Illinois·Architecture and Engineering Occupations·SOC 17-2199

Best Engineer, All Other programs in Illinois, ranked by enrollment

All engineers not listed.

48 schools in Illinois run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,417 people a year. The job pays a median of $111,930 in Illinois across about 2,520 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledEngineerLaser EngineerSolar DesignerDesign EngineerEnergy EngineerOptical EngineerProcess EngineerProject Engineer
Graduates / yr
1,417
in Illinois
Median pay · Illinois
$111,930
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
2,520
people employed
Schools
48
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
51%
across those schools
Median net price
$20,472
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Illinois that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

Engineering
CIP 14.01
Engineering
626graduates / yr
40 schools · 1 specialization · 44.2% of pipeline
Grad earnings $67,734
Engineering
CIP 14.07
Chemical Engineering
136graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 9.6% of pipeline
Grad earnings $73,072
Engineering
CIP 14.12
Engineering Physics
125graduates / yr
6 schools · 1 specialization · 8.8% of pipeline
Grad earnings $57,457
Engineering
CIP 14.99
Engineering
125graduates / yr
4 schools · 1 specialization · 8.8% of pipeline
Grad earnings $73,678
Engineering
CIP 14.33
Construction Engineering
102graduates / yr
3 schools · 1 specialization · 7.2% of pipeline
Grad earnings $75,998
Engineering
CIP 14.27
Systems Engineering
80graduates / yr
2 schools · 1 specialization · 5.6% of pipeline
Grad earnings $79,942
Engineering
CIP 14.42
Mechatronics
78graduates / yr
5 schools · 1 specialization · 5.5% of pipeline
Grad earnings $72,645
Engineering
CIP 14.36
Manufacturing Engineering
49graduates / yr
3 schools · 1 specialization · 3.5% of pipeline
Grad earnings $72,154
Engineering
CIP 14.11
Engineering Mechanics
30graduates / yr
2 schools · 1 specialization · 2.1% of pipeline
Grad earnings $77,174
Engineering
CIP 14.04
Architectural Engineering
29graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 2.0% of pipeline
Grad earnings $73,510
Engineering
CIP 14.47
Electrical and Computer Engineering
28graduates / yr
2 schools · 1 specialization · 2.0% of pipeline
Grad earnings
Engineering
CIP 14.13
Engineering Science
5graduates / yr
2 schools · 1 specialization · 0.4% of pipeline
Grad earnings $73,378
Engineering
CIP 14.45
Biological/Biosystems Engineering
2graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline
Grad earnings $59,620
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
CIP 15.15
Engineering-Related Fields
2graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline
Grad earnings $68,912

14 programs in Illinois that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Illinois (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Illinois page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 14.0101In Illinois
626
44.2%
40$67,734$24,375
2
CIP 14.0702In Illinois
136
9.6%
1$73,072$23,399
3
CIP 14.1201In Illinois
125
8.8%
6$57,457$24,706
4
CIP 14.9999In Illinois
125
8.8%
4$73,678$22,938
5
CIP 14.3301In Illinois
102
7.2%
3$75,998$25,314
6
CIP 14.2701In Illinois
80
5.6%
2$79,942$20,500
7
CIP 14.4201In Illinois
78
5.5%
5$72,645$24,250
8
CIP 14.3601In Illinois
49
3.5%
3$72,154$21,457
9
CIP 14.1101In Illinois
30
2.1%
2$77,174$26,966
10
CIP 14.0401In Illinois
29
2.0%
1$73,510$25,790
11
CIP 14.4701In Illinois
28
2.0%
2
12
CIP 14.1301In Illinois
5
0.4%
2$73,378$17,083
13
CIP 14.4501In Illinois
2
0.1%
1$59,620$23,012
14
CIP 15.1502In Illinois
2
0.1%
1$68,912$25,236

