Director of Engineering Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Reading Time: 8 minutes

The following article discusses the career path of Director of Engineering. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Director of Engineerings.

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Job Duties

Directors of engineering are responsible for the coordination and management of the full engineering department of the company. Their role is supervisory in nature but they often also engage in project work. Typically, they manage engineering staff and only interact with clients and managers on an irregular basis, although exceptions always exist. Usually, their role is office based, although some travel may be required, particularly to project sites. They usually work full time during business hours but may have to work longer hours to meet deadlines.

Other job duties of are:

    • To direct and coordinate all engineering projects
    • To assist technical and professional staff

– To direct engineer and technical activities’ integration in projects

  • To supervise and direct engineering departments

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 180,100 architectural and engineering managers in 2016, the profession most closely related to that of the director of engineering. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Manufacturing: 36%
  • Architectural, engineering, and related services: 24%
  • Government: 9%
  • Management of companies and enterprises: 6%
  • Scientific research and development services: 5%

How to Become

A bachelor’s degree is generally the minimum requirement for a director of engineering, usually in an engineering field. This field should be relevant to the business in which they want to work. No specialized certifications are needed for these positions, but substantial field experience is generally required.

Education Requirements

An engineering bachelor’s degree and substantial work experience are required for this position. Some hold a master’s degree in architecture as well, and others have an MEM or MsEM (Master of Science in Engineering Management) degree. The MSTM (Master of Science in Technology Management) or the MBA (Master of Business Administration) are also relevant. Often, these degrees are obtained on the job. The MsEm and MSTM are more technical in nature, whereas the MBA focuses more on management.

Typically, these professionals have completed classes in engineering economics, accounting, industrial management, financial management, quality control, and human resources management. They also complete programs in operations and production management, computer applications, project management, health and safety issues, quality control, general management principles, and statistics.

Work experience is vital. Most have worked as architects or engineers for many years, often working on high complex design projects where they had to resolve difficult problems and make executive decisions. They also must have lead engineering teams in the past.

Traits & Qualities

The most effective directors of engineering have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Analytical skills
  • Communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Detail orientation
  • Mathematical skills
  • Organizational skills

Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Director of Engineering was $138,182. This number is estimated from over 717,924 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $71.97 and monthly of $11,515.

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$51,000

$266,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Director of Engineering salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, California had the largest quoted salary of $162,817 while Alabama had the smallest quoted salary of $94,508.

AlaskaIllinoisNew York
AlabamaIndianaOhio
ArizonaKentuckyOklahoma
CaliforniaMassachusettsOregon
ColoradoMarylandTennessee
ConnecticutMichiganTexas
DCMissouriVirginia
FloridaMississippiVermont
GeorgiaNorth CarolinaWashington
IowaNew JerseyWisconsin
IdahoNevadaWest Virginia
Alaska$134,420Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Southeast Alaska Power Agency.

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$67,000

$204,000

Salary Distribution
Alabama$94,508Rank: 33rd
The average salary ranks 33rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Alabama and Arthur Wright and Associates.

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$30,000

$194,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona$105,450Rank: 31st
The average salary ranks 31st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Marriott International, Inc. and American Express.

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$26,000

$237,000

Salary Distribution
California$162,817Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Strategic Employment Partners, Intelletec, NextPhase Recruiting, and Coachella Valley Water District.

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$68,000

$298,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado$103,378Rank: 32nd
The average salary ranks 32nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Connecting People, City of Longmont, CyberCoders, and Georgiait INC.

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$33,000

$213,000

Salary Distribution
Connecticut$141,512Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like MRINetwork, AS/400 Personnel Agency, Inc., and CyberCoders.

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$70,000

$238,000

Salary Distribution
DC$116,108Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like ASN Corporation and CyberCoders.

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$34,000

$247,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$109,614Rank: 29th
The average salary ranks 29th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Alliance Search Solutions, Remedy Career Placements, CyberCoders, and Ascendo Resources.

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$40,000

$213,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$132,664Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders.

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$51,000

$250,000

Salary Distribution
Iowa$108,887Rank: 30th
The average salary ranks 30th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Meisel Group.

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$55,000

$166,000

Salary Distribution
Idaho$122,669Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Mangrum Career Solutions.

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$62,000

$203,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois$131,014Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hirewell, Workbridge Associates, Jobspring Partners, and TechInMotion.

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$49,000

$252,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana$122,489Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Talent Acquisitions, Integrity Resource Management, and Career Transitions.

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$48,000

$229,000

Salary Distribution
Kentucky$137,236Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Job Jobber and fulltimeGiGS.

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$68,000

$229,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts$145,306Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Motion Recruitment Partners Prod, The Job Jobber, Workbridge Associates, and LightWave Partners.

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$57,000

$274,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$130,415Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, Metro Recruiting, Laguna Source, and Manhattan Maintenance Company.

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$48,000

$251,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan$138,300Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like AccessSourceGroup, CyberCoders, Gables Search Group, and Direct Hire Pros.

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$70,000

$219,000

Salary Distribution
Missouri$129,073Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders.

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$62,000

$219,000

Salary Distribution
Mississippi$142,213Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like NewCareers, Direct Hire Pros, LavaRock Talent, and Career Development Partners.

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$71,000

$214,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$113,172Rank: 27th
The average salary ranks 27th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army, CyberCoders, Hirewell, and Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc..

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$51,000

$200,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$120,792Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ascott Group inc, Engineering Resource Group, TerkoTech, and CyberCoders.

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$58,000

$205,000

Salary Distribution
Nevada$129,971Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders.

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$50,000

$247,000

Salary Distribution
New York$149,932Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like PRI Technology, DaVinciTek, Twenty Recruitment, and TechInMotion.

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$61,000

$276,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$112,902Rank: 28th
The average salary ranks 28th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Integrity Technical Services, CyberCoders, and Integrity Technical Services, Inc..

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$43,000

$215,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma$119,480Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Rowland Group, The.

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$35,000

$253,000

Salary Distribution
Oregon$153,841Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders.

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$60,000

$289,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee$113,238Rank: 26th
The average salary ranks 26th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like TOP GROUP.

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$42,000

$217,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$138,340Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Quest Subsea Solutions, Faststream Recruitment, INC, Elite Placement Solutions, and Executive Staff Recruiters.

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$48,000

$274,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia$128,507Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gold Key|PHR Hotels & Resorts, Jobspring Partners, Primastep, LLC, and Primastep LLC.

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$47,000

$248,000

Salary Distribution
Vermont$119,077Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders.

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$57,000

$202,000

Salary Distribution
Washington$135,606Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Olympic College, Aerospace, and CyberCoders.

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$51,000

$260,000

Salary Distribution
Wisconsin$131,312Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like North Peak Recruiting, Rayco Technical Solutions, LLC, Phillips Staffing Solutions, and The Pursell Group.

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$66,000

$199,000

Salary Distribution
West Virginia$138,023Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders.

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$69,000

$210,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Director of Engineering. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary

Learn More

Related Careers

Career NameAverage Salary

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

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