Masters in Engineering Management Salary

A Master’s in Engineering Management, also known as MEM, is a professional master’s degree designed to bridge the gap between engineering, technology, and management. Whether you have just finished your bachelor’s degree in engineering or have been in the engineering field for a while, pursuing an MEM will not only enhance your opportunities of career advancement, but according to Salary.com, an MEM will also increase your earning potential when compared to a bachelor’s degree for an engineering manager.

Why Should You Pursue an Online Master’s in Engineering Management?

As a professional engineer interested in improving your skill set and advancing your career, the flexibility and opportunity of an online MEM program could be the strongest option.

There are several advantages to pursuing a master’s in engineering management degree. The MEM:

  1. Prepares you for engineering management roles: An engineering management program orients you to emerging technology, builds upon your undergraduate bachelor’s degree skills, and could allow you to specialize in a growth area of engineering. Like an MBA, the MEM could provide you with a stronger knowledge-base to pursue upper-level management and executive roles as a team leader.

  2. Allows for career pathing: Undertaking an advanced engineering degree could allow you to specialize in a different area of engineering. For instance, an MEM graduate could pursue a specialized engineering role such as operations management rather than general duties.

  3. Enables more responsibility at your workplace: Contrary to a doctoral pursuit that tends to involve academic theories, a master’s degree in engineering management sharpens your skill set for your real-world professional environment. As such, master’s engineering graduates learn the vital skills that provide them with extra soft skill duties.

  4. Increases your salary: A master’s degree in engineering management has offered many engineering graduates a foundational academic background, as well as salary growth potential. According to Payscale, those with a master of engineering management can earn an average salary of $91,025 whereas according to Payscale, those with a bachelor’s of engineering management earn an average salary of $73,219.

What Are the Career Opportunities for Engineering Management Students After Graduating?

A master’s degree in engineering management equips you with various management skills, which can lead to a lucrative position in the engineering field.

Upon completion of an MEM program, a graduate can pursue many different career paths, including:

  • Mechanical Engineer: Your duties in this position would include researching, designing, developing, and building thermal and mechanical devices and sensors such as engines, machines, and tools in a mechanical engineering industry. Adding an MBA degree or a master’s in engineering management degree can help prepare you for leadership positions.

  • Civil Engineer: Your primary responsibility in this position would be to conceive, design, build, operate, and maintain infrastructure systems, engineering projects, and other engineering management duties in the private and public sectors. This includes airports, bridges, public universities and dams. Also, an MEM degree would serve a value if you are interested in becoming an engineering manager.

  • Petroleum Engineer: In this position, you'd be required to design and develop techniques for extracting gas and oil deposits from the earth's surface among other petroleum engineering tasks. Undertaking a graduate degree in engineering management or an MBA degree with such an experience could lead to managerial positions.

  • Software Engineer: In this position, you'd be required to design and develop computer application software and systems software. This position requires a computer science and systems engineering background.

  • Architectural and Engineering Manager: In such a position you would be given the responsibilities of overseeing technical and engineering management teams in a business administration way. You'll be required to guide engineering design decisions and decide how engineering projects are executed.

  • Program Manager: In this position, most of your role would entail developing engineering management projects and supervising other engineers. You would mostly work with customers to develop and implement contracts, as well as creating engineering programs. You'd be responsible for quality control and project cost while keeping human safety and the environment at the forefront of your mind. Furthermore, you will help in the designing and testing of products your employees create, as well as supervise the production process.

  • Electrical Engineers: In this position, as an expert in the electrical engineering field, you’d be assigned the roles of designing and developing electrical installations.

The Range of Salaries an MEM Graduate Can Expect?

The area of your specialization within engineering management, the place of your residency, your professional experience, and sector will influence your starting master’s in engineering management salary and compensation package.

According to Payscale, for those professionals who possess a master’s degree in engineering management, average salaries are listed below:

  • A civil engineer earns an average salary of $66,000

  • A manufacturing engineer earns an average salary of $76,000
  • A project engineer earns an average salary of $78,000
  • A process engineer earns an average salary of $78,000
  • A mechanical engineer earns an average salary of $82,000
  • A software Engineer earns an average salary of $83,000
  • A program/ project manager (general) earns an average salary of $84,000
  • An electrical engineer earns an average salary of $87,000
  • A petroleum engineer earns an average salary of $101,000
  • An architectural and engineering manager earns an average salary of $150,000

What is the Average Engineering Manager Salary?

According to Payscale, the median salary for an engineering manager is $118,738. However, several factors the salary of an engineering manager:

For instance:

  • Type of Industry: Engineering Manager salaries vary considerably among industries. Having a good understanding of industries that typically pay higher salary can help shape your career path. For example, engineering management roles in emerging industries tend to pay more than traditional industries due to having fewer engineering technology professionals already working within them.

  • Location: Your average engineering manager salary varies based on the city and state you reside. For example, according to Ziprecruiter.com, an engineering manager could earn an annual salary of $134,561 in San Francisco, $124,796 in Oakland whereas in Chicago the annual salary is $112,210 and in Manhattan the average salary is $93,478.

  • Academic History and Certifications: An MEM degree program can place you on par with other senior professionals in the engineering field vying for management roles. According to Professor Jeffrey Glass at Duke University as published on ASME.org, Professor Glass believes companies will see MEM degrees of value as these degrees will provide professionals with principles and knowledge a conventional engineer may have.

  • Job Experience: In engineering, seniority is often rewarded with higher salaries. In some cases, greater managerial responsibility reflect an employee’s experience and institutional knowledge within a single organization and often results in a higher annual salary.

If you’re interested in earning a higher annual salary and are passionate about advancing your career in engineering, technology, and management, then consider a master's in engineering management degree. You can leverage the knowledge and experience gained through this MEM program through the entirety of your career.