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Engineering · Systems Engineering Rank #5 of 11

Systems Engineeringat University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Graduates earn $68,034/yr in their first year — about 10.0% below the national Systems Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $788K; scenarios range from $668K to $820K depending on AI disruption.

Charlotte, NC Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
73 STRONG
74
Optimistic
69
Pessimistic
Earnings
$68,034
1-year post-graduation
ROI
29.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$788K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
56% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

UNC Charlotte's Systems Engineering program offers a unique entry into a specialized field, deeply integrated with the dynamic Charlotte metro area. While national earnings for this niche discipline can be influenced by graduates from higher-cost-of-living markets, your degree here will prepare you for significant roles in the region's robust financial, logistics, and expanding tech sectors. Expect to find opportunities with major banks, energy companies, and various manufacturing or supply chain firms, leveraging your ability to optimize complex operations and processes.

The "Very High" AI risk for this field isn't necessarily about job replacement, but transformation. Systems engineers often work with data analysis, process modeling, and decision support, all areas where AI excels. This means your career will increasingly involve designing, implementing, and managing AI-powered systems rather than solely traditional methods. To thrive, focus on internships that expose you to AI integration projects and actively seek coursework in data science or machine learning to complement your core engineering skills.

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
$668K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple23.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$788K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple27.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$820K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple28.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Systems 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
Database architects
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 4,000 openings/yr
$135,980/yr
Very High
3
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
4
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
5
Industrial engineers
+11.0% 10-yr growth · 25,200 openings/yr
$101,140/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Systems Engineering

How University of North Carolina at Charlotte stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Virginia-Main Campus
VA · Public
74
DW Score
$91K
1-yr earn
14.6x
ROI
Top score
University of Florida
FL · Public
77
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
41.3x
ROI
George Mason University
VA · Public
76
DW Score
$85K
1-yr earn
20.9x
ROI
Washington University in St Louis
MO · Private nonprofit
50
DW Score
$84K
1-yr earn
2.3x
ROI
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
IL · Public
59
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
11.8x
ROI
Also at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Other top programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Systems Engineering at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

How does University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Systems Engineering program score?

A score of 73/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Systems Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Systems Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Systems 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.