Computer Engineering Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Computer Engineering major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Engineering, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Engineering, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$111,140

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$170,503

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$222,339

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 2.7%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$4,194,366

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Architectural and Engineering Managers
SOC: 11-9041
Occupation: Architectural and Engineering Managers
$167,740
210,340
N/A
N/A
Computer Network Architects
SOC: 15-1241
Occupation: Computer Network Architects
$130,390
177,010
N/A
N/A
Database Architects
SOC: 15-1243
Occupation: Database Architects
$135,980
64,770
N/A
N/A
Software Developers
SOC: 15-1252
Occupation: Software Developers
$133,080
1,654,440
N/A
N/A
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
SOC: 15-1253
Occupation: Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
$102,610
199,800
N/A
N/A
Computer Hardware Engineers
SOC: 17-2061
Occupation: Computer Hardware Engineers
$155,020
75,710
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Computer Network Architects

11.7%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$130,390177,010
2023$129,840174,100
2022$126,900173,920
2021$120,520168,830
2020$116,780159,350

Software Developers

10.2%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$133,0801,654,440
2023$132,2701,656,880
2022$127,2601,534,790
2021$120,7301,364,180

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

4.5%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$102,610199,800
2023$101,800203,040
2022$99,620196,420
2021$98,220190,120

Computer Hardware Engineers

29.7%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$155,02075,710
2023$138,08082,660
2022$132,36074,640
2021$128,17073,750
2020$119,56064,710

Colleges offering Computer Engineering

University of Florida

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$12k

Earnings

$63k

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$15k

Earnings

$69k

Florida Institute of Technology

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$37k

Earnings

$71k

University of Southern California

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$42k

Earnings

$78k

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$42k

Earnings

$80k