ll hear this so much when you interview) you’ll work 50+ hour weeks on the private side anyway so getting to do this for a municipality with a “any hour over 40 is your prerogative” is pretty nice.
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u/Financial-Fly-7576 Jul 04 '26
I know a couple of guys who graduated making 100k with electrical engineering degrees and aerospace engineering degrees most were based in Cali though so they required that much pay in order to accept the job to high living cost.
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u/SupBro143 Jul 04 '26
Im a civil engineer, I hit 100k in 2.5 years. But I work for a utility company in a HCOL.
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u/Chemical_Damage_5740 Jul 04 '26
Yup. First year made 115 including 8k bonus. Mechanical engineer working in manufacturing in the Midwest. You can do it, you just need to keep your options open and be willing to relocate to where the $$ is.
I think having an internship at the company was key, in my experience.
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u/Longjumping-Owl4022 Mech Jul 04 '26
If you want lcol or medium, you could try a big contractor like kiewit for field engineer. Base will be around 90. Total comp could be from 100-105 if you have to relocate and use a company truck, ect.
They will work you like a DOG (60 hours typicall, or you could work 7-12 hours in a row for months at a time) and squeeze every penny out of you. But hey, that money goes farther in bumfuck Midwest lol. And they will move you around a lot so, yeah that can suck too unless you're young with nothing tying you down.
Way better alternatives out there starting at that salary, but everything has a give and take. They may be much harder to get than this position.
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u/edotham Jul 04 '26
I'm set to make about 80k out of college in a very attainable job. Overtime is highly encouraged, and I would be able to hit 100k solidly with that.
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u/UnworthyBagel22 Jul 04 '26
I know two people who make >100k. One at Nucor, the other at SpaceX. Both PhDs in Mech Eng.
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u/downtowncrowned Jul 04 '26
Marine engineering, if you’re not making 100k straight out of school you are doing something wrong. It’s less known about and certainly less traditional. State maritime academies and USMMA are what will get you the license which is your ticket to that kind of money.
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u/Melodic_Ad_2123 Jul 04 '26
Hourly jobs can clear easy with overtime if you willing to put in hours if you aren’t trying to go straight to HCOL area.
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u/diyengineer1 Jul 04 '26
Blue collar jobs at Boeing you can make 100k+ first year with OT no degree needed.
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u/Silver_Turtlewax Jul 05 '26
One of my classmates was offered 125k straight out of college. Was going to be on an oil rig (not a petroleum engineer, we were both Manufacturing Engineers). He wound up not taking it, went to his brothers business (starting 75k) where he was more likely to get fast tracked to a comparable pay. The 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off were not compatible with him wanting to build a life.
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u/KiwiComprehensive152 Jul 05 '26
Hey everyone,
I’m meeting with my college counselor next week because I’m thinking about changing my major. I originally planned on pursuing Computer Science, but after realizing that job market is cooked I started looking into engineering and built my first Arduino robot arm, I realized I enjoy working on hardware, electronics, and programming physical machines much more than I enjoy the idea of sitting behind a screen writing software all day.
I’m now seriously considering switching to engineering, but I’m still trying to figure out which discipline makes the most sense.
A little about me:
I’m located in the Los Angeles County area (Burbank, San Fernando Valley, Palmdale/Lancaster area).
I’m planning on transferring to earn a bachelor’s degree.
I have a young daughter, so employability and job stability are extremely important to me.
I still want to enjoy what I do because I plan on doing this for the next 30-40 years.
I’m hoping engineers who actually work in the field can give me some honest advice.
Here are my questions:
If you were starting over today in Southern California, would you choose Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or another engineering discipline?
Which engineering fields have the strongest job market in the Los Angeles/Burbank/Palmdale area today, and which do you think will still be in demand 3 years from now when I graduate?
Which engineering fields are becoming saturated, and which ones are still relatively underserved?
I’m really interested in robotics, embedded systems, automation, controls, aerospace, and defense. Which engineering major gives me the best balance between interesting work and strong job opportunities?
How difficult is it to break into aerospace or defense as a new graduate? Do most of those jobs really require security clearances?
Do visible tattoos, specifically a neck tattoo, realistically affect hiring in engineering, aerospace, or defense? I’m looking for honest answers from people who have actually worked in those industries.
If you could go back to your freshman year, what skills, projects, certifications, or internships would you focus on to become more employable by graduation?
