Engineering Manager Jobs in the United States

Engineering Manager Jobs Overview

If you like to take the lead in large projects, you may want to consider a career as an engineering manager. Engineering manager jobs are essential to engineering projects being completed on time, on budget, and to the required specifications. Engineering managers see projects through from an initial plan to a finished product. You’ll enjoy this job if you’re motivated by the thought of concrete results, such as a building or bridge, at the end of an assignment.

Engineering managers manage both teams and projects. These projects can involve physical objects (from small electronic components to enormous skyscrapers), IT projects, or processes, such as a manufacturing process.

Engineering management is a very hands-on position involving projects that require supervision due to their complexity, scale, safety risks, or regulatory concerns. Some of the typical responsibilities for engineering manager jobs include:

• planning, developing, and implementing new designs.
• hiring, training, and managing staff.
• proposing budgets.
• inspecting the work of staff for accuracy and quality.
• supervising work at construction sites.
• coordinating work with other managers, contractors, suppliers, and staff.
• working with local governments or regulatory agencies to ensure compliance to regulations and standards.
• solving technical problems.

How Much Do Engineering Manager Jobs Pay?

The time and money engineering managers spend on education and certifications pay off—they make a median salary of $105,974 annually in the U.S. These numbers can range from $65,582 to $148,479, depending on location and years of experience.

Wondering what you’ll make in your area? You can use our Salary Tools to do targeted searches for specific locations. Some of the cities with the highest demand for engineering managers are New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, Emory, and Houston.

How to Find Engineering Manager Jobs That Fit You

There are many engineering jobs. Before you even start your education, you should decide what type of engineer you want to become. Many engineers choose to specialize during their education, but you can also get a general engineering degree. These are some common specialties in engineering:

• Civil engineering: Civil engineers design and construct structures such as buildings, bridges, railways, and airports.
• Computer engineering: Computer engineers design and develop computer products, such software.
• Mechanical engineering: Mechanical engineers focus on machines such as factory equipment, elevators, escalators, and turbines.
• Chemical engineering: Chemical engineers design and develop chemical manufacturing processes.
• Electrical engineering: Electrical engineers are responsible for electrical equipment such as communication systems and navigation systems.

Once you have a degree and are choosing between different engineering manager jobs, consider if you want a job where you can advance to more senior positions. Choosing a company or type of work that has a clear structure for advancement will make it easier to climb the career ladder.

Some management jobs are primarily office jobs, while others involve regular site visits. Civil engineers who manage construction teams, for example, will often pay site visits during a project. This might mean that you’ll work outdoors and travel short or long distances. Consider whether this is an advantage or disadvantage for you.

How to Apply to Engineering Jobs

When it’s time to apply to engineering manager jobs, keep in mind that these jobs might have other job titles, such as chief engineer, principal engineer, or senior engineer. Search for several different terms to catch all management jobs.

Update Your Engineering Manager Resume

Your resume should be your first project when you apply for a job. Give it the same level of attention you would to a work project: Plan the structure first, leave no room for errors, give precise details, and showcase a clean design.

You can get more advice on how to list your accomplishments and previous projects from our engineering resume tips. For some tips on how to write your cover letter, read the following samples:

• electrical engineer cover letter
• mechanical engineer cover letter
• civil engineer cover letter

If you need help updating your resume, enlist Monster’s Professional Resume Writing Services.

Manage Your Job Search on Monster

Take charge of your job search by uploading your resume to your Monster profile. By making your resume visible, you enable employers and recruiters to find you in our database. You can also use your profile to quickly and easily apply for positions. We provide the job-search structure—it’s just up to you to see it through.

Interviewing for Engineering Manager Jobs

Engineer managers take charge of big projects while juggling multiple responsibilities. Prepare for a detailed job interview covering your technical abilities, project management skills, and communication style by reviewing answers to common engineering interview questions. Some questions that may come up are:

• How do you ensure that a project is completed on time?
• What is your leadership style?
• Have you ever had a project run late? If so, why?
• What is the most interesting and/or challenging project you’ve worked on?

How to Prepare for an Engineering Manager Interview

There are several other steps you should take to get ready, besides practicing interview questions. These are some essential ones:

• Pick an interview outfit suitable for the job and the employer’s dress culture.
• Bring a copy of your resume for an in-person interview.
• Test your equipment in advance for a virtual interview.
• Make sure you know the full names of the person/people who’ll be interviewing you.
• Prepare a few insightful questions for the employer.

What to Do When You Get an Offer

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of getting a job offer, especially if you’ve been waiting for a while. But take the time to review the offer before you agree to it. At this point in your career, it’s likely that the employer expects you to negotiate salary. Many employers leave room for this; so the offer you get may not be their best. Use the salary info you can find on Monster as a starting point to determine how much you should ask for.

For the smoothest salary negotiation, know what to ask for when you get that call so that you can move forward into a negotiation as soon as possible. Just make sure to express your gratitude and excitement about the job first. Keep in mind that benefits may be negotiable as well.

Engineering Manager Career Paths

There are two common career paths to becoming an engineering manager. They include becoming an engineer first to get some work experience or going directly into management. This is how each path looks:

Path 1: Go Straight Into Management

1. Get a bachelor’s degree in engineering, preferably a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
2. Get a master’s degree in engineering management (MEM) or business administration (MBA).
3. Become a certified associate in engineering management (CAEM) through the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM).
4. Complete Steps 2-5 below.

Path 2: Get Work Experience First

1. Get a bachelor’s degree in engineering, preferably a program accredited by ABET.
2. Pass the fundamentals of engineering (FE) exam from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
3. Work as an engineer-in-training (EIT) or engineering intern (ET).
4. Apply for a Professional Engineering License (PE), which authorizes you to work without supervision.
5. Pursue a management job.
6. Become a Certified Professional in Engineering Management (CPEM) through ASEM. In contrast to a CAEM license, this management certificate is for professionals who already have some management experience and want to strengthen their value on the job market.

Other Requirements for Engineering Managers

Successful engineering managers are equally skilled in business management, engineering, and communication. Business management is essential for exceling at organizational tasks, technical skills will ensure that projects are completed correctly, and communication skills will help you develop and maintain good relationships with staff, contractors, suppliers, government officials, clients, and co-workers.

Review our job description for an engineering manager for a snapshot of what employers are looking for. Our article on how to become a manager in engineering gives you more detailed information on the steps to take to get there.

Senior Leadership Jobs in Engineering

After a few years of work experience as an engineer manager, you can advance to a senior leadership position such as:

• director of engineering
• vice president of engineering
• president of engineering
• head of engineering

If you specialize in computer engineering or other tech products, senior titles may be called:

• chief technology officer
• chief product officer

Similar Occupations to Engineering Manager Jobs

If a job as an engineering manager doesn’t sound exactly right, you can also search for other engineering jobs. These are some examples:

• civil engineering jobs
• architecture jobs
• construction engineer jobs