How much do mechanical engineers make?

Mechanical Engineer salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Mechanical engineers in the US earned a median of $104,110 a year ($50.05 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $84,130 to $132,590.

Median annual pay: $104,110; Mean $113,610
Median hourly pay: $50.05; Mean $54.62
Typical range (10th–90th): $74.0K–$164K; $73,990 to $164,340
US jobs: 296,810; +11.2% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a mechanical engineer: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: New Mexico

Mechanical Engineer pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$73,990
25th percentile$84,130
Median$104,110
75th percentile$132,590
90th percentile$164,340

Half of all mechanical engineers earned more than $104,110 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $73,990; the top 10% made over $164,340. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $84,130 to $132,590.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$73,990	$35.57	$6,166
25th	$84,130	$40.45	$7,011
Median (50th)	$104,110	$50.05	$8,676
75th	$132,590	$63.75	$11,049
90th	$164,340	$79.01	$13,695
Mean (average)	$113,610	$54.62	$9,468

Mechanical Engineer salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for mechanical engineers by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. New Mexico $157,710
2. District of Columbia $133,300
3. California $130,900
4. Delaware $125,130
5. Colorado $124,430

Lowest-paying states

51. Arkansas $80,180
50. Kansas $86,260
49. North Dakota $86,330
48. Nebraska $88,060
47. South Dakota $88,380

Best after cost of living: New Mexico. Its median of $157,710 is worth about $171,030 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$100,230	32	$112,842	13	$48.19	—	—
Alaska	$124,340	6	$121,474	5	$59.78	380	1.17
Arizona	$100,270	31	$99,596	41	$48.21	5,050	1.56
Arkansas	$80,180	51	$92,228	50	$38.55	1,410	1.08
California	$130,900	3	$118,226	8	$62.94	30,530	1.68
Colorado	$124,430	5	$120,745	7	$59.82	7,190	2.50
Connecticut	$105,090	16	$101,428	36	$50.52	4,600	2.71
Delaware	$125,130	4	$125,371	4	$60.16	610	1.25
District of Columbia	$133,300	2	$121,291	6	$64.09	510	0.72
Florida	$99,980	33	$96,679	47	$48.07	10,740	1.08
Georgia	$100,620	30	$104,494	28	$48.37	5,290	1.08
Hawaii	$98,740	39	$89,804	51	$47.47	530	0.84
Idaho	$93,190	46	$97,587	45	$44.80	1,070	1.25
Illinois	$102,680	22	$102,723	33	$49.37	11,790	1.93
Indiana	$99,590	34	$106,709	26	$47.88	8,690	2.71
Iowa	$97,700	42	$111,324	18	$46.97	3,470	2.23
Kansas	$86,260	50	$95,772	48	$41.47	4,630	3.22
Kentucky	$101,050	28	$112,080	16	$48.58	4,170	2.08
Louisiana	$119,540	8	$135,522	2	$57.47	1,890	0.98
Maine	$102,430	26	$105,544	27	$49.25	890	1.38
Maryland	$122,870	7	$117,065	9	$59.07	6,550	2.37
Massachusetts	$119,300	9	$112,806	14	$57.36	7,680	2.11
Michigan	$104,890	17	$109,014	21	$50.43	34,630	7.86
Minnesota	$99,140	37	$100,526	37	$47.66	5,890	2.00
Mississippi	$98,000	40	$112,705	15	$47.12	1,570	1.35
Missouri	$99,330	36	$109,374	20	$47.75	4,870	1.66
Montana	$94,190	45	$99,519	42	$45.28	500	0.97
Nebraska	$88,060	48	$97,733	44	$42.34	950	0.93
Nevada	$102,680	23	$102,702	34	$49.37	1,410	0.91
New Hampshire	$103,660	20	$99,515	43	$49.84	2,760	4.04
New Jersey	$112,300	13	$103,212	30	$53.99	4,180	0.97
New Mexico	$157,710	1	$171,030	1	$75.82	2,710	3.11
New York	$102,440	25	$94,921	49	$49.25	8,590	0.89
North Carolina	$100,720	29	$106,779	25	$48.42	9,560	1.93
North Dakota	$86,330	49	$97,045	46	$41.51	790	1.84
Ohio	$99,100	38	$106,819	24	$47.64	14,390	2.59
Oklahoma	$101,850	27	$115,945	10	$48.97	2,270	1.33
Oregon	$103,470	21	$100,105	39	$49.74	2,920	1.49
Pennsylvania	$97,920	41	$100,357	38	$47.08	13,550	2.23
Rhode Island	$116,230	11	$113,639	12	$55.88	1,560	3.11
South Carolina	$104,580	18	$111,553	17	$50.28	5,780	2.51
South Dakota	$88,380	47	$99,767	40	$42.49	560	1.22
Tennessee	$99,550	35	$108,360	23	$47.86	3,930	1.20
Texas	$112,410	12	$115,819	11	$54.05	22,080	1.57
Utah	$102,500	24	$103,678	29	$49.28	3,370	1.94
Vermont	$107,330	15	$109,567	19	$51.60	530	1.75
Virginia	$104,180	19	$103,042	32	$50.09	7,470	1.82
Washington	$110,430	14	$103,193	31	$53.09	8,240	2.32
West Virginia	$97,390	43	$108,819	22	$46.82	760	1.08
Wisconsin	$95,870	44	$101,886	35	$46.09	7,470	2.54
Wyoming	$117,750	10	$127,035	3	$56.61	230	0.83

