Employment Practices—Use of Engineering Titles

NSPE Position Statement No. 10-58
Adopted: 
July 2018
Latest Revision: 
January 2023
Sunset Date: 
September 2024
NSPE Contact: 
Committee on Policy and Advocacy
Professional Policy Supported: 
10-Professional Practice
Printable Version: 
PDF icon EmploymentPracticesUseofEngineeringTitles.pdf

Position Statement: It is the position of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) that the title “engineer” should only be used by qualified individuals.

Background: NSPE defines “qualified individual” as:

  1. An individual who is licensed under a jurisdiction engineering licensure law; or
  2. An individual who has graduated from an ABET/EAC program; or
  3. An individual whose degree has been evaluated as equivalent to an ABET/EAC program or one which has been approved by the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) or a state or territorial engineering licensing board.

The indiscriminate utilization of the title “engineer” by individuals who are not clearly professionally qualified as set forth in this position statement serves only to confuse the public.

NSPE encourages the use of titles such as “engineering aide/assistant” and “engineering technician/technologist”, as appropriate, to designate individuals/positions that clearly are not those which are appropriately licensed, educated, or legally defined but are part of the engineering team.