To become a design engineer, you need a bachelor’s degree in engineering design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. Acquire an internship working with a design engineer to gain valuable insight and work experience. Earn an entry-level engineering position and work on project designs in your spare time to build a portfolio. Once you have several years of work experience, pursue a job as a design engineer.

If you are interested in a job related to Design Engineer, here are some popular related job searches with the most open positions on ZipRecruiter.

Top Types Of Design Engineer Jobs

List of the top 10 highest paying Design Engineer positions in 2026, with salary ranges, according to ZipRecruiter.

Cad Mechanical Engineer
Salary range: $81,500 - $126,500
Cad Mechanical Engineer is a typical job search query Most salaries for Cad Mechanical Engineer jobs pay between $81,500 (25th percentile) and $126,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Cad Mechanical Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Associate Mechanical Design Engineer
Salary range: $76,000 - $103,000
Associate Mechanical Design Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Associate Mechanical Design Engineer jobs pay between $76,000 (25th percentile) and $103,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Associate Mechanical Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Creo Design Engineer
Salary range: $68,000 - $98,500
Creo Design Engineer is a typical job search query Most salaries for Creo Design Engineer jobs pay between $68,000 (25th percentile) and $98,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Creo Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Ptc Creo Pro Engineer
Salary range: $83,000 - $123,000
Ptc Creo Pro Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Ptc Creo Pro Engineer jobs pay between $83,000 (25th percentile) and $123,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Ptc Creo Pro Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Freelance Pump Design Engineer
Salary range: $50,500 - $128,500
Freelance Pump Design Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Freelance Pump Design Engineer jobs pay between $50,500 (25th percentile) and $128,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Freelance Pump Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Gear Design Engineer
Salary range: $71,500 - $114,000
A Gear Design Engineer is responsible for developing and designing geared assemblies for various industrial purposes, sometimes including military applications. Gear Design Engineers analyze gear and spline designs to meet performance requirements, as well as other features that are essential to gearbox functionality, such as fluids, fasteners, bearings, and seals. Gear Design Engineers work to design, develop, and manufacture new and existing gear systems to help power vehicles and machines. They often meet customer specifications to create products designed precisely for clients' needs. Gear Design Engineers must be able to work both collaboratively and individually in order to complete their tasks.
Freelance Catia V5 Design Engineer
Salary range: $85,000 - $119,000
Freelance Catia V5 Design Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Freelance Catia V5 Design Engineer jobs pay between $85,000 (25th percentile) and $119,000 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Freelance Catia V5 Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.
Full Time Roller Coaster Design Engineer
Salary range: $85,000 - $119,000
Full Time Roller Coaster Design Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Full Time Roller Coaster Design Engineer jobs pay between $85,000 (25th percentile) and $119,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Full Time Roller Coaster Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Mechanical Design Engineer Automation
Salary range: $83,500 - $104,500
Mechanical Design Engineer Automation is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Mechanical Design Engineer Automation jobs pay between $83,500 (25th percentile) and $104,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Mechanical Design Engineer Automation job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Contract Mechanical Design Engineer
Salary range: $76,000 - $103,000
Contract Mechanical Design Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Contract Mechanical Design Engineer jobs pay between $76,000 (25th percentile) and $103,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Contract Mechanical Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

All Jobs Design Engineer Jobs 10 of the Most Popular Types of Design Engineer Jobs in 2026