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for mechanical engineers

345 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$168,030	$152,169	5,540
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$161,370	$139,578	5,150
Baton Rouge, LA	$135,530	$149,295	540
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$132,920	$120,951	190
Salinas, CA	$132,560	$121,568	70
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	$128,740	$140,082	980
Peoria, IL	$128,710	$141,081	2,120
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$128,180	$121,174	4,530
Columbus, IN	$127,700	$137,307	1,000
Lexington Park, MD	$127,650	$126,687	670

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	22,500	$109,470	$109,145
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	8,780	$123,900	$109,100
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	8,310	$125,350	$127,092
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	6,960	$109,990	$97,714
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	6,900	$102,070	$98,528
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	6,890	$119,300	$110,192
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	5,600	$105,420	$102,260
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	5,540	$168,030	$152,169
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	5,390	$126,990	$116,629
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	5,150	$161,370	$139,578

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves mechanical engineer pay: employers and settings

Industry is one of the clearest pay drivers. Research and development services pay mechanical engineers a median of $132,040 in our data, and corporate headquarters (management of companies) pay $128,390. The federal executive branch pays $120,370 and aerospace manufacturing $112,900. The two largest employers pay less: engineering and architectural firms at $103,440 and machinery manufacturers at $97,620.

Government work holds up well. Federal mechanical engineers have a median of $120,350 against $103,600 at private employers.

State matters too. New Mexico has the top median at $157,710, followed by the District of Columbia at $133,300, California at $130,900, Delaware and Colorado. Arkansas is lowest at $80,180.

Across all mechanical engineers, pay runs from $73,990, the 10th percentile, to $164,340, the 90th. That spread mixes industry, location, specialty and level of responsibility. A PE license matters most for engineers who design building systems for consulting firms.

Where mechanical engineers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	20.4%	$103,440
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	9.9%	$97,620
Scientific Research and Development Services	7.2%	$132,040
Federal Executive Branch	4.7%	$120,370
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	4.1%	$112,900
Management of Companies and Enterprises	4%	$128,390

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	280,320	$103,600
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	13,890	$120,350
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,540	$94,330
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	1,060	$113,060

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Mechanical Engineer pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$104K $83.6K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $83,590 in 2015 to $104,110 in 2025, up 25% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $112,997 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 8% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What mechanical engineers do

A mechanical engineer works out how things that move, carry loads or handle heat should be built. That covers a huge range: engines and gearboxes, pumps and turbines, medical devices, robots, factory machinery, aircraft parts, and the heating, cooling and plumbing systems inside buildings. The job is to turn a requirement (lift this, cool that, survive this many cycles) into a design, prove it with calculations and testing, and get it made or installed.

In our data, 20.4% of mechanical engineers work for architectural and engineering firms, where many design building HVAC and piping systems. Machinery manufacturers employ 9.9%, research and development firms 7.2%, and the federal executive branch 4.7%, with aerospace and corporate offices close behind. Most of the day is spent at a computer with 3D CAD models, simulations and spreadsheets, broken up by time on the shop floor, in a test lab or at a job site. Mechanical engineers work closely with drafters, machinists, technicians, suppliers and engineers from other disciplines.

