Mechanical Engineers Salary: $102,320 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 286,760 mechanical engineers work nationally, and $102,320 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 1.0% annual growth; much hiring sits in manufacturing.
Mechanical Engineers: what the data shows
Common questions about mechanical engineers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a mechanical engineers?
Mechanical Engineers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 17-2141.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 286,760 workers.
What does a mechanical engineers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Processing Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a mechanical engineers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $102,320 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $134,694 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,462 |
| 25th percentile | $101,988 |
| Median (50th) | $129,804 |
| 75th percentile | $163,855 |
| 90th percentile | $193,787 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Mathematics, Critical Thinking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Design, Mechanical. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is mechanical engineers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 5.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 10.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 286,760.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do mechanical engineerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 286,760 | 18.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 270,260 | 17.6% |
| Manufacturing | 127,220 | 8.3% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 89,470 | 5.8% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 89,470 | 5.8% |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 56,860 | 3.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Mechanical Engineers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 355,410 | $99,590 |
| Materials Engineers | 22,770 | $108,310 |
| Electrical Engineers | 188,790 | $111,910 |
| Aerospace Engineers | 68,440 | $134,830 |
| Software Developers | 1,654,440 | $133,080 |
| HVAC Technicians | 396,870 | $59,810 |
| Plumbers | 33,580 | $48,710 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Mechanical Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
286,760 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Mechanical Engineers grew from 91,500 in 2009 to 106,920 in 2025 (16.9%).
Historical employment for Mechanical Engineers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$102,320 Median pay (BLS national)
Mechanical Engineers earn $102,320 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Mechanical Engineers.
Salary distribution for Mechanical Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
112,252 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 5.0%
117,850 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 10.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Mechanical Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Mechanical Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Mechanical Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Mechanical Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Mechanical Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Mechanical Engineers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- MI: 31,830 employees, $106,150 avg wage
- CA: 27,090 employees, $131,130 avg wage
- TX: 18,790 employees, $119,350 avg wage
- OH: 16,420 employees, $97,970 avg wage
- PA: 14,300 employees, $103,660 avg wage
- IL: 9,920 employees, $104,460 avg wage
- MA: 9,430 employees, $120,650 avg wage
- NC: 9,390 employees, $106,210 avg wage
- WA: 9,350 employees, $118,750 avg wage
- FL: 8,860 employees, $101,870 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Mechanical Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 19,740 employees, $109,660 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 8,280 employees, $120,890 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 8,050 employees, $122,090 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 7,010 employees, $131,270 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 6,440 employees, $120,550 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 6,050 employees, $107,040 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 5,390 employees, $123,780 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 5,140 employees, $112,450 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 5,080 employees, $127,090 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 5,010 employees, $110,040 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Mechanical Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Mechanical Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Mechanical Engineers is about 286,760 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Mechanical Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Mechanical Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Mechanical Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Mechanical Engineers in 2023 were Mechanical Engineering, Engineering, Physics.
Common majors for Mechanical Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Mechanical Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Mechanical Engineers.
Skills
Mechanical Engineers need many skills, but most especially Mathematics, Critical Thinking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.
Required skills for Mechanical Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Mechanical Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Mechanical Engineers include Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Design, Mechanical, Physics.
Knowledge areas required for Mechanical Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Mechanical Engineers include Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Mechanical Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Mechanical Engineers.
Daily Activities
Mechanical Engineers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Mechanical Engineers.
About
Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers earn $102,320 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
17-2141 - Mechanical Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Mechanical Engineers reports an average salary of $134,694, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 286,760 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.