The average IQ score for the general population is defined as 100. Most people who can gain this score can be considered intelligent (or average), which is a proper criterion for setting a standard deviation. If you choose ten people randomly and take an IQ test from them, you should expect most of them to get an average score of 100.
Individuals with an IQ of 115 or higher are more intelligent than 83% of the total population. Engineers are usually brilliant people. While engineers receive excellent scores on IQ tests, their social intelligence is below the average in many other aspects.
That is why engineers need to participate in social skills classes to understand how to communicate with people. You might wonder, what is the average IQ of an engineer? Still, there is no conclusive answer to this question because IQ is comparable and can be different from one individual to another.
IQ scores are usually used for evaluating students’ level of academic success in school by considering their behavior. Moreover, some researches prove that people with high IQ are more successful at their Job. The story of success is also related to intelligence, innovation, and knowledge.
We also must remember that IQ tests are no longer standard criteria for academic and professional evaluations. Today’s world focuses more on individual skills, abilities, experiences, and professional training than evaluating a person’s career based on their IQ test score.
After all, most engineers have an IQ higher than average, and they are intelligent people. Still, again this doesn’t imply that you necessarily should have a high or a very high IQ to become an engineer.
Average IQ score by Job
| IQ test range | The average IQ score by Job |
| 80 | Factory Packers, Laborers, Gardeners, Miners, and Sales Managers. |
| 90 | Truck and Van Drivers, Carpenters, Cooks, Bakers, and Small Farmers. |
| 100 | Sheet Metal Workers, Machine Operators, Shopkeepers, Butchers, and Welders. |
| 110 | Salesmen, Electricians, Clerks, Policemen, and Telephone Operators. |
| 120 | Nurses, Accountants, Stenographers, Pharmacists, School Teachers, and Managers. |
| 130 | Lawyers, Physicians (Civil and Mechanical), Engineers, and Surgeons. |
| 140 | Research Scientists and Professors. |
The necessity of having a high IQ for engineers
Research shows that an accountant’s average IQ is around 115 to 125. A professional writer has an average IQ of around the same score, and an engineer is likely to have an IQ of 130.
There is no conclusive answer to this question as this depends on the engineering field and the engineer’s skills. But many studies suggest that engineers usually have higher IQs than the general population, with an average IQ of 130.
These analyzes indicate that engineers are often brilliant and logical people who can resolve complicated issues in ways many others can’t. The most popular engineering jobs are as below:
- Software Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Financial Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Architecture
- Production Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering,
- Biomedical Engineering.
In the following, we will provide more information about the average IQ score of engineers in different engineering fields.
What is the average IQ of a software engineer?
Software engineers are usually at the top of the engineering pyramid, considering how much money they can make and how much is their IQ score. Software engineers typically make between $90,000 to $125,000 each year and have an IQ of around 120 to 130.
What is the average IQ of an electrical engineer?
Electrical engineers are brilliant. People such as Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were electrical engineers. These engineers are one of the most intelligent people in the world. They are usually businessmen and have academic degrees or MBAs in accounting or engineering.
Electrical engineers’ IQ is around 130 to 140, and they make about $130,000 to $150,000 each year. They can be considered the most intelligent, most profitable engineers worldwide.
What is the average IQ of a civil engineer?
Civil engineering is one of the most complicated engineering fields. To be a civil engineer, you must improve your math skills and take some academic classes. You should have enough experience working with Visual Basics, Statics, etc.
Civil engineering is remarkable; civil engineers can make around $200,000 annually. You can start your own business as a civil engineer, and there are boundless opportunities in the area. Civil engineers have an average IQ of 122 to 130.
What is the average IQ of a mechanical engineer?
Mechanical engineering is one of the highest-paid and most complicated fields of engineering. Even though there are many other fields, such as financial, industrial, and chemical engineering, mechanical engineering still stands at the top of the chart. Mechanical engineers have an average IQ of 125.5 to 130.
What is the Average IQ of an aerospace engineer?
Aerospace engineers can make rocket ships and airplanes. It is one of the most remarkable types of engineering. When software engineers find intelligent aerospace engineers, they will try to hire them as fast as possible because they are exceedingly talented and smart. Aerospace engineers have an average IQ of 121 to 125.
Conclusion
120 to 140 is defined as the average IQ of an engineer. Many devices, machines, and structures are made and designed with the help of an engineer’s standard fundamentals. This career can be something other than a level of genius in mathematics or science.
But after all, engineers should have a good understanding of the math and science fundamentals. Engineers might need an average IQ level in their profession, but if you decide to join this profession, you can prepare by improving your mathematic and scientific skills.