A typical day

Model parts and assemblies in 3D CAD and turn them into drawings with dimensions and tolerances
Calculate stresses, heat loads, flow rates and fatigue life to prove a design will hold up
Run finite element or fluid flow simulations before anything is built
Build and test prototypes, then change the design based on what broke or ran hot
Pick materials and purchased components and work with suppliers on cost and lead times
Investigate field failures and production problems and recommend fixes
Size and lay out heating, cooling, ventilation and piping systems for buildings

Also called: mechanical engineering, application engineer, design engineer, equipment engineer, mechanical design engineer, mechanical designer, product development engineer, product engineer.

How to become a mechanical engineer

Full guide

To become a mechanical engineer, you complete a 4-year bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, preferably from an ABET-accredited program, and can be hired straight out of school without a license. A Professional Engineer license, needed to offer services to the public, takes the FE exam, about 4 years of experience in most states and the PE Mechanical exam.

Typical time: 4-5 years to start; about 8 years to a PE license; Fastest: 4 years
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering (ABET-accredited preferred); some employers hire mechanical engineering technology graduates
License: Not required for entry-level jobs; a state Professional Engineer (PE) license is required to offer engineering services to the public or seal designs
Typical training cost: $44.8K–$45.4K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a mechanical engineer: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 4-5 years to start; about 8 years to a PE license; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $44.8K–$45.4K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $104,110; $53,130 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 43–44%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($53,130 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (4-5 years to start; about 8 years to a pe license in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for mechanical engineers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +11.2%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 298,500; 332,000 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 17,800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.5%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects mechanical engineer jobs to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035, from 298,500 to 332,000, more than three times the 3.5% for all occupations. That works out to about 17,800 openings a year, many of them from engineers retiring or moving to other occupations.

BLS ties the growth to automation and new machinery: as factories, vehicles and equipment become more automated and complex, companies need engineers to design, test and maintain them. Self-employment is rare, at 0.5%, so most openings are salaried roles with manufacturers, consulting firms and government.

Related careers and their pay

Electrical Engineer$120,630
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190
Engineers, All Other$122,930
Industrial Engineers$102,440

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Mechanical Engineer salary FAQ

How much do mechanical engineers make an hour?

The median hourly wage for mechanical engineers was $50.05 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35.57 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $79.01. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays mechanical engineers the most?

New Mexico has the highest median pay for mechanical engineers, $157,710 a year, followed by District of Columbia ($133,300) and California ($130,900). After adjusting for each state's price level, New Mexico comes out ahead at about $171,030 in national-average dollars.

Do mechanical engineers make $200,000 a year?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of mechanical engineers earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $104,110, and the top 10% earn more than $164,340. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Which states have the most mechanical engineering jobs?

Michigan leads with 34,630 mechanical engineers. California is second with 30,530, followed by Texas with 22,080, Ohio with 14,390 and Pennsylvania with 13,550. Of these five, only California, at $130,900, is among the five highest-paying states. After adjusting for living costs, New Mexico comes out best at $171,030.

Do mechanical engineers earn more in research or in manufacturing?

In our data, research pays more. Mechanical engineers in scientific research and development services have a median of $132,040 compared with $97,620 in machinery manufacturing and $112,900 in aerospace manufacturing. BLS notes that some research and development programs look for a Ph.D., while most manufacturing roles hire with a bachelor's degree.

Is mechanical engineer pay rising faster than prices?

Not over the last decade. The median went from $83,590 in 2015 to $104,110 in 2025, but measured in 2025 dollars the 2015 figure was $112,997. In real terms, the typical mechanical engineer earns somewhat less than ten years ago, even though nominal pay grew by about a quarter.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 17-2141
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (17-2141.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Mechanical Engineers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Licensure, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · checked October 28, 2026
FE exam, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · checked October 28, 2026
PE Mechanical exams, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · checked October 28, 2026
Find ABET-Accredited Programs, ABET · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
NCEES Examinee Guide (May 2026), National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · checked October 28, 2026
CPC Board Settings, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · checked October 28, 2026
What Programs Does ABET Accredit?, ABET · checked October 28, 2026
NCEES Model Law (August 2025), National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · checked October 28, 2026

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