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Automotive Engineer

Automotive Engineer profiles score highest on Operating and Exploring. This page covers what the work involves, what the trait profile looks like, what it pays, and where the fit tends to break.

Score your fit for this role See the trait profile

Median pay: $104,110per year, U.S. BLS 2025
Entry education: Bachelor's degreetypical for the occupation
Outlook: BrightO*NET Bright Outlook occupation

SOURCE · O*NET 17-2141.02 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures are national and vary widely by state and setting.

What the work involves

Develop new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology. Direct building, modification, or testing of vehicle or components.

Skills rated most important

Complex Problem Solving78

Critical Thinking78

Reading Comprehension75

Judgment and Decision Making72

Mathematics72

Work context

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams93

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled85

Spend Time Sitting74

Contact With Others72

Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled41

Spend Time Standing36

Spend Time Walking or Running30

Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body19

Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling16

Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance7

Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles6

O*NET importance and frequency ratings, 0–100.

The trait profile

Where Automotive Engineer profiles sit on the eleven Haliscope traits, derived from O*NET’s published interest and work-style data.

Operating85

Exploring80

Analyzing77

Persevering53

Organizing51

Safety-Seeking50

Law-Abiding44

Creating27

Harmonizing22

Influencing20

Helping8

Who it fits, and who it doesn’t

Strong signals

High Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.
High Organizing. Measures your preference for structure, detail, and systematic processes. High scorers excel at creating order, optimizing workflows, and maintaining precision.
High Exploring. Measures your openness to new experiences and curiosity about the unknown. High scorers seek novelty, enjoy experimentation, and value the journey itself.
High Persevering. Measures your persistence and resilience in the face of challenges. High scorers push through obstacles, maintain long-term focus, and value grit as both means and end.
High Law-Abiding. Measures your commitment to ethics, rules, and fairness. High scorers value honesty, follow procedures, and prefer environments with clear moral guidelines.

Friction points

Low Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.
Low Organizing. Measures your preference for structure, detail, and systematic processes. High scorers excel at creating order, optimizing workflows, and maintaining precision.
Low Exploring. Measures your openness to new experiences and curiosity about the unknown. High scorers seek novelty, enjoy experimentation, and value the journey itself.
Low Persevering. Measures your persistence and resilience in the face of challenges. High scorers push through obstacles, maintain long-term focus, and value grit as both means and end.
Low Law-Abiding. Measures your commitment to ethics, rules, and fairness. High scorers value honesty, follow procedures, and prefer environments with clear moral guidelines.

These are what the occupation’s profile says, not a hiring criterion. Haliscope is not validated for hiring or screening, and none of these is disqualifying — they are where a fit most often breaks.

Getting in

Entry education: Bachelor's degree.

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

O*NET Job Zone descriptions, U.S. Department of Labor.

Exposure to AI

How much of this work AI can already do, and how much AI tools help the people doing it, is scored task by task in the AI Risk Index.

Will AI replace Automotive Engineer?

Is this profile yours?

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