Home Schools Florida Tech Mechanical Engineering
Engineering · Mechanical Engineering Rank #230 of 320

Mechanical Engineeringat Florida Institute of Technology

Graduates earn $69,533/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $849K; scenarios range from $723K to $892K depending on AI disruption.

Melbourne, FL Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
61 SOLID
62
Optimistic
58
Pessimistic
Earnings
$69,533
1-year post-graduation
ROI
4.3x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$849K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Florida Tech

Graduates earn $69,533/yr, roughly in line with the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

At 4.8x tuition cost in decade earnings, the ROI is moderate. This program pays for itself, but it's not a financial slam-dunk.

The 19% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Mechanical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.

With first-year pay of $69,533 far exceeding the $26,782 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

A #230 ranking among 320 Mechanical Engineering programs places Florida Institute of Technology in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.

A 35% earnings increase from $69,533 to $93,714 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$723K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple4.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$849K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple4.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$892K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score62/100
Earnings Multiple5.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Florida Tech's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Mechanical Engineering graduates typically work

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.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Aerospace engineers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 4,500 openings/yr
$134,830/yr
High
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Mechanical engineers
+9.1% 10-yr growth · 18,100 openings/yr
$102,320/yr
High
5
Cost estimators
-4.2% 10-yr growth · 16,900 openings/yr
$77,070/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Mechanical Engineering

How Florida Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California State University Maritime Academy
CA · Public
79
DW Score
$92K
1-yr earn
36.4x
ROI
Duke University
NC · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
3.8x
ROI
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
76
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
17.9x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
64
DW Score
$85K
1-yr earn
3.3x
ROI
Princeton University
NJ · Private nonprofit
52
DW Score
$85K
1-yr earn
2.6x
ROI
Also at Florida Tech

Other top programs at Florida Tech

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Florida Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at Florida Tech

What does a 61/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Mechanical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology?

At 61/100, the score looks reasonable — but Mechanical Engineering is a high-scoring field overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.

Should I worry about AI if I study Mechanical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology?

The 53% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.