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Automotive Engineer

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AVG. SALARY

$85,530

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EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What They Do

Automotive Engineers Career Video

About This Career

Develops new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology. Directs building, modification, or testing of vehicle or components.

This career is part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics cluster Engineering and Technology pathway.

A person in this career:

  • Conducts or directs system-level automotive testing.
  • Provides technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
  • Performs failure, variation, or root cause analyses.
  • Calibrates vehicle systems, including control algorithms or other software systems.
  • Designs or analyzes automobile systems in areas such as aerodynamics, alternate fuels, ergonomics, hybrid power, brakes, transmissions, steering, calibration, safety, or diagnostics.
  • Prepares or presents technical or project status reports.
  • Conducts research studies to develop new concepts in the field of automotive engineering.
  • Establishes production or quality control standards.
  • Alters or modifies designs to obtain specified functional or operational performance.
  • Researches or implements green automotive technologies involving alternative fuels, electric or hybrid cars, or lighter or more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
  • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Seeing clearly at a distance
  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

  • Overtime work
  • Regular working hours and limited travel

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Research Engineer — Independently evaluates, selects and applies standardized scientific or engineering procedures and techniques to area of specialization.
  • Engineer
  • Dimensional Integration Engineer
  • Product Engineer
  • Project Engineer

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

Support