Ohio’s Economy Benefits from Engineering

Ohio has long been known for its innovative engineers. Household products manufacturer Proctor & Gamble was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1837. In 1866, building supplies company Sherwin-Williams was founded in Cleveland, Ohio. The mechanical cash register was invented in Dayton, Ohio in 1879 by James Ritty.

In 1886, Ohio-native Charles Martin Hall helped pioneer a unique inexpensive way to produce aluminum called the Hall–Héroult process. The company he helped found is now known internationally as Alcoa.

International Impact

Ohio engineers Henry Barnhardt, George W. King and Edward Huber developed the power shovel which was vital in building the Panama Canal between 1902 and 1911. A later iteration of the company built the crawler-transporter NASA used at Cape Canaveral to put Saturn V rockets on the launch pad and send men into space in the 1960 and 70s. Ohio janitor James Spangler used his engineering skills to help build the first portable, electric vacuum cleaner. From The Hoover Company’s headquarters in North Canton, Ohio, the device is now shipped worldwide. Cleveland, Ohio based Parker Appliance Corporation, founded in 1918, produces motion and control technologies used nationally and internationally.

The Value of Engineering to Ohio’s Economy

Engineers and engineering have long been making valuable contributions to Ohio’s economy. Often called the Industrial Capital of the United States because of its Rust Belt roots and its dominance in science and intelligence today, engineers’ valuable contributions have helped Ohio become the country’s third largest manufacturing state and be seen as a prime location for economic development. Add strong, statewide partnerships, smart capital investment and consistent growth of important engineering positions that leverage the state’s advantages and it’s easy to understand why engineering is so valuable to Ohio’s economy.

A Science and Industry Center

In addition to historically strong industries like agriculture, banking, insurance, automobile manufacturing and food processing, Ohio is also a major science and technology center. Engineers involved in research and development of countless products, systems and technologies continue to add great value to the state’s economy. They continue to add value to Ohio’s economy with breakthroughs in bioscience, aerospace, defense and information technology and green economic growth in the national solar center and ‘Fuel Cell Corridor’.

Annual State Revenue/GDP

Ohio’s annual GDP for 2018 was $601.5 billion and it had a per capita GDP of $51,780. Wal-Mart and The Cleveland Clinic employ approximately 100,000 people. Dayton based Wright Patterson Air Force Base is Ohio’s largest employer with all their employees at one location. Other employment sectors that contribute to Ohio’s annual state revenues include aerospace, aviation, advanced manufacturing, automotive, energy, chemicals, food, agribusiness, financial services and healthcare.

What Each Segment Contributes

Ohio gets $110.73 billion annually from the finance, insurance and real estate industries and the manufacturing sector contributes $103.33 billion. About $73. billion comes from professional and business services, $62.336 billion from government and government enterprises, $58.855 billion from educational services and health care and wholesale and retail trade bring in over $75 billion annually. About $20,720 billion of Ohio’s annual GDP comes from arts, entertainment, accommodations, recreation and food services.

Transportation and warehousing adds over $19.6 billion, construction brings in $19.6 billion, the IT sector contributes $19.3 billion and utilities generate $9.6 billion. Oil and gas extraction and mining adds over $19 billion and $5.39 billion comes from agriculture and fishing.

Watch this video highlighting one manufacturer’s contribution to Ohio’s economy; manufacturing depends heavily on engineers to maintain competitiveness and the high quality standards that consumers demand.

The Number of Engineering Jobs in Ohio

There are over 65,000 engineering jobs in Ohio. Many engineers are employed in the aerospace, defense, bioscience, healthcare and pharmaceuticals industries. They also work in the agriculture, education, energy, automobile manufacturing, R&D, insurance, metals, robotics and laser segments. Engineers in Ohio work in the financial services, rubber, plastics, chemicals, nanotechnology, logistics, food processing, IT, oil, natural gas, telecommunications, film and tourism industries. Over 70% of the workers in electrometallurgical ferroalloy manufacturing are in Ohio.

Engineer Salaries in Ohio

The average salary for an engineer is $75,926 per year in Ohio. It ranges from design engineers who command a salary of about $68,534 per year, to mechanical engineers who make $75,123 annually, system engineers earning $78,869 a year, electrical engineers getting about $80,448 and project engineers making $88,566 annually. Some companies in Ohio pay engineers much more than the state average. At FPC of Erie, some engineers make $250,000 per year, while at Real Staffing engineers can earn $130,000 a year.

It’s not unusual for engineers at Request Technology to make $114,005 annually or Management Recruiters of Cleveland SW to pay engineers $109,548 yearly. Engineers at ITS earn $88,209 per year and engineers at SYSTEMS AMERICA can easily earn $90,000 a year. Even the U.S. Department of Defense pays its engineers a healthy $86,877.

Type of Engineering Work in Ohio

There’s a variety types of engineering positions available with the federal, state and local government, commercial businesses and private industry. Some engineering positions companies in Ohio are always looking for good candidates to fill include systems, mechanical, software and infrastructure engineers. Companies regularly hire engineer-in-training, process, automation, control, software application and robotic process automation engineers. Plus, there’s always great demand for aerospace, civil and chemical engineers.

Ohio Engineering Colleges and Universities

There are 76 colleges and universities in Ohio where students can earn certificates and degrees in variety of engineering specialties. These schools are large and small, public and private and located in quaint small towns and vibrant large cities. Ten of Ohio’s top engineering schools are:

Case Western Reserve University
Ohio State University–Columbus
Miami University–Oxford
University of Dayton
University of Cincinnati
Ohio University
Kent State University
University of Findlay
Bowling Green State University
Kenyon College

Engineering and Engineers in Ohio

Engineers play a significant role in Ohio’s economy and identity. Brilliant local engineers created products, machines and systems that changed the world. In the Rust Belt days and now with the emergence of the national solar center and the ‘Fuel Cell Corridor’, engineers play a valuable role in Ohio’s economic growth and development.

Are You an Ohio Professional Engineer

Are you an Ohio registered professional engineer? You’ll be interested in our review of the PE license renewal requirements for Ohio. We present a list of all forms, date of license renewal, fees, and much more.