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Mechanical vs Electrical vs Civil Engineer Salary

The three most-compared engineering disciplines, side by side. Electrical engineers lead at a $120,630 median, mechanical follow at $104,110, and civil at $100,840, all BLS OEWS May 2025. Electrical is about 15.9 percent ahead of mechanical; mechanical and civil sit close to parity, roughly 3.2 percent apart.

Data as of June 2026. All three medians are BLS OEWS May 2025 and were re-verified against the BLS OOH and OEWS pages on 11 September 2026. Growth and openings are BLS Employment Projections 2025-35.

Electrical (17-2071)

$120,630

Highest median of the three

Mechanical (17-2141)

$104,110

Fastest growth (11%, 2025-35)

Civil (17-2051)

$100,840

Largest workforce (367,840)

Three-way comparison table

Columns are ordered by median, highest first. Wage and employment rows are BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and openings are BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. Every figure is a published BLS value, so none of the gaps is a vintage artefact.

Metric	Electrical	Mechanical	Civil
Median Annual Wage	$120,630	$104,110	$100,840
Mean Annual Wage	$125,100	$113,610	$108,670
Entry-Level (10th pctile)	$76,550	$73,990	$68,240
Experienced (90th pctile)	$184,300	$164,340	$163,220
Total US Employment	198,750	296,810	367,840
Projected Growth 2025-35	10%	11%	6%
Annual Openings	11,400	17,800	22,700

SOC codes: mechanical 17-2141, electrical 17-2071, civil 17-2051. The 10th and 90th percentile rows are published OEWS percentiles, not modelled estimates. The electrical figures are for electrical engineers (17-2071) specifically; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook groups electrical with electronics engineers, which reports a higher combined median ($125,040) and different projection figures.

How the three rank on pay

Electrical engineering sits clearly at the top of the trio. Its $120,630 median is about 15.9 percent above mechanical and 19.6 percent above civil, and it keeps the lead at both ends of the distribution: the electrical 10th percentile ($76,550) and 90th percentile ($184,300) are the highest of the three. The gap is a mix effect rather than a within-role premium. Electrical engineering concentrates more of its headcount in the highest-paying sub-segments, particularly semiconductor and chip design, and those roles pull the discipline average up.

Mechanical and civil are close to parity in the middle of the pack. Mechanical's $104,110 median edges civil's $100,840 by roughly 3.2 percent, and their published 90th percentiles ($164,340 for mechanical, $163,220 for civil) are within about a thousand dollars of each other. The often-repeated idea that civil engineering carries a materially lower ceiling does not hold at the May 2025 vintage. Where mechanical pulls slightly ahead is at entry: its $73,990 10th percentile is higher than civil's $68,240, reflecting mechanical's broader exposure to higher-paying manufacturing and technology employers early in a career.

Job market and growth

Pay is only half the picture; the three disciplines differ sharply on scale and momentum. Civil engineering has the largest workforce (367,840 employed) and the most projected annual openings (about 22,700 per year), a direct consequence of its deep footprint in government, transportation and public infrastructure. Mechanical is the mid-sized field at 296,810 employed and about 17,800 openings a year, and electrical is the smallest of the three at 198,750 with roughly 11,400 annual openings.

On growth the ranking flips. Mechanical has the fastest projected growth at 11 percent from 2025 to 2035, ahead of electrical (10 percent) and civil (6 percent). All three beat the roughly 4 percent all-occupation average. Mechanical's edge reflects EV battery and traction-motor manufacturing, surgical robotics, new-space, and the fast-growing data-center mechanical work behind AI infrastructure. Electrical growth is concentrated in semiconductors, power electronics and grid modernisation, while civil growth tracks the pace of public-infrastructure investment.

Choosing between them

The roughly 19.6 percent spread across the three medians is smaller than the variation within any one discipline once sector and employer are taken into account, so the discipline label is rarely the thing that decides a paycheck. A prospective student is better served by matching the work to their interests: electrical for semiconductors, power electronics and embedded systems; mechanical for oil and gas, robotics, EVs and aerospace mechanical work; civil for infrastructure, transportation and public works with the most stable long-run demand. All three support full six-figure-median careers with above-average projected growth.

Frequently asked questions

Which pays more: mechanical, electrical, or civil engineering?+

Electrical engineering leads the trio at the median. The BLS OEWS May 2025 medians are $120,630 for electrical, $104,110 for mechanical and $100,840 for civil. Electrical out-earns mechanical by about 15.9 percent and civil by about 19.6 percent at the median. Mechanical and civil are close to parity, with mechanical roughly 3.2 percent ahead. The ordering is stable across the distribution: electrical also leads at the 10th and 90th percentiles.

Why does electrical engineering pay the most of the three?+

The electrical lead traces to where the discipline concentrates. Electrical engineering has a larger share of headcount in the highest-paying sub-segments, especially semiconductor and chip design (Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Apple silicon, Qualcomm, Broadcom), where senior total compensation runs well into the $200,000-plus range. Mechanical's top-paying sub-segment (oil and gas equipment design) pays comparably per role but is a smaller slice of the mechanical base, and civil concentrates in government, transportation and public-infrastructure work where pay is stable but the ceiling is lower. The discipline-wide medians aggregate those mix differences.

Is mechanical or civil engineering the better-paid degree?+

They are close to parity. Mechanical engineers earn a $104,110 median versus $100,840 for civil (BLS OEWS May 2025), a gap of about 3.2 percent, and the published 90th percentiles are within about a thousand dollars of each other. The old idea that civil carries a materially lower ceiling does not survive the May 2025 numbers. What separates them is composition and stability: civil concentrates in government, DOT and public-works projects where PE licensure is close to universal and demand is unusually steady, while mechanical spreads across manufacturing, energy and technology hardware and rides those cycles both ways.

Which of the three has the most jobs and openings?+

Civil engineering has the largest workforce of the trio at 367,840 employed, ahead of mechanical (296,810) and electrical (198,750), all BLS OEWS May 2025. Civil also has the most projected annual openings (about 22,700 per year) on the strength of that larger base, followed by mechanical (about 17,800) and electrical (about 11,400). Most of those openings come from replacing workers who retire or change occupations rather than net new positions.

Which discipline is growing fastest?+

Mechanical engineering has the fastest projected growth of the three: 11 percent from 2025 to 2035, versus 10 percent for electrical and 6 percent for civil (BLS Employment Projections 2025-35). All three run above the roughly 4 percent average for all occupations. Mechanical's edge reflects exposure to EV battery and motor manufacturing, surgical robotics, new-space, and data-center mechanical engineering for AI infrastructure; electrical growth concentrates in semiconductors and power electronics; civil growth tracks public-infrastructure investment.

How should I choose between mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering?+

Choose on the nature of the work rather than the roughly 19.6 percent spread across the trio's medians, because the specific sector matters more than the discipline label. A student drawn to semiconductors, power electronics or embedded systems will earn more in electrical; a student drawn to oil and gas, robotics, EVs or aerospace mechanical work will do well in mechanical; a student drawn to infrastructure, transportation and public works will find civil offers the most stable demand and the deepest public-sector career ladder. All three are six-figure-median disciplines with growth above the national average, so none is a financially poor choice.

ME vs Electrical Engineer

The two-way breakdown, sector by sector.

ME vs Civil Engineer

Close to parity: composition and stability compared.

vs All Engineering Disciplines

Parent hub: the full 8-discipline BLS comparison.

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