Manufacturing Engineeringat California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Graduates earn $79,549/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Manufacturing Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $801K; scenarios range from $700K to $834K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Cal Poly Pomona
Your strong earnings potential in Manufacturing Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona reflects the program's practical, hands-on approach, highly valued by Southern California's robust industrial sector. This region, a hub for aerospace, defense, automotive, and medical device manufacturing, offers abundant local internship and career opportunities with companies like Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and various medical device manufacturers. The "learn by doing" ethos ensures you'll graduate job-ready, contributing to your rapid career progression into roles optimizing production and managing complex systems. While some aspects of the field face automation challenges, your career trajectory towards managerial and broader engineering roles suggests a need for leadership and strategic thinking. Focus on developing project management and advanced automation skills to future-proof your career and lead the integration of new technologies.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Cal Poly Pomona's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Manufacturing Engineering
How Cal Poly Pomona stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Cal Poly Pomona
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Cal Poly Pomona, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Manufacturing Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
How does California State Polytechnic University-Pomona's Manufacturing Engineering program score?
A score of 76/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. California State Polytechnic University-Pomona's Manufacturing Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How vulnerable is Manufacturing Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Manufacturing Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 47% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.