Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$73,990
- 25th Percentile — Junior$84,130
- 50th Percentile — Median$104,110
- 75th Percentile — Senior$132,590
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$164,340
The top 10% of Mechanical Engineers earn $164,340 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $73,990, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $152,430 | +34.2% |
| District of Columbia | $138,500 | +21.9% |
| California | $136,660 | +20.3% |
| Alaska | $126,160 | +11.0% |
| Maryland | $125,850 | +10.8% |
| Colorado | $124,410 | +9.5% |
| Rhode Island | $124,290 | +9.4% |
| Texas | $121,510 | +7.0% |
| Massachusetts | $121,430 | +6.9% |
| Washington | $121,370 | +6.8% |
| Louisiana | $120,520 | +6.1% |
| Delaware | $117,710 | +3.6% |
| Wyoming | $117,060 | +3.0% |
| New Jersey | $116,640 | +2.7% |
| Oregon | $115,090 | +1.3% |
| Virginia | $114,770 | +1.0% |
| South Carolina | $113,690 | +0.1% |
| Michigan | $112,320 | -1.1% |
| Vermont | $112,260 | -1.2% |
| Connecticut | $111,530 | -1.8% |
| Illinois | $111,380 | -2.0% |
| New Hampshire | $110,940 | -2.4% |
| New York | $110,270 | -2.9% |
| Nevada | $110,180 | -3.0% |
| Georgia | $109,650 | -3.5% |
| Alabama | $109,330 | -3.8% |
| Utah | $107,410 | -5.5% |
| North Carolina | $107,350 | -5.5% |
| Arizona | $107,220 | -5.6% |
| Maine | $107,220 | -5.6% |
| Minnesota | $106,060 | -6.6% |
| Florida | $105,800 | -6.9% |
| Oklahoma | $105,410 | -7.2% |
| Tennessee | $104,790 | -7.8% |
| Indiana | $104,670 | -7.9% |
| Pennsylvania | $103,740 | -8.7% |
| Hawaii | $103,410 | -9.0% |
| Kentucky | $103,320 | -9.1% |
| Missouri | $101,340 | -10.8% |
| Ohio | $101,320 | -10.8% |
| West Virginia | $101,310 | -10.8% |
| Mississippi | $100,690 | -11.4% |
| Iowa | $99,230 | -12.7% |
| Montana | $98,660 | -13.2% |
| Idaho | $98,430 | -13.4% |
| Kansas | $97,840 | -13.9% |
| Nebraska | $96,820 | -14.8% |
| Wisconsin | $96,750 | -14.8% |
| North Dakota | $96,400 | -15.1% |
| South Dakota | $95,080 | -16.3% |
| Arkansas | $88,340 | -22.2% |
What Factors Affect Mechanical Engineers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Mechanical Engineers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: New Mexico pays an average of $152,430, while Arkansas pays $88,340 — a gap of $64,090 per year.
The middle half of Mechanical Engineers earn between $84,130 and $132,590 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $73,990, while the top 10% earn more than $164,340.
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
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Civil Engineers $108,670/yr United States 4.3% vs this role
- Electrical Engineers $125,100/yr United States +10.1% vs this role
- Industrial Engineers $109,900/yr United States 3.3% vs this role
- Aerospace Engineers $142,060/yr United States +25.0% vs this role
- Chemical Engineers $129,980/yr United States +14.4% vs this role
- Environmental Engineers $112,910/yr United States 0.6% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States 10.7% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +20.9% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Mechanical Engineers?
The average salary for Mechanical Engineers in the United States is $113,610 per year, with a median of $104,110.
What is the starting salary for Mechanical Engineers?
Entry-level Mechanical Engineers typically earn between $73,990 and $84,130 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Mechanical Engineers the most?
New Mexico pays Mechanical Engineers the most at $152,430 per year on average, followed by District of Columbia ($138,500) and California ($136,660).
How much do Mechanical Engineers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $113,610, Mechanical Engineers earn approximately $54.62 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Mechanical Engineers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 296,810 Mechanical Engineers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $113,610 and a median of $104,110 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
Related Salary Pages
Explore more salary data