New NSPE survey shows shift in engineer salaries

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According to a National Society of Professional Engineers survey, entry level salaries are up, but executive engineer salaries have declined.|ret||ret||tab|

The median salary for full-time engineers of all disciplines declined from $72,842 in 1999 to $70,200 in 2004 according to the NSPE 1999 Income and Salary Survey and The Engineering Income & Salary Survey, 2004. The latter survey is a new comprehensive, revolving salary survey jointly released by NSPE, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Institute of Industrial Engineers. |ret||ret||tab|

Additional results from 2004 show that nearly all disciplines are on the rise. In the latest survey, the median salary was $87,045 for chemical engineers, $81,000 for electrical engineers, $80,000 for mechanical engineers and $70,500 for civil engineers. |ret||ret||tab|

In 1999, according to the NSPE Salary Survey, the median salary was $80,000 for chemical engineers, $75,372 for electrical engineers, $72,000 for mechanical engineers and $66,816 for civil engineers. |ret||ret||tab|

"The survey results show that as a profession, engineers of all disciplines remain a hot commodity despite the sluggish U.S. job market," said ASCE executive director Patrick J. Natale, PE, in an NSPE news release.|ret||ret||tab|

Different from traditional salary surveys, The Engineering Income & Salary Survey is a continually updated, searchable database, providing real-time salary information directly online. This new format allows for an in-depth look at salary information, including a detailed look at salaries that span 35 branches of engineering. |ret||ret||tab|

The survey tracks salary information by nine different categories: length of experience, level of education, professional responsibility, branch of engineering, job function, industry, licensing or certification status, level of supervisory responsibility, and geographic location. Engineers are encouraged to participate in the survey by entering their own salary information at any of the partner association Web sites.|ret||ret||tab|

Other highlights of the survey include:|ret||ret||tab|

Engineers in the Northeast and on the West Coast earn more than in other parts of the country. In the Northeast, engineers earn an average of $75,000 a year, while those on the West Coast earn $74,346. By contrast, engineers in the North Central states earn an annual salary of $68,000.|ret||ret||tab|

Petroleum engineers have the highest median annual salary of all disciplines at $100,000, followed by nuclear engineers at $94,848 and marine engineers at $92,549.|ret||ret||tab|

The salaries of executive-level engineers had declined from $120,000 in 1999 to $114,400 in the recent survey.|ret||ret||tab|

The median salary for engineers in training is up from $37,688 in 1999 to $44,295. |ret||ret||tab|

The Engineering Income & Salary Survey, 2004 marks the first time that NSPE, together with ASCE and IIE, formed a partnership to provide the most cutting-edge salary tool available for all engineering disciplines. |ret||ret||tab|

"NSPE, having been in the salary survey business for over 50 years, recognized the need to deliver an improved product in order to remain competitive," said Al Gray, executive director at NSPE. |ret||ret||tab|

"By initiating partnerships with other engineering associations, like ASCE and IIE, we provide the profession with a larger, more reliable resource to turn to for salary guidance. By combining NSPE's survey expertise and ASCE's cutting edge technology, we can now offer new benefits to our members and customers, and have been very pleased with the results. With the recent addition of IIE, we have proved that we now have a working partnership and robust product we can extend to other engineering societies."|ret||ret||tab|

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