How a Master of Engineering Can Boost Your Salary and Career

A master’s degree in engineering can help you develop the advanced skills that will prepare you for senior roles and leadership positions in the industry. Engineers play a critical role in the technology driving modern innovations, from renewable energy to synthetic biology. These kinds of jobs are rewarding and pay well but often require education beyond a bachelor’s degree.

This article will explore how an advanced degree can improve your career, increase your salary expectations, and provide specialization opportunities.

Salary Growth for Engineering Master’s Graduates

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2025 Salary Survey, the starting salary for engineers with master’s degrees has increased by 12.5% from last year to $94,086, and continues to grow.¹ This is compared to the starting salaries of engineers with only a bachelor's degree, $78,731, which has also increased since last year but by only 2.6%.² This trend reflects the value of the advanced technical knowledge you’ll gain as part of a Master of Engineering program.

One of the major benefits of a master’s in engineering degree is that it can qualify you for leadership roles, which provide higher salaries. According to the national employment site Glassdoor, engineering leaders can earn average annual salaries between $179,000 to $322,000, with a median of $238,000.³

Career Advancement Opportunities

Society is becoming more complex and specialized as products and systems incorporate advanced technologies from different industries. In medicine, there’s a trend toward treatments that are hyper-personalized based on individualized factors, such as DNA and lifestyle. Smart cars rely on technologies created by electrical, software, mechanical and systems engineers. An advanced engineering degree can help you learn the highly technical skills you need to succeed in these fields.

Engineering leadership careers require the types of skills you’ll learn in a master’s program. You will need to be adaptable so you can quickly adjust to changing circumstances and unforeseen events, and you will be required to communicate with colleagues from several different industries. These skills, plus many more, will be fine-tuned during the real-world experience you'll gain as part of your master's program.⁴

You’ll develop both hard and soft skills that will help you advance your career. One often bolsters the other, so as you develop more profound technical expertise, you’ll also improve your ability to solve problems and work on multidisciplinary teams.⁴ At Case Western Reserve University, the online Master of Engineering curriculum covers soft skills, such as leadership and interpersonal skills, and technical topics, such as bioelectric phenomena (neural engineering). You’ll graduate with a broad foundation of widely applicable skills and a deep specialization in your chosen area of interest.

Benefits of the Online Master of Engineering Degree at CWRU

Earning Case Western Reserve’s online Master of Engineering degree can help you advance your career and qualify for lucrative leadership roles. This hands-on, practice-oriented degree program is an ideal option if you want to stand out in a competitive field.

CWRU offers a tuition reduction for all new online students, which makes the program much more affordable. The total cost of yearly tuition is $67,440. With a new student tuition reduction of $28,440, the cost decreases to $39,000. With engineers with a master's degree earning an average of $15,000 more compared to those with a bachelor’s, the program can pay for itself in the first few years of your career. Combined with the leadership opportunities that are associated with a dramatic salary increase, the higher starting salary of engineers with a master’s degree makes the program highly beneficial, financially.

Engineers with advanced degrees also have greater job security. According to the U.S. National Science Foundation, they’re less likely to be unemployed or working involuntarily in another field than engineers with only a bachelor’s degree.⁵

In CWRU's online Master of Engineering program, you can choose from one of four concentrations that are in high demand:

• In mechanical engineering, you’ll study advanced materials and mechanics used in manufacturing and design 
• In biomedical engineering, you'll work on cutting-edge projects that are improving healthcare and patient outcomes. You can help develop lifesaving technologies, such as engineering tissues that regenerate diseased and damaged tissues and organs, or biomaterials that are used in medical devices and implants 
• In systems and control engineering, you’ll prepare for a rewarding career designing today’s most complicated and sophisticated systems, such as smart cars and robotic manufacturing environments, and leading teams in manufacturing, aerospace, and government and defense 
• In innovation, management and leadership, you'll set yourself up to succeed in ground-breaking leadership positions across industries

Throughout the program, you’ll work on real-world case studies alongside like-minded peers, applying advanced concepts in problem-solving, decision-making and innovation. This hands-on approach deepens understanding, sharpens critical thinking and equips students with the practical skills they’ll need to lead complex projects in their careers. Collaborating on case studies helps you develop essential interpersonal and teamwork abilities—skills that are just as important in the workplace as technical expertise. The connections you form during your master’s program can become a strong professional network that supports your career growth whether you are seeking new opportunities or building your own team.

Use Your Expertise to Drive Innovation in Engineering

An online Master of Engineering degree from CWRU is a perfect next step if you’re ready to advance your career, gain industry expertise and become a recognized leader in the field. The robust, flexible curriculum allows you to learn from the convenience of home on a schedule that suits your needs. You can invest in yourself and still balance your family and work obligations.

The program consists of 10 courses for 30 credit hours. It includes five core courses, four courses in your technical concentration and a capstone project through which you demonstrate your skills. Upon completion of the program, you’ll be ready to meet the business and technical challenges of the future.

Reach out to one of our admissions outreach advisors today to learn more.