Engineering Jobs in Arlington, TX
Arlington engineers work where the metro builds things: GM Arlington Assembly on East Abram Street, the supplier plants and machinery makers around the Great Southwest Industrial District, and the City's stormwater and public works teams. The guides below cover every engineering role in Arlington, who is hiring, and what it pays.
Why Engineering Work Is Different in Arlington
Most engineering hiring in Arlington traces back to one plant. GM Arlington Assembly, which has built full-size SUVs on East Abram Street since 1954, posts controls engineers who program Rockwell PLCs and drives, body shop dimensional engineers, press manufacturing engineers and execution zone engineers for general and final assembly, most on rotating shifts with overtime. Around it, Tier 1 supplier International Automotive Components runs quality, supplier quality, tooling and manufacturing engineering roles at its Arlington plant, and ANDRITZ posts electrical, mechanical and field automation commissioning engineers out of its Arlington office in ZIP 76001.
The rest of the market leans on the I-30 and SH 360 corridors into Grand Prairie and Fort Worth. Siemens hires manufacturing, quality and entry level industrial engineers at its Grand Prairie and Fort Worth plants, Bell lists engineering openings for its Dallas/Fort Worth operations, and civil and water consultants such as Kimley-Horn staff Fort Worth offices. On the public side, the City of Arlington hires civil and graduate engineers for stormwater engineering, and those roles require a Texas PE. UT Arlington's College of Engineering, with seven departments and 12 bachelor's programs, keeps a steady supply of graduates in the local pipeline.
Top Engineering Employers in Arlington
These employers have posted engineering roles in Arlington or the surrounding corridor on their own careers sites in recent weeks:
- General Motors Arlington Assembly - the SUV plant hires controls, dimensional, press and manufacturing execution engineers.
- International Automotive Components - the Tier 1 interiors supplier posts quality, supplier quality, launch tooling and manufacturing engineers in Arlington.
- ANDRITZ - the industrial equipment group lists electrical, mechanical and field automation commissioning engineers in Arlington.
- Siemens - its Grand Prairie and Fort Worth plants hire manufacturing, quality and entry level industrial engineers.
- City of Arlington - hires civil and graduate engineers for stormwater engineering operations.
- Kimley-Horn - the civil engineering consultancy staffs its Fort Worth office with engineering analysts.
- Bell Textron - the rotorcraft maker lists engineering openings for its Dallas/Fort Worth operations and runs a weapon systems integration lab in Arlington.
Engineering Career Paths in Arlington
- Plant and production engineering - Manufacturing Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Quality Engineer. This is where GM, IAC and Siemens do most of their hiring.
- Core disciplines - Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Environmental Engineer. Controls and equipment work at plants, plus stormwater, water and site work for the City and consultants.
- Systems and project roles - Systems Engineer, Project Engineer. Commissioning, defense and multi-site project work across DFW.
- Start here - the Engineering overview guide covers the whole field in Arlington.
How to Start an Engineering Career in Arlington
- Bachelor's degree in engineering - nearly every posting here asks for one. UT Arlington's College of Engineering offers BS degrees in Aerospace, Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, Mechanical and Software Engineering, among others.
- Experience on plant systems - GM's controls postings ask for 5 or more years on Rockwell PLCs and drives, and Siemens quality roles ask for 2 years plus APQP, PPAP, FMEA and SPC.
- Texas Professional Engineer (PE) license - issued by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. The City of Arlington's civil engineer role requires it, or a transfer within 6 months.
- Certified Floodplain Manager - required within one year for the City's stormwater engineers.
A PE license is legally required for public-facing work such as the City's civil engineering roles; on the plant side, GM, IAC and Siemens postings ask for a degree and experience rather than a license.
Engineering Salaries in Arlington
- Entry - about $55,000 to $75,000 a year. Siemens lists entry level industrial engineers from $55,264, and the City's graduate engineers earn $57,329 to $71,661.
- Mid - about $75,000 to $115,000. The City pays civil engineers $76,352 to $95,440, and Siemens manufacturing and quality engineers top out at $115,790.
- Senior - about $115,000 to $165,000 and up for lead, controls and licensed engineers.
These are estimates built from posted ranges and BLS national medians for May 2025: $104,110 for mechanical engineers, $102,440 for industrial engineers and $120,630 for electrical engineers. Pay goes up with a PE license, controls and PLC experience, and shift work at the plants, and the large employers add retirement plans and benefits on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a PE license to work as an engineer in Arlington?
Only for some roles. The City of Arlington requires a Texas PE, issued by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, for its civil engineers. The plant roles at GM, IAC and Siemens ask for a degree and experience instead.
Who hires the most engineers in Arlington?
GM Arlington Assembly is the biggest single source, with controls, dimensional, press and manufacturing engineering openings at the plant. IAC and ANDRITZ also post engineers inside the city, and Siemens hires heavily just across the line in Grand Prairie.
How much do engineers make in Arlington?
New graduates generally start around $55,000 to $75,000, mid-career engineers earn about $75,000 to $115,000, and senior or licensed engineers can pass $165,000. These are estimates; posted ranges at Siemens and the City of Arlington sit inside those bands.
Where can I study engineering in Arlington?
UT Arlington's College of Engineering has seven departments and 12 bachelor's programs, from civil and electrical to industrial and aerospace. It also offers graduate civil engineering tracks in environmental and water engineering.
Do Arlington plant engineers work shifts?
Often, yes. GM's controls engineering postings at Arlington Assembly call for shift rotation and overtime, and Siemens runs second shift quality engineering at its Grand Prairie plant, so plan for nights or weekends early in a plant career.
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