Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers earn an average annual salary of $134,694, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Mechanical Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
27,090 Workforce in 2023
The Mechanical Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Mechanical Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$134,694 Average Wage
In 2023, Mechanical Engineers earned an average of $134,694.
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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 26,020 employees, $134,995 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Mechanical Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,310 employees, $125,631 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 3,910 employees, $163,599 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 3,320 employees, $130,667 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 3,040 employees, $148,803 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,960 employees, $121,551 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,580 employees, $167,343 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,450 employees, $110,360 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,230 employees, $121,402 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 800 employees, $119,553 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 560 employees, $121,854 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 workforce of Mechanical Engineers in 2023 was 27,090 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Mechanical Engineers was $134,694 in 2023.
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 27,090 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.