Modern knowledge-intensive industrial production technologies increase the demand for engineering personnel in the labour market which actualises the problem of training competent, highly qualified specialists. This process is strongly determined by the motives that guide future engineers in their professional learning activities. The study analyses the dynamics of professional motivation of technical students of I-III courses. This study presents the results of research conducted by assessing the professional motivations of students at the Norilsk State Industrial Institute. The survey was conducted by the authors in September-October 2020. Fourteen motives were assessed and grouped into seven groups: social, moral, collectivist, cognitive, material, prestige motivation, and those associated with the peculiarities of professional activity. The study of professional motivation helped to identify the dominant motives of future engineers, trace their dynamics among students of different courses and analyse the peculiarity of professional motivation of students of different technical training areas. Based on the results of the study and analysis of the data obtained in the structure of future engineers' professional motivation, the dominance of social, material and moral motivations, growth of collectivist and cognitive motives, insufficient degree of cognitive and work-related motivation, low level of assessment of the prestige of the chosen profession are stated. The comparative data presented in the study with the 2009-2010 academic year's research on professional motivation identifies the need for further systematic vocational guidance work with future engineers.