Top 25 schools in Illinois

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 4 of the 48 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
Champaign, IL Public · 4 feeder programs
246Engineering Physics/Applied Physics$64,30485%42%
2University of Chicago
Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
155Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering96%$13,3334%
3Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs
137Construction Engineering75%$19,89955%
4Northwestern University
Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs
129Engineering, Other95%$14,7998%
5City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College
Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
100Engineering, General31%
6William Rainey Harper College
Palatine, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
90Engineering, General48%
7Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL Public · 2 feeder programs
48Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering57%97%
8Rock Valley College
Rockford, IL Public · 2 feeder programs
44Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering37%
9University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL Public · 4 feeder programs
44Construction Engineering62%77%
10Bradley University
Peoria, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
42Manufacturing Engineering$67,48876%$21,76877%
11Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
39Engineering, General40%
12Elgin Community College
Elgin, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
37Engineering, General41%
13Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
32Engineering, General$66,39461%$20,90356%
14Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
26Engineering, General49%
15College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
25Engineering, General25%
16College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
25Engineering, General37%
17City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College
Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
21Engineering, General27%
18McHenry County College
Crystal Lake, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
18Engineering, General37%
19City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College
Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
15Engineering, General26%
20Augustana College
Rock Island, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
14Engineering, General73%$14,96063%
21Oakton College
Des Plaines, IL Public · 2 feeder programs
13Engineering, General37%
22Parkland College
Champaign, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
12Engineering, General32%
23Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
10Engineering, Other85%$23,46187%
24Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
9Engineering, General44%
25Greenville University
Greenville, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
8Engineering, General40%$20,47297%

All 48 schools in Illinois

Every school in Illinois with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Illinois that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Illinois Urbana - ChampaignChampaignPublic2464
University of ChicagoChicagoPrivate not-for-profit1552
Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicagoPrivate not-for-profit1376
Northwestern UniversityEvanstonPrivate not-for-profit1297
City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright CollegeChicagoPublic1001
William Rainey Harper CollegePalatinePublic901
Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsvillePublic482
Rock Valley CollegeRockfordPublic442
University of Illinois ChicagoChicagoPublic444
Bradley UniversityPeoriaPrivate not-for-profit423
Moraine Valley Community CollegePalos HillsPublic391
Elgin Community CollegeElginPublic371
Olivet Nazarene UniversityBourbonnaisPrivate not-for-profit321
Illinois Central CollegeEast PeoriaPublic261
College of DuPageGlen EllynPublic251

What engineers, all other earn in Illinois

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Illinois
$111,930
Mean annual
$112,600
Jobs in state
2,520
What the range looks like
10th pct$58,920Median$111,93090th pct$168,770
Versus the national median
-8.9%

U.S. median $122,930. Illinois pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.42×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Illinois

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$121,910median
1,570 jobs
Peoria, IL
$114,820median
120 jobs
Bloomington, IL
$99,930median
Rockford, IL
$104,490median
40 jobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$83,230median
110 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+2.1%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
9,300
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
3,300
158,800 → 162,100
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Engineers, All Other page.

How to become a Engineer, All Other

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionWritingActive ListeningSpeakingMathematics

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Illinois

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 25 majors mapped to Engineers, All Other25 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 14.0101Engineering, General
  • 14.0103Applied Engineering
  • 14.0401Architectural Engineering
  • 14.0702Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  • 14.0802Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
  • 14.0805Water Resources Engineering
  • 14.1003Laser and Optical Engineering
  • 14.1004Telecommunications Engineering
  • 14.1101Engineering Mechanics
  • 14.1201Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
  • 14.1301Engineering Science
  • 14.2401Ocean Engineering
  • 14.2701Systems Engineering
  • 14.3301Construction Engineering
  • 14.3401Forest Engineering
  • 14.3601Manufacturing Engineering
  • 14.3801Surveying Engineering
  • 14.3901Geological/Geophysical Engineering
  • 14.4001Paper Science and Engineering
  • 14.4101Electromechanical Engineering
  • 14.4201Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
  • 14.4301Biochemical Engineering
  • 14.4401Engineering Chemistry
  • 14.4501Biological/Biosystems Engineering
  • 14.4701Electrical and Computer Engineering

Common questions

Answers for people weighing engineers, all other programs in Illinois.

What degree do you need to become an Engineer, All Other?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Engineering, General, which awarded 626 degrees in Illinois in 2024-25, 44.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming an Engineer, All Other?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 14 programs to this occupation. The largest are Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering, plus 10 more. Together they graduate about 1,417 people a year in Illinois.

How much do engineers, all other earn in Illinois?+

The median is $111,930 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 8.9% below the U.S. median of $122,930. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for engineers, all other growing?+

BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 9,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Illinois?+

48 institutions in Illinois reported graduates from at least one of the 14 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do engineers, all other work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Engineer, Laser Engineer, Solar Designer, Design Engineer, Energy Engineer, Optical Engineer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-2199.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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