Automotive Engineers
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 17-2141.02United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $104,090
- Projected change
- +11.3%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 303.91K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
71.4% of the workforce
Growing to 338.22K by 2035
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The work
What automotive engineers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
- Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing.
- 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.
- Establish production or quality control standards.
- Conduct research studies to develop new concepts in the field of automotive engineering.
- Alter or modify designs to obtain specified functional or operational performance.
- Develop or implement operating methods or procedures.
- Develop calibration methodologies, test methodologies, or tools.
- Create design alternatives for vehicle components, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative air-conditioning systems, to increase fuel efficiency.
- Research or implement green automotive technologies involving alternative fuels, electric or hybrid cars, or lighter or more fuel-efficient vehicles.
- Develop engineering specifications or cost estimates for automotive design concepts.
- Write, review, or maintain engineering documentation.
- Conduct automotive design reviews.
- Design vehicles that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic, to improve fuel efficiency.
- Build models for algorithm or control feature verification testing.
- Develop specifications for vehicles powered by alternative fuels or alternative power methods.
- Coordinate production activities with other functional units, such as procurement, maintenance, or quality control.
- Design control systems or algorithms for purposes such as automotive energy management, emissions management, or increased operational safety or performance.
- Develop or integrate control feature requirements.
- Research computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control.
- Read current literature, attend meetings or conferences, or talk with colleagues to stay abreast of new automotive technology or competitive products.
- Design vehicles for increased recyclability or use of natural, renewable, or recycled materials in vehicle construction.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $73,144
- 25th percentile
- $83,690
- 50th percentile
- $104,090
- 75th percentile
- $134,956
- 90th percentile
- $167,956
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $104,090 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+11.3%faster than average
2025303,914 jobs
2035 projected338,224 jobs
34,310 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 71.4%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 19%
- Certificate
- 4.8%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 4.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
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- 03Transportation Design Engineers111 postings
- 04Wire Harness Design Engineers109 postings
- 05Design and Release Engineers100 postings
- 06ASIC Design Engineers97 postings
- 07Electronic Design Engineers90 postings
- 08Systems Design Engineers74 postings
- 09Engineering Designers70 postings
- 10Software Controls Engineers64 postings
- 11RTL Design Engineers61 postings
- 12Solutions Design Engineers61 postings
- 13Automotive Engineers60 postings
- 14Distribution Design Engineers57 postings
- 15Design Principals56 postings
- 16Structural Design Engineers54 postings
- 17Supply Chain Solutions Managers54 postings
- 18Vehicle Dynamics Engineers54 postings
- 19Design Engineering Managers53 postings
- 20Software Integration Managers53 postings
Top employers
- 01Blue Origin426 postings
- 02General Motors289 postings
- 03Stellantis230 postings
- 04Actalent163 postings
- 05Ryder161 postings
- 06Ford156 postings
- 07Lumen Technologies100 postings
- 08Boeing77 postings
- 09RTX67 postings
- 10ALTEN64 postings
- 11Diversified Agency60 postings
- 12Northrop Grumman60 postings
- 13Tesla55 postings
- 14Gm Cruise53 postings
- 15KCI Technologies52 postings
- 16Pentangle Tech Services50 postings
- 17Apple49 postings
- 18SpaceX49 postings
- 19Qualcomm43 postings
- 20Dynamic Engineering Consultants, Pc41 postings
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