Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$48,400
- 25th Percentile — Junior$59,510
- 50th Percentile — Median$74,510
- 75th Percentile — Senior$88,110
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$106,050
The top 10% of Mechanical Engineering Technologists earn $106,050 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $48,400, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $119,750 | +56.8% |
| Hawaii (est.) | $118,389 | +55.0% |
| District of Columbia (est.) | $116,098 | +52.0% |
| Alaska (est.) | $100,822 | +32.0% |
| Rhode Island | $94,080 | +23.2% |
| New Mexico | $92,890 | +21.6% |
| Missouri | $91,740 | +20.1% |
| California | $91,570 | +19.9% |
| Washington | $86,940 | +13.8% |
| Maryland | $83,690 | +9.6% |
| Vermont (est.) | $82,490 | +8.0% |
| Texas | $81,660 | +6.9% |
| Connecticut | $81,540 | +6.8% |
| Illinois | $79,370 | +3.9% |
| Colorado | $79,240 | +3.7% |
| North Dakota | $79,000 | +3.4% |
| Oregon | $78,990 | +3.4% |
| Nebraska | $78,670 | +3.0% |
| Georgia | $78,160 | +2.3% |
| Iowa | $78,060 | +2.2% |
| Nevada | $76,890 | +0.7% |
| Kentucky | $76,300 | -0.1% |
| Indiana | $76,020 | -0.5% |
| Delaware | $75,980 | -0.5% |
| Ohio | $75,150 | -1.6% |
| New York | $75,030 | -1.8% |
| Pennsylvania | $73,860 | -3.3% |
| Virginia | $73,100 | -4.3% |
| Montana (est.) | $72,561 | -5.0% |
| South Carolina | $72,340 | -5.3% |
| Maine | $72,240 | -5.4% |
| Arizona | $71,680 | -6.2% |
| Michigan | $71,510 | -6.4% |
| Wyoming (est.) | $71,033 | -7.0% |
| Massachusetts | $71,030 | -7.0% |
| Wisconsin | $70,850 | -7.2% |
| Mississippi | $70,330 | -7.9% |
| New Jersey | $70,140 | -8.2% |
| New Hampshire | $70,080 | -8.2% |
| Idaho | $68,450 | -10.4% |
| Oklahoma | $68,160 | -10.8% |
| Kansas | $67,860 | -11.2% |
| Minnesota | $67,350 | -11.8% |
| North Carolina | $66,850 | -12.5% |
| Tennessee | $66,430 | -13.0% |
| Utah | $65,200 | -14.6% |
| Alabama | $64,030 | -16.2% |
| Arkansas (est.) | $63,395 | -17.0% |
| Florida | $59,650 | -21.9% |
| South Dakota | $57,580 | -24.6% |
| West Virginia | $55,060 | -27.9% |
What Factors Affect Mechanical Engineering Technologists Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Mechanical Engineering Technologists is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Louisiana pays an average of $119,750, while West Virginia pays $55,060 — a gap of $64,690 per year.
The middle half of Mechanical Engineering Technologists earn between $59,510 and $88,110 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $48,400, while the top 10% earn more than $106,050.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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Related career salary benchmarks
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists?
The average salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists in the United States is $76,380 per year, with a median of $74,510.
What is the starting salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists?
Entry-level Mechanical Engineering Technologists typically earn between $48,400 and $59,510 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Mechanical Engineering Technologists the most?
Louisiana pays Mechanical Engineering Technologists the most at $119,750 per year on average, followed by Rhode Island ($94,080) and New Mexico ($92,890).
How much do Mechanical Engineering Technologists make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $76,380, Mechanical Engineering Technologists earn approximately $36.72 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Mechanical Engineering Technologists a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 36,190 Mechanical Engineering Technologists jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $76,380 and a median of $74,510 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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