The typical path to becoming an engineering manager is earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering in your field of interest and passing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering exam as well as obtaining your state-specific license and certifications.
Many engineers seeking to acquire leadership competencies or add additional technical expertise after gaining five to six years of experience working in the field enroll in an online master’s in engineering management program. You only need your engineering license to become an engineering manager. However, some people with the job title engineering manager opt to earn engineering management certifications from the American Society for Engineering Management. The median salary for an engineering manager is around $165,370.