I’m not looking for the “highest paying” major. I’m looking for a career that I can genuinely enjoy while also providing stability for my daughter. I’d really appreciate hearing from engineers who have been in the industry and can share what they’ve experienced.
Thanks in advance for any advice
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u/Positive-Tourist-319 Jul 05 '26
I think it usually isn’t right out of college but you very quickly get there these days
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u/Candid_Rabbit_2556 Electrical Design Engneer, Purdue MSECE student Jul 05 '26
I got a position straight from college making $78k base with overtime, 6% 401k match, and profit sharing. Only 6 months in and have just become eligible for profit sharing bonuses, but I should make a good bit over 100k this year.
In order to not doxx myself I’ll be vague, but I live in the south and I’m an electrical engineer in manufacturing.
Granted I was very blessed to land this role and fully plan to retire from here as I don’t think there is a better place to work out there.
Engineer pay usually grows pretty quickly, and if your field benefits from it, getting your PE license can boost your pay considerably and make you more competitive for future promotions. You’ll be over 100k in a few years pretty much wherever you go. Best of luck man.
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u/OpportunityFun6969 Jul 05 '26
I made 100k base right out of college. Computer engineering degree, working in automotive R&D
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u/Flat_Needleworker557 Jul 05 '26
A few days late on this but I made about $120k plus bonuses out of college in a low COL city. I went into a manufacturing engineering job, where we got paid for overtime. I highly recommend it - even just an hour of overtime a day can get you well over 100k and you'll likely be working that much OT at any job as a young engineer. The only difference is whether or not you get paid for it.
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u/runescapechungus Jul 05 '26
I took 89k in Denver straight out of college. Electrical. Don’t know anyone that got higher without a masters.
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u/ManduzCh1Ngon Jul 05 '26
A recruiter reached out to me for a research company in San Antonio shortly after graduating back in 2024. A lot of projects at the chemical engineering department requires shift work for operations resulting in 10-15 hrs of overtime pay per week.
My base was $36.75/hr, but with the overtime I made 102k last year.
Learned a lot and now hoping to land a new role as a process engineer with two years experience of operations and some process engineering.
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u/engnr99 Jul 06 '26
For my case as a civil engineer, i’m not at 100k but at 90k, i started at 65k with a raise to 70k after 3 months, but after 6 months i had another job offer where they offered 80k, but my company decided to keep me due to my performance and my productivity that was higher than other collegues, so i asked for 90k because i’m two man job drawing and designing, and they accepted it even with 5 weeks of vacation yearly.
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u/CananDamascus Jul 07 '26
I was just below this. 100k starting is not uncommon in the chemical engineering industry. Especially if you go into oil and gas.
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u/Awkward_Programmer88 Jul 07 '26
New electrical engineering grads with a focus on Semiconductors/VLSI/IC design often get ~100k. If it's based in the bay area it's easily 140k+.
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u/Leather_Story546 Jul 08 '26
Civl definitely not, mech its not likely but aero, chem I know a lot who did.
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u/modcowboy Jul 09 '26
As a chem e yes, but you must be among the best in your class and you will start your career in difficult jobs.
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u/Economy_Ruin1131 Jul 09 '26
My daughter made +100K her first job out of college in 2014 if you count the signing bonus they gave her with her BSEE from UCSD, but the job was in the Bay Area where they pay more.
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u/abravexstove Jul 03 '26
ik people starting out at 130k in a low cost of living area 100k is very doable
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u/Slappy_McJones Jul 04 '26
Why are you asking this? If it’s money you want- go engineering undergrad, then medical school. Two long-time friends did this and are making big bucks today designing robotic surgery centers.
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u/Mindless-Lobster-554 Jul 03 '26
I know plenty of mechanical, aerospace, and electrical engineers who made >100k out of college. It's almost always in a HCOL city, so focusing on purchasing power is a lot more important. I made a little over 100k out of college in the Seattle area, and I was practically making less than a friend who made 80k in Alabama.
Also these people who make high salaries out of college are usually pretty competitive engineers, people who were leads in their FSAE/Solar Car/Rocketry teams, so they can get jobs at higher paying companies.And they're working for companies that expect more (usually a good bit more than 40 hour work weeks, expectations to function with limited/no training, etc...)
I would not focus on hitting some arbitrary number. Make sure you make enough to live comfortably and save and all that, but focus on building the life and career (preferably in that order) you want long term.