Home Schools University of Massachusetts-Amherst Electrical Engineering
Engineering · Electrical Engineering Rank #159 of 262

Electrical Engineeringat University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Graduates earn $79,414/yr in their first year — about 2.0% above the national Electrical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $873K; scenarios range from $729K to $917K depending on AI disruption.

Amherst, MA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
71 STRONG
73
Optimistic
67
Pessimistic
Earnings
$79,414
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.3x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$873K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
58% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Graduates earn $79,414/yr, roughly in line with the $77,516 national median for Electrical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 12.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 56% task exposure — and the 20% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $79,414 far exceeding the $27,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #159 out of 262 programs, University of Massachusetts-Amherst's financial outcomes for Electrical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $79,414 to $99,215 shows 25% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

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
$729K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score67/100
Earnings Multiple10.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$873K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple12.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$917K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple13.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Electrical 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
Computer hardware engineers
+7.3% 10-yr growth · 4,700 openings/yr
$155,020/yr
Very High
3
Aerospace engineers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 4,500 openings/yr
$134,830/yr
High
4
Electronics engineers, except computer
+6.2% 10-yr growth · 5,700 openings/yr
$127,590/yr
High
5
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
6
Electrical engineers
+7.2% 10-yr growth · 11,700 openings/yr
$111,910/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 Electrical Engineering

How University of Massachusetts-Amherst stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$139K
1-yr earn
6.2x
ROI
Top score
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
79
DW Score
$137K
1-yr earn
39.5x
ROI
Same state (MA)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA · Private nonprofit
68
DW Score
$117K
1-yr earn
6.9x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$101K
1-yr earn
4.0x
ROI
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
77
DW Score
$97K
1-yr earn
25.4x
ROI
Also at University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Other top programs at University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Electrical Engineering offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Electrical Engineering trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Electrical Engineering at University of Massachusetts-Amherst

How does University of Massachusetts-Amherst's Electrical Engineering program score?

A score of 71/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Massachusetts-Amherst trails the majority of Electrical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Electrical Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Electrical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 56% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.