Automotive Engineers
What they do
Develop new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology. Direct building, modification, or testing of vehicle or components.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About automotive engineers
Other titles
Dimensional Integration Engineer, Engineer, Product Engineer, Project Engineer, Research Engineer
Tasks they perform
- Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing.
- Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
- Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses.
Skills they need
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL
Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- Both state and third-party exams required
- Education
- Degree required
- Continuing education
- Continuing education required to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Background check required
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- Both state and third-party exams required
- Education
- Degree required
- Continuing education
- Continuing education required to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Specific type of conviction prohibited
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as automotive engineers.
Validation Engineers
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Robotics Engineers
Industrial Engineers
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about automotive engineers with these helpful sites.
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (external link opens new tab)
- American Society for Engineering Education (external link opens new tab)
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (external link opens new tab)
- National Society of Professional Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Mechanical engineers (external link opens new tab)
- SAE International (external link opens new tab)
- Society of Women Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- Technology Student Association (external link opens new tab)
- The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- Union of Concerned Scientists (external link opens new tab)