— Occupational IQ research

Engineers — average IQ & cognitive profile

Published occupational IQ research consistently places engineers at an average IQ of around 121 — the 92th percentile of the general adult population. This sits well above the population mean and reflects the cognitive demands of the role.

Why engineers cluster at this level

Engineering work selects on quantitative and spatial reasoning; coursework filters heavily for fluid intelligence. Specialisations vary — mechanical and aerospace skew highest, civil and industrial slightly lower.

What this number really means

An occupational IQ average is a statistical mean, not a hiring criterion. The within-profession standard deviation is typically 10-15 IQ points, which means:

• There are highly successful engineers scoring well above 136
• And highly successful engineers scoring well below 106
• Conscientiousness, domain knowledge, emotional regulation, and motivation account for far more variance in actual job performance than the difference between, say, IQ 115 and IQ 125 does

How to interpret your own score against this average

If you're considering this profession or already in it, here's how to read a personal IQ result in context:

• If you score 111–131: you're right in the typical range for engineers
• If you score above 136: you have meaningful cognitive headroom; you'll likely find the abstract demands of the role easier than peers
• If you score below 106: the profession is still entirely accessible to you — many engineers succeed at this level — but you may rely more on persistence, structured systems, and specialisation than peers do

Related profession comparisons

• CEOs — average IQ 121
• Lawyers — average IQ 122
• Software Engineers — average IQ 120
• Commercial Pilots — average IQ 119
• Doctors (MD) — average IQ 124

Related reading

• What does an IQ of 120 mean?
• Full IQ-to-percentile chart
• What is the average IQ?