Side-by-side comparison
Economics vs Mechanical Engineering
Both majors are compared on the careers they open in the US labour market. Career lists come from the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk; salaries and employment are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics via O*NET; the AI-durability score is our own composite. Every number is derived — no hand-authored comparison prose.
| Metric | Economics | Mechanical Engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary (US) | $90,010 | $106,120 |
| Total careers mapped | 6 | 5 |
| Avg AI exposure | 0.48 | 0.48 |
Top careers each major opens
Economics
CIP 45.0601 · 6 careers total
-
Managers, all other
$136,550 median AI 0.52
-
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$64,580 median AI 0.41
-
Social science research assistants
$58,040 median AI 0.48
-
Economists
$115,440 median AI 0.63
-
Economics teachers, postsecondary
$119,980 median AI 0.35
-
Survey researchers
$63,380 median AI 0.46
Mechanical Engineering
CIP 14.1901 · 5 careers total
-
Mechanical Engineers
$102,320 median AI 0.48
-
Cost estimators
$77,070 median AI 0.68
-
Architectural and Engineering Managers
$167,740 median AI 0.43
-
Aerospace engineers
$134,830 median AI 0.43
-
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
$106,120 median AI 0.35
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Sources: NCES CIP-2020 → SOC-2018 crosswalk · US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via O*NET) · WhatTNext Ai AI-durability score.