How to become an engineer

1. 1Take calculus, physics and chemistry in high school

   Time: 4 years (high school)Sources 1

   Engineering programs assume you arrive ready for calculus in your first semester, so take the most advanced math your school offers, plus physics and chemistry. AP or dual-enrollment courses in these subjects can let you skip introductory classes. Robotics clubs, coding projects or a summer engineering camp help you find out whether you prefer structures, machines, circuits or chemistry, which matters because you choose a discipline early.

2. 2Pick a discipline and an ABET-accredited program

   Time: During applicationsCost: Application feesSources 4, 5

   Your branch shapes your pay, job market and whether a PE license will matter. Civil and mechanical are the broadest; electrical, chemical, aerospace, biomedical and computer engineering are more specialized. Choose a program accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission. NCEES describes an EAC/ABET degree as the standard education path to licensure, and ABET notes that many employers require graduation from an accredited program. Use ABET's online search to check a specific program.

3. 3Earn the bachelor's degree, with a co-op or internship

   Time: 4 yearsCost: $11,178-$11,299/yr median public in-state tuitionSources 1, 6

   Engineering degrees are heavy on math, physics, labs and design projects, ending in a senior capstone where a team designs and builds something real. BLS notes that employers like co-op programs and internships, which put you in paid engineering work before graduation. A co-op can add a semester or more to the degree but often leads straight to a job offer. Keep your grades up in core courses; they come up in hiring and graduate school applications.

4. 4Pass the FE exam

   Time: Senior year or soon afterCost: $225Sources 2

   The Fundamentals of Engineering exam is a computer-based test given year-round at Pearson test centers. It has 110 questions in a six-hour appointment, of which 5 hours and 20 minutes is exam time, and comes in versions such as civil, mechanical, electrical and computer, chemical and others. NCEES designed it for students close to finishing an ABET-accredited degree and recent graduates, so taking it while the coursework is fresh is easiest.

5. 5Work under licensed engineers

   Time: About 4 yearsSources 3, 1

   NCEES says most states require four years of acceptable, progressive and verifiable experience before you can be licensed. In practice that means design, analysis or field work under the supervision of a PE, who will later vouch for your experience. Keep a record of projects and responsibilities as you go. Many engineers in manufacturing and tech skip licensure entirely, but in civil engineering and building design it is usually expected for promotion.

6. 6Pass the PE exam and get your state license

   Time: A few months of studyCost: $425 exam fee plus state board feesSources 3, 1, 7

   Some state boards require you to apply to them for approval before you register with NCEES for the computer-based Principles and Practice of Engineering exam in your discipline; others let you register directly. NCEES offers more than 20 PE exams covering civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental, structural and other fields. Results usually arrive within 7-10 business days. After licensure, many states require continuing education to renew, and most states recognize licenses from other states that meet their standards.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Applied math

Calculus, statics and differential equations are how engineers size a beam, a pump or a circuit before anything is built.

CAD and simulation software

Designs live in programs for drafting, 3D modeling and analysis, and employers expect new engineers to be productive in them quickly.

Technical writing

Reports, specifications and permit packages are how an engineer's decisions reach clients, contractors and regulators.

Judgment about safety and cost

Most design choices trade strength, efficiency or reliability against money, and the engineer has to defend that balance.

Teamwork across trades

Engineers rarely build what they design, so they must work through problems with technicians, contractors and other disciplines.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, mathematics, critical thinking.

Training cost

$44.9K–$45.8K

Before financial aid

Time

8-9 years to a PE license

Typical path

Median pay

$100,840

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

Under 1 year

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: 4 years x College Scorecard median public in-state tuition for civil engineering bachelor's programs, $11,178 = $44,712, plus the $225 NCEES FE exam fee. High: 4 years x the electrical engineering median, $11,299 = $45,196, plus the FE fee and the $425 NCEES PE exam fee. Not included: state board application and license fees, fees, books, housing, or private-college tuition, which can be much higher.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Construction manager$114,990 median

  Civil and construction engineers often move into running building and infrastructure projects on site, a role where an engineering degree is a common background.

• Project manager$102,320 median

  Engineers who enjoy planning and coordinating can move into project management, often adding PMI's PMP certification after a few years of leading projects.

• Operations manager$105,770 median

  Engineers in plants and manufacturing frequently move into running production or operations, sometimes after an MBA or a master's in engineering management.

• Architect$99,280 median

  A less common switch: it means going back for an architecture degree, completing supervised experience and earning a separate state architect license.