15 Best Gifts for Professional Engineers in 2024

7 min read

Professional engineers are notoriously difficult to find gifts for. They tend to want things that are practical, functional, and unique. Being an engineer myself, I wanted to assemble what I think are the best gift ideas for professional engineers.

Finding the perfect gift for a professional engineer can be time-consuming, but I hope this gift guide helps you finish your gift shopping faster than ever and brings a smile to an engineer’s face. Show them you understand their passion for engineering and support them when they geek out over your perfect gift.

This list is a compilation of my favorites from around the internet. Some are our own Genius Lab Gear inventions and some we’re just jealous we didn’t think of first! Some external links in this page are from affiliates, which means that any purchase of the items after clicking the link will result in a small monetary referral fee paid back to Genius Lab Gear at no cost to you. We appreciate your support which allows us to continue inventing and testing the best tools for engineers on the planet!

1. The Pocket Engineer: Wallet Ruler and Unit Conversion Reference

The most practical and unique pocket tool for any professional engineer. It’s the size of a typical credit card and packed with functionality and information that a professional engineer will need on a daily basis both in school and on the job. The laser-cut and laser-engraved stainless steel has a thick black enamel coating to prevent scratching and stand up to years of abuse. It’s one of the best inexpensive gadget gifts that any engineer will geek out over. You can order directly through our site or on Amazon with the links below.

You can also add a custom logo to this for events, networking, or promotional giveaways! Custom orders start at 100 pieces - just email us for more info.

The Pocket Engineer at Genius Lab Gear

The Pocket Engineer on Amazon

2. Brain Games - The Game - Based on the Emmy Nominated National Geographic Channel TV Series

If you’re looking for a gift that is fun and you love learning, this is it! Brain Games is a fun game that lets you compete with other players in exciting tests of logic, vision, linguistic abilities, and physical coordination. It's perfect for a party or regular family game night while keeping everyone thinking. This is a great gift idea for engineers since it’s interactive and will challenge them to think and work to achieve a goal, which is something that engineers genuinely love doing.

Check the price on Amazon.

3. Funny Engineering-themed Word Magnets

We recently launched a full line of science and engineering-themed word magnets and of course made a set specifically for engineers! Each specialty pack comes with 144 tiles carefully designed by a PhD in that field for technical accuracy and tacit absurdity. These make for a funny engineer gift for the lab or office that lets them express their technical side but isn't work-oriented.

Also now available on Amazon.

You can also bundle it from our site with our newest "Engineering is for Everyone" sticker and The Pocket Engineer above!

4. Mechanical 3D Safe

Are you looking for something different that can be a creative outlet? This challenging mechanical safe kit will take their mind off work while exercising that problem-solving muscle. Perfect for all types of engineers, this kit is made out entirely of wood and doesn’t require any glue to assemble. It’s also a great gift for adults to work on with kids to engage them in STEM-style learning and let the budding young engineer keep the safe to store their most precious belongings.

Check the price on Amazon.

5. Circuit Board Coasters

So you think using a coaster for your drinks is too geeky? These Circuit Board Coasters will prove you wrong. Colorful and detailed circuit board coasters aren’t just made for decoration - they were actually a component of real computers in the past. Each coaster is an environmentally-friendly up-cycled product. It’s an excellent addition to their man cave or work space to include a little bit of computer or electrical engineering design. You can also pair these circuit board coasters with circuit board-designed socks for an electrical-themed gift!

Check the price on Amazon.

6. Professional Engineer Exam Study Guide

Tests for certified engineering licenses like the PE and FE can seem daunting but they are critical in many engineering careers. Luis Duque, a civil engineer who passed the PE on his first try and hosts a podcast called Engineering Our Future, is dedicated to teaching study skills and career skills for young engineers. Luis also launched a very affordable study skills email course to help engineers actively preparing for their FE or PE exam. If your engineer is close to graduation or approaching their PE exam, gifting them this course would be a huge help.

pe exam study guide course

7. ROKR 3D Wooden Mechanical Pendulum Clock Puzzle

Challenge the clever, mechanical-minded professional engineer on your list with this 3D wooden mechanical pendulum clock puzzle. Send them back to the industrial age and make them spend hours building and solving this unique wooden clock puzzle by hand. The end result is a wall-worthy clock that uses a pendulum to show the time.

