Engineers rank among the highest-scoring occupations, with an average IQ of roughly 110–120 in the data we could verify. The often-quoted UK figure of about 118 for electrical engineers (Wolfram, 2023) comes from only 9 people, so it is far less precise than it looks.
What the data say about engineers’ IQ
Engineering is consistently one of the higher-scoring occupational groups in large datasets, but good numbers are harder to find than you might expect. In Wolfram’s (2023) UK analysis, engineers were among the occupations near the top of the ranking. The tabulated subset includes electrical engineers with a mean of 118.4 — but from only 9 people.
With nine people, the uncertainty is large. If individual scores vary with an SD of about 13, the standard error of that mean is about 4.3 points, so a 95% interval runs from roughly 110 to 127. That is why Wolfram’s model-based ranking, which shrinks small groups toward the overall average, placed physical scientists rather than electrical engineers at the very top. A fair summary is that engineers average somewhere around 110–120, with the precise figure uncertain.
Historical data point the same way. Stewart’s (1947) analysis of US Army AGCT scores placed mechanical, electrical, civil and chemical engineering students among the top ten groups, with medians of 125–128 — on the AGCT’s own scale, which is not the same as a modern IQ scale.
Engineer IQ range
Using a central estimate of about 115 for illustration, here is how engineers would be spread compared with the general population:
| IQ range | Engineers (illustrative mean 115) (model) | General population |
|---|---|---|
| below 90 | ~3% | 25% |
| 90–99 | ~10% | 25% |
| 100–109 | ~23% | 25% |
| 110–119 | ~30% | 16% |
| 120–129 | ~23% | 7% |
| 130 or above | ~12% | 2% |
Model: normal distribution around the estimated mean with SD 13, the average within-occupation spread implied by Wolfram (2023), where roughly three-quarters of IQ variance lay within rather than between occupations. Real distributions can be skewed.
Which engineering fields score highest?
Civil, mechanical, software, chemical and electrical engineering differ in daily work — site management, design, simulation, regulation, maintenance. We could not find representative, comparable IQ data separated by engineering discipline with adequate sample sizes, so we do not rank them. Treat online lists claiming that one branch “has the highest IQ” with scepticism.
Does an engineer need a high IQ?
Engineering degrees are mathematically demanding, which selects for strong quantitative reasoning. But engineering performance at work depends heavily on domain knowledge, spatial skills, care with detail, teamwork and communicating trade-offs to non-engineers. Meta-analytic estimates of how well general cognitive ability predicts job performance (about .31 in Sackett et al., 2022) leave plenty of room for these other factors. Many excellent engineers score in the 100–115 range; some brilliant test-takers struggle with real projects.
How to read these numbers
Every number on this page comes with three caveats. First, the UK estimates are based on a short survey battery — word recall, number series, everyday numeric problems, serial subtraction and verbal fluency — rather than a full clinical IQ test, so they are less precise for individuals and tend to compress group differences. Second, they describe people working in an occupation at one time (2011–2013), not what the job requires. Third, they are averages: Hauser’s analysis of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study found that the correlation between occupation and measured ability was only moderate (about .39–.44), and that the spread of ability was almost as wide in high-status occupations as in others.
Sources
- Wolfram, T. (2023). (Not just) intelligence stratifies the occupational hierarchy: Ranking 360 professions by IQ and non-cognitive traits. Intelligence, 98, 101755. Occupation figures as tabulated in J. Thompson, “Minds and professions” (2023).
- Stewart, N. (1947). AGCT scores of Army personnel grouped by occupation. Occupations, 26, 5–41.
- Engen (1952), thesis, University of Detroit, summarising Stewart (1947) AGCT medians (accountant 130; chemist 127; medical student 127; engineering students 125–128 on the AGCT scale).
- Hauser, R. M. (2002). Meritocracy, cognitive ability, and the sources of occupational success. CDE Working Paper 98-07, University of Wisconsin–Madison (Wisconsin Longitudinal Study).
- Sackett, P. R., Zhang, C., Berry, C. M., & Lievens, F. (2022). Revisiting meta-analytic estimates of validity in personnel selection. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(11), 2040–2068.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average IQ of engineers?
Recent UK data place engineers near the top of the occupational ranking; a reasonable summary is an average of about 110–120. The tabulated figure for electrical engineers (about 118) rests on only 9 people.
Do engineers have higher IQs than doctors?
The data cannot say. Both groups score well above average, and the small engineering sample means the difference is within statistical uncertainty.
What IQ do you need to be an engineer?
There is no IQ requirement. Engineering programmes select on maths and science grades. Many working engineers score in the 100–125 range.
Which engineering field has the highest IQ?
We could not find reliable discipline-level IQ data with adequate samples, so rankings of engineering branches by IQ are not supported.