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Professional Engineer Jobs in Ridgecrest, CA (NOW HIRING)

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Professional Engineer information

See Ridgecrest, CA salary details

$46.2K

$96.4K

$135.6K

How much do professional engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for professional engineer in Ridgecrest, CA is $96,394.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $81,900.00 and $109,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Professional Engineers?

Professional Engineers (PEs) are licensed engineers who have met the education, experience, and exam requirements established by their state or country. They are legally authorized to sign off on engineering projects, offer their services to the public, and take responsibility for the safety and integrity of engineering work. Becoming a PE typically involves earning an accredited engineering degree, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, gaining relevant work experience, and passing the Professional Engineering (PE) exam. The PE license signifies a high standard of competence and ethics in the engineering profession.

What is the difference between Professional Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectProfessional EngineerMechanical Engineer
CredentialsRequires PE license, degree, work experience, examRequires degree, possibly fundamentals exam, but not license
Work EnvironmentDesign, review, sign off on projects, often in consulting or engineering firmsDesign, analysis, manufacturing, and testing in various industries
Industry UsageLicensed in engineering projects, legal responsibilityCommonly employed in manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and more

The main difference between a Professional Engineer and a Mechanical Engineer is that the PE is licensed and authorized to sign off on engineering projects, ensuring legal and safety standards are met. Mechanical Engineers typically hold the necessary education and experience but do not have licensing requirements unless they pursue PE licensure. Both roles work closely in engineering fields, but the PE designation signifies a higher level of responsibility and legal accountability.

Can you make $250,000 as an engineer?

Professional engineers can earn $250,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, or leadership roles in high-demand industries such as aerospace, petroleum, or software engineering. Salaries vary based on location, specialization, and employer, with senior-level positions and specialized skills commanding higher compensation.

What Do Professional Engineers Do?

A professional engineer uses mathematics and science to create safe and efficient buildings, machines, and applications. Engineers typically specialize in a particular field, such as aerospace, mechanical, or structural engineering. Your job duties vary depending on your area of expertise and employer but may include creating plans, designing machinery, or building skyscrapers. This career often involves a combination of office and field work. Frequent travel is an additional job requirement for many professional engineering jobs. Long hours and overtime work are also expected to meet deadlines.

What are some common challenges Professional Engineers face when managing multiple projects simultaneously?

Professional Engineers often juggle several projects at once, which can present challenges in prioritizing tasks, coordinating with diverse teams, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Effective time management and clear communication are essential to handle shifting deadlines and resource allocation. Collaborating closely with project managers, clients, and other engineers helps maintain project momentum and quality, while regular progress reviews ensure that no critical detail is overlooked.

What engineering jobs pay $500,000?

High-level engineering roles such as petroleum engineers, aerospace engineers, and engineering managers can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, and leadership responsibilities. These positions often involve working in specialized industries, managing large projects, or overseeing teams in high-demand sectors like oil and gas, aerospace, or technology companies.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Professional Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Professional Engineer, you need a solid grasp of engineering principles, problem-solving skills, and a degree in engineering, typically complemented by a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Familiarity with industry-standard software such as AutoCAD, MATLAB, or project management tools, along with ongoing continuing education, is often required. Strong communication, teamwork, and project management abilities help engineers deliver effective solutions and collaborate with diverse stakeholders. These skills and qualifications ensure engineers can design safe, efficient systems and maintain high professional standards in complex technical environments.

What can you do as a professional engineer?

A professional engineer designs, develops, and evaluates systems, structures, or processes within their engineering discipline. They often hold a license that allows them to approve projects, sign off on plans, and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Professional engineers work in various industries such as construction, manufacturing, and technology, using technical skills and tools like CAD software and engineering principles.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Senior engineers in fields such as petroleum, aerospace, software, and electrical engineering often earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, or leadership roles. High-paying engineering positions typically require specialized skills, advanced degrees, and sometimes management responsibilities or working in high-demand industries.
What are the most commonly searched types of Engineer jobs in Ridgecrest, CA? The most popular types of Engineer jobs in Ridgecrest, CA are:
What cities near Ridgecrest, CA are hiring for Professional Engineer jobs? Cities near Ridgecrest, CA with the most Professional Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Professional Engineer job openings in Ridgecrest, CA as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $96,394 per year, or $46.3 per hour.
INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEER/SCIENTIST

INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEER/SCIENTIST

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)

China Lake, CA

$146K/yr

Other

Posted 8 days ago


U.S. Department Of Defense rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 530 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

25th of 46 rated military and defense


Job description

You will serve as a Subject Matter Expert Chief Engineer for the Exodus Data Warehouse of NAVAIRWARCENWPNDIV CHINA LAKE.Qualifications:In addition to the Basic Requirements for this position, your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12/13) or pay band (DP-04) in the federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector as a professional scientist or engineer. Specialized experience includes the following: 1) Developing data processing architecture using a UNIX operating system, preferably a trusted operating system (eg. Solaris with Trusted Extensions or SE Linux); 2) Interfacing with current and potential customers to understand requirements and explain capabilities of data-centric system; and 3) Defining and managing development and test environments to support hardware and software technology improvement projects.
Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series
8XX: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/
1310: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/physics-series-1310/
1550: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/computer-science-series-1550/
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.Education:Applicants must meet the following positive education qualifications requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual: Applicants must possess:
(0801): Degree: Engineering- To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience- College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. 3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)
(1310): Degree: Physics; or related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in physics totaling at least 24 semester hours, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
(1550): Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
OR
Bachelor's Degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. Applicants should have sufficient knowledge to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science. Courses designed to provide an introduction to computer science techniques and methodologies, to problems of system design, and to other specialized fields are acceptable. Courses or experience in teaching elementary, business, or shop mathematics are not acceptableEmployment Type: OTHER

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