Check the price on Amazon.

8. Engineer’s Black Book

If you’re looking for a useful and practical gift for a professional engineer that they can use at work, then this engineer’s black book is the one you’re looking for. This ultimate reference handbook is packed with up-to-date, useful, practical and hard to find engineering information. Within the book lies a ton of data sheets, formulas, reference tables, and charts. It’s also written in both English and metric measurements so it’ll save them lots of time on manual conversions.

Check the price on Amazon.

9. Lab Coat Pocket Protector

Sometimes, the best gift comes in a small, unassuming package. The venerable Pocket Protector became a cultural icon in the 1960's and 1970's, but somewhere along the way the newer generation of STEM researchers forgot about them.

Professional Engineers need these back in their labs and in the field to stay organized and efficient. So we researched and tested every type ever made to methodically solve each problem and come up with this refreshed design.

Available in spruce green, sapphire blue, and faded pink - the top 3 colors voted on by our fans! You can even get it from our Amazon page if that's easier.

pocket protector gift for scientists engineers STEM professionals

10. Nikola Tesla Wall Art Patent Prints

Nikola Tesla was a well-known electrical engineer and greatly contributed to science with his inventions. He continues to inspire engineers all over the world, especially those in physics and electronics. One of his most popular creations was the “Tesla Coil”, which is still used in radio technology. Now you can give his creations to your engineer loved ones with these high-quality patent prints!

Check the price on Amazon.

11. Engineers: From the Great Pyramids to the Pioneers of Space Travel

Engineering is a major force that shapes our society. Engineers don't simply deal with machines, designs, and electronics; they also use math and science to influence our society and enhance the way we live and work. Engineers: From the Great Pyramids to the Pioneers of Space Travel tells the story of engineers with brilliant minds all over the world through ancient times to modern spaceflight. This book will bring joy to any professional engineer and let them learn the history of their field.

Check the price on Amazon.

12. Rocketbook Matrix cloud-connected reusable paper notebook

This is my favorite clever invention. It was inevitable. Rocketbook finally solved the problem of merging your hand-written notes into your favorite digital services. You simply use their app to take a photo of your pages of notes and the QR code and marked symbols on each page trigger the app to send the digitized page to any of the 9 pre-set digital destinations you choose. This includes OneNote, Evernote, Google Drive, Dropbox and even specific emails. Want a shortcut to send notes via email straight to your colleague or boss? This is what you’re looking for.

The Rocketbook Matrix is my personal favorite because it's designed for more technical work. It's got 30 pages of graphing paper and one regular lined page for taking notes, plus a built-in ruler on the inside cover. Did I mention they are resuable? Use their "Pilot Frixion" pens and then wipe the page with a damp cloth after uploading your notes to use it all over again (and win one for the environment!).

If it's sold out on their website (it's very popular) - you can also get it on Amazon.

13. Eureka Crate from KiwiCo

A great way to spend time with your kids and get them engaged in STEM is by working on small engineering projects together. KiwiCo came up with a line of project boxes for different age groups and subjects. You get a new project box every month and can pause or cancel any time.

The Eureka Crate is targeted at ages 14+ (below), so it's perfect for high school students and can also be a ton of fun for a passionate engineer who loves hobby projects. If these are too advanced, try the Tinker Crate instead!

Eureka STEM gift box crate

Check the price on the KiwiCo website

14. 14-in-1 Multi-Tool Folding Plier

Every professional engineer needs a handy set of tools for small repair tasks. This pocket-sized multi-tool is a practical and useful gift that you can’t go wrong with. It features easy access to different tools such as a saw, knife, can opener, bottle opener, flat screwdriver, phillips screwdriver, needle nose pliers, and many more!

Check the price on Amazon.

15. Engineer’s Gift Bundle ($39.50)

If you can't decide by now, I can still help! Consider this decision made. I put together a Engineer Gift Bundle just to make it easy for you. It includes the Pocket tool and Word Magnets from above, plus a few fun science stickers. You'll save over 20% by bundling them together, so grab this and you can stop your search here!