Engineering Jobs in Tucson, AZ

Tucson engineers design missiles near the airport, mining trucks downtown and copper processes at the Sierrita mine near Green Valley, with the University of Arizona supplying much of the talent. The guides below cover every engineering role in Tucson, who is hiring, and what it pays.

Why Engineering Work Is Different in Tucson

Three industries concentrate engineering here. Defense comes first: Raytheon is the metro's biggest private employer, with its plant south of Tucson International Airport, and contract manufacturers such as Celestica build aerospace electronics in a Tucson ITAR facility. Mining is the second: Caterpillar runs its mining division from the west side of downtown and tests equipment at the Tucson Proving Ground near Green Valley, while Freeport-McMoRan's Sierrita operation hires reliability and other engineering services staff for a 24/7 copper mine.

The third is science and optics. Roche Tissue Diagnostics keeps its global tissue diagnostics headquarters in Oro Valley, with manufacturing, process development and packaging engineers on site, and Edmund Optics runs a Tucson facility. The University of Arizona's College of Engineering and its James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences feed all of it, and newer manufacturers such as World View, which builds high-altitude balloons, add product, test and manufacturing engineering seats.

Top Engineering Employers in Tucson

These Tucson employers have posted engineering roles on their own careers sites:

• Freeport-McMoRan - reliability engineers and engineering services staff at the Sierrita copper operation near Green Valley.
• Caterpillar - design and quality engineers for mining equipment and autonomy products, based downtown and at the Tucson Proving Ground.
• World View - manufacturing, test, software and supplier quality engineers in Tucson.
• Celestica - test manufacturing engineers and quality specialists at its Tucson aerospace electronics site.
• Roche Tissue Diagnostics - manufacturing, process development, packaging and industrial engineers in Oro Valley.
• Edmund Optics - continuous improvement and quality engineering at its Tucson optics facility.

Engineering Career Paths in Tucson

• Design and product - Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer and Systems Engineer. The Raytheon and Caterpillar track, where hardware is specified, modeled, tested and integrated.
• Infrastructure and environment - Civil Engineer and Environmental Engineer. Roads, drainage and monsoon washes, water and mine permitting, split between public agencies and consulting firms.
• Production and quality - Industrial Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Quality Engineer and Project Engineer. Factory floor, supplier and program work at plants from the airport to Oro Valley.
• Optics and photonics - Optical and Photonics Engineer. The specialty the UA's optics college is known for, plus the Engineering overview guide for anyone mapping the field.

How to Start an Engineering Career in Tucson

• University of Arizona College of Engineering - bachelor's and graduate degrees on the main campus, including civil, systems and industrial engineering; the main local feeder for engineering employers.
• UA James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences - the optics degrees behind Tucson's photonics employers.
• Pima Community College Pre-Engineering - an Associate of Science concentration at West Campus built for transfer into a bachelor's in engineering.
• Pima machining inspection and quality - a one-year certificate at Downtown Campus that leads into quality technician work, a common path toward quality engineering.
• FE exam, then PE - engineers register with the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration after an accredited degree, the NCEES FE exam, about four years under a licensed PE and the PE exam.

A PE license is legally required to stamp plans, which is why civil and consulting engineers get one. The manufacturing and quality postings checked for these guides did not ask for a PE; there, the degree, experience, ASQ certifications and, on defense work, U.S. citizenship and a clearance are employer requirements.

Engineering Salaries in Tucson

• Entry - roughly $65,000 to $85,000 for new graduates and engineers with up to three years.
• Mid - roughly $85,000 to $120,000 for engineers with four to nine years or a PE.
• Senior - roughly $120,000 to $160,000 or more for senior, principal and engineering management roles.

Posted ranges show the spread: World View listed $75,000 to $85,000 for a supplier quality engineer, Freeport-McMoRan $87,500 to $120,000 for a reliability engineer at Sierrita, and Caterpillar $97,530 to $158,480 for a Tucson design engineer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put Tucson's mean pay at $110,680 for industrial engineers and $114,150 for mechanical engineers in May 2023. Mining work adds shift schedules and incentive pay; public agencies add state or county retirement. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a PE license to work as an engineer in Tucson?

Only for work that needs a stamp. Civil engineers whose plans go to the City of Tucson, Pima County or ADOT need a PE from the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration. The Tucson manufacturing and quality postings checked for these guides did not ask for one.

Which Tucson employers hire the most engineers?

Raytheon is the largest private employer in the metro, though its careers site cannot be checked automatically. Among employers whose own sites show current or recent engineering postings, Caterpillar, Freeport-McMoRan at Sierrita, Celestica and World View stand out.

How much do engineers make in Tucson?

Most land between about $65,000 starting and $160,000 at the senior level. Caterpillar's Tucson design engineer posting listed up to $158,480, and BLS put mean pay for Tucson mechanical engineers at $114,150 in May 2023.

Do Tucson engineering jobs require a security clearance?

Defense jobs often do, and they need U.S. citizenship first. Celestica's Tucson site is an ITAR facility. Mining, diagnostics and civil engineering employers such as Freeport-McMoRan, Caterpillar and Roche generally do not ask for a clearance.

Can you start an engineering career at Pima Community College?

Yes. Pima's Pre-Engineering Associate of Science at West Campus is built for transfer to a bachelor's in engineering, and its machining inspection and quality certificate leads to quality technician jobs, a common first step on the plant floor.

Ready to get started? Browse all current engineering job openings in Tucson, AZ on TucsonHIRED and apply today.