New Jersey’s Economy Benefits from Engineering

New Jersey has a long history of engineering innovation since the invention of the light bulb. The state has a diverse, thriving population because it’s an international gateway. About 20 percent of New Jersey residents relocated there from all over the world, and their ideas and cultures create a dynamic marketplace where engineering applications touch all industries and spark new technology, creative solutions and unique businesses.

Value of Engineering to New Jersey’s Economy

Engineering is hard to quantify as a separate driver of the economy because so many industries use engineers and engineering applications. Specialized engineering skills are used in most top industries to optimize complex processes and improve people-related management systems. Industries that rely on engineering include:

• Manufacturing
• Pharmaceuticals
• Technology
• Hardware design
• Healthcare
• Big data applications

Engineering is indispensable in most industries, and getting an engineering degree opens extraordinary work opportunities in New Jersey for any prospective engineer. The world’s greatest inventor and practical engineer, Thomas Alva Edison, got the ball rolling for engineers, and it’s never stopped. The state is home to Nokia Bell Labs, a nine-time winner of the Nobel prize, ad the company is now working on internet technology. The state has more engineers and scientists per square mile than any area of the world.

Today, the opportunities for engineers continue to grow faster than the national average in industries that include telecommunications, biotechnology, healthcare, biomedical engineering and pharmaceuticals. Tech hubs in the state are flourishing, and one study found that tech hubs are increasingly springing up in college towns like Princeton, where a deep talent pool is readily available.

Watch this video highlighting how one manufacturer uses technology to create an innovative and valuable automated inventory management system for retailers.

Annual State Revenue and GDP of New Jersey

The Gross Domestic Product of New Jersey has progressed in a steady upward curve over the last 20 years. Inflation-adjusted figures for 2017 show an average per capita GDP at $60,684 per person. Stats show that New Jersey’s Realty Transfer collections are increasing dramatically, and revenue sources in most categories are steadily rising.

The state’s tax collections increased 8.7 percent in 2016, and the state reported that the Department of the Treasury collected $3.291 billion from New Jersey businesses in December of 2016. The GDP in 2016 was $510,586,000,000. That figure increased to approximately $640 billion in 2018.

Number of Engineering Jobs in New Jersey

The BLS reports that the outlook for mechanical engineering jobs is expected to grow at 4.0 percent between 2018 and 2028. Mechanical engineers can work in most industries and special projects, and New Jersey offers some of the hottest projects and job opportunities in the nation.

Other engineering jobs are expected to grow at a similar or higher rate for specialists in internet engineering, biomedical research and development and other high-technology fields, such as improving the performance of hybrid, electric and self-driving cars.

Pure architecture and engineering jobs in New Jersey were estimated at 49,430 in 2017. However, office and administrative jobs and transportation and material moving jobs added up to 1,000,000 jobs, and many of these jobs require engineers for virtual simulations, data management and structural and management logistics.

Type of Engineering Work in New Jersey

The types of engineering jobs in New Jersey include all industries and types of engineering. New Jersey is at the forefront of developing new technologies, public, private and academic partnerships and the latest data management and VR and AR technologies.

Two of the largest New Jersey employers of engineers include Johnson & Johnson and Lockheed Martin. The former is known for pharmaceuticals and advanced medical devices, and the latter is known for its defense, aerospace and security technologies. Both of these companies rely on chemical, mechanical, industrial, electrical, and materials science engineers.

One of the more interesting developments for engineers in New Jersey is a free portal that supplies information on engineering advances and opportunities in the state’s top universities. The project is called ResearchwithNJ.com, and the information includes research on STEM fields from more than 3,500 top academic researchers – from Princeton University, Rutgers University, Rowan University, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology and other top academic institutions.

Engineer Salaries in New Jersey

The average salary in Jersey for engineers is $96,201, which ranks 9.0 percent higher than the national average. Salaries range from a low of $28,000 to a high of $204,000. Transportation and warehousing architectural engineers earn an average of $150,866 in the Garden State, and biomedical engineers earn $104,144.

According to Salary.com, research and development engineers earn some of the highest salaries of any industry. As of November of 2019, the salary range runs between $104,124 and $132,887. The average salary is $117,752. All engineering jobs in New Jersey have salaries that vary, depending on which city the jobs are in, your educational level, job experience, certifications and additional skills.

New Jersey Engineering Colleges and Universities

Some of the top educational institutes in New Jersey for engineering degrees include Princeton University, The College of New Jersey, Rowan University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology and many lesser-known colleges and universities with outstanding engineering courses of study.

High-profile New Jersey Engineering Projects

There are plenty of traditional engineering jobs in New Jersey for rebuilding the state’s infrastructure. Engineers, architects and engineering firms are relocating to Newark, which has become a major U.S. tech hub. Some of the high-profile engineering projects in New Jersey include:

• The Adam Moss/Flickr Newark Penn Station development plan
• Development of 2 Gateway Center as a hub for architectural and engineering firms
• Road rebuilding projects across the state
• Planned repairs of the North River Tunnels
• Massive projects by the state’s Division of Coastal Engineering

Concluding Thoughts

You can customize your engineering education and training to work in almost any industry, whether it be field operations, industrial engineering, logistics engineering, data analysis, business analysis, production forecasting or research and development projects. New Jersey compares favorably with California, Massachusetts and North Carolina for its public, private and academic engineering partnerships to promote research for innovative product and technology products.

Are You a New Jersey Professional Engineer

We prepared a summary of the New Jersey PE license renewal requirements. This comprehensive guide includes everything you need to do to complete your license renewal. We provide links to state Board forms, due dates, license fees, and a lot more.

Continuing Education Packages for NJ Engineers

PDH-Pro developed eight continuing education packages for New Jersey professional engineers. These packages include all required PDH hours and are guaranteed to be accepted by the New Jersey board.