One of the most critical factors in choosing a career is how well it pays. In today’s world, one has to be practical to survive. And that involves syncing our dreams with not only our skills but also industry trends when it comes to salary compensation.
Data from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics and other reputable sources reveal that these six engineering jobs are the highest paying in the field: petroleum engineers, electrical engineers, computer engineers, aerospace engineers, chemical engineers, and materials engineers. Check their median salaries here.
Meanwhile, in the tech sector, these jobs enjoy the highest salaries: software architect, IT architect, software engineering manager, applications development manager, and enterprise architect. The full list is here.
But to get a high salary is one thing. To have a high salary growth rate is another.
For those who are still yet to decide on which specific fields of engineering and tech they want to take, consider this recent report by job hunting site Glassdoor. It tallied all the engineering and tech jobs according to the biggest salary increases in the United States during the past year from May 2016 to May 2017.
But note that the ranking is based on data for base salary alone. The stock compensation, bonuses, and perks – which are valued amounts not reflected in base salaries – are not considered.
No 8: Mechanical engineer
Median base pay nationwide: $72,503
Increase in past 12 months: 1.30%
No. 7: Field engineer
Median base pay nationwide: $69,831
Increase in past 12 months: 1.80%
No. 6: Data scientist
Median base pay nationwide: $94,859
Increase in past 12 months: 2.20%
No 5: Data analyst
Median base pay nationwide: $58,360
Increase in past 12 months: 2.50%
No. 4: Electrical engineer
Median base pay nationwide: $77,152
Increase in past 12 months: 3.10%
No. 3: Quality engineer
Median base pay nationwide: $72,458
Increase in past 12 months: 3.20%
No. 2: Software engineer
Median base pay nationwide: $86,462
Increase in past 12 months: 3.60%
No. 1: Programmer analyst
Median base pay nationwide: $68,174
Increase in past 12 months: 3.90%
Source: Business Insider
All photos are from Shutterstock
