Mechanical engineer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:

$68.79 per hour

$143,090 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:

$61.40 per hour

$127,700 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:

$47.88 per hour

$99,590 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:

$38.77 per hour

$80,630 per year

10th percentile

Starting level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:

$31.89 per hour

$66,330 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Mechanical engineer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Florida $99,980
Indiana $99,590
Tennessee $99,550
Missouri $99,330
Minnesota $99,140
Ohio $99,100
Hawaii $98,740
Mississippi $98,000
Pennsylvania $97,920
Iowa $97,700
West Virginia $97,390
Wisconsin $95,870
Montana $94,190
Idaho $93,190
South Dakota $88,380
Nebraska $88,060
North Dakota $86,330
Kansas $86,260
Arkansas $80,180
Puerto Rico $50,630
Guam $48,600
New Mexico $157,710
District of Columbia $133,300
California $130,900
Delaware $125,130
Colorado $124,430
Alaska $124,340
Maryland $122,870
Louisiana $119,540
Massachusetts $119,300
Wyoming $117,750
Rhode Island $116,230
Texas $112,410
New Jersey $112,300
Washington $110,430
Vermont $107,330
Connecticut $105,090
Michigan $104,890
South Carolina $104,580
Virginia $104,180
New Hampshire $103,660
Oregon $103,470
Illinois $102,680
Nevada $102,680
Utah $102,500
New York $102,440
Maine $102,430
Oklahoma $101,850
Kentucky $101,050
North Carolina $100,720
Georgia $100,620
Arizona $100,270
Alabama $100,230

How much does a Mechanical Engineer earn?

Mechanical engineering salaries vary quite a bit depending on what region they are working in, what industry, and how much experience they have. There are other factors that will influence the salary of a mechanical engineer as well, including what company they work for and whether they are in a contract or permanent position.

Entry-level mechanical engineers holding bachelor's degrees earned average annual starting salaries of $61,300, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Spring 2012 Salary Survey. NACE reported that mechanical engineers with a master's degree started at an average of $75,700 - significantly more than the average starting salary of mechanical engineers with a bachelor's degree.

According to the 2012 Engineering Income and Salary Survey, the five services or industries having the highest median salaries among the bottom 10 percent of wage earners were gas utilities at $73,000, followed by petroleum/natural gas products at $70,500; electric utilities at $70,084; chemical, pharmaceutical and allied products, $68,250; and utilities, other or mixed, $65,484.

According to findings published by the BLS, mechanical engineers working in the Southwest and Northeast earned the highest average pay, while those in the Midwest earned the least. Alaska was the highest-paying state in 2012, where mechanical engineers made an average of $103,840 per year. California ranked second at $94,420, and Rhode Island ranked third at $92,820. The lowest average pay was reported in Wisconsin, where mechanical engineers earned an average of $69,610.

How do mechanical engineer salaries compare to similar careers?

Mechanical engineers earn about the same as related careers in Indiana. On average, they make less than software engineers but more than civil engineers.

Career Median Salary
Software engineer salary $106K
Mining and geological engineer salary $114K
Electrical engineer salary $103K
Engineer salary $104K
Computer hardware engineer salary $98K
Mechanical engineer salary $100K
Water engineer salary $92K
Environmental engineer salary $92K
Agricultural engineer salary $95K
Civil engineer salary $98K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)