Automotive Engineers

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.

The median annual salary for Automotive Engineers in the US is $102,320. The middle 80% of workers earn between $63,500 and $148,420 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $77,420 and $120,270.

The role is projected to grow 9% over the next decade (faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 293,100 workers.

The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.

The most in-demand skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Mathematics, Active Learning, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.

Our AI-durability model gives Automotive Engineers a score of 0.45 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.

Automotive Engineers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.