Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest with over 60% of its population living within the Seattle metropolitan region.
Washington is the global headquarters to some of the world's largest computer and technology firms, like Microsoft. Dozens of electronics, software, and biotechnology firms are across the state.
In addition, Washington is one of the leading lumber producers in the country and is infamous for many of its food companies, like the coffee chain Starbucks.
Engineering Education in Washington
When looking for a engineering program, it is important to find one in a particular field. Most colleges split their engineering departments into concentrations or degrees of study that correspond to professions in the engineering sector. Some examples include mechanical engineering for the manufacturing of machine products and equipment.
For associate's and certificate programs, there are thirty community colleges across the state of Washington.
There are five public universities in Washington that offer bachelor's programs in engineering: the University of Washington, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and Central Washington University. Seven private universities offer engineering bachelor's programs as well, including Gonzaga University, Seattle Pacific University, Walla Walla University, and Whitman College.
Graduate programs in engineering are provided at seven colleges, including Seattle University and Saint Martin's University.
Outlook for Engineering Jobs in Washington
In total, there are 75,310 engineers in the state of Washington earning an average annual salary of $81,970 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Each engineering profession has different salary and employment projections from the BLS. For example, there are 5,410 industrial engineers in Washington who earn $86,410 a year.
In contrast, there are 100 mining engineers in Washington earning $94,110 a year. One unique engineering profession in Washington are marine engineers with 540 workers employed in the state earning $83,240.