The average salary for a mechanical engineer in the United States is around $53,229 per year.
Avg Salary
Mechanical engineers earn an average yearly salary of $53,229.
Wages typically start from $34,534 and go up to $82,045.
15% below national average Updated in 2023
Mechanical engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:
$39.44 per hour
$82,045 per year
Senior-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:
$32.13 per hour
$66,841 per year
Mid-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:
$25.59 per hour
$53,229 per year
Junior-level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:
$20.38 per hour
$42,389 per year
Starting level mechanical engineer earnings begin at:
$16.60 per hour
$34,534 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Mechanical engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $99,030 |
| Colorado | $97,660 |
| New Hampshire | $97,410 |
| New York | $97,280 |
| Arizona | $97,090 |
| Wyoming | $96,100 |
| Tennessee | $95,880 |
| Connecticut | $95,580 |
| Illinois | $95,580 |
| Oregon | $95,580 |
| Virginia | $95,580 |
| Nevada | $95,300 |
| Maine | $94,580 |
| Rhode Island | $94,000 |
| New Jersey | $93,690 |
| Michigan | $92,490 |
| Alabama | $91,270 |
| Utah | $90,360 |
| Oklahoma | $90,330 |
| Missouri | $87,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,490 |
| West Virginia | $82,500 |
| Iowa | $81,720 |
| Vermont | $80,060 |
| Minnesota | $79,820 |
| North Dakota | $79,820 |
| Florida | $79,640 |
| North Carolina | $79,570 |
| Indiana | $79,390 |
| Georgia | $79,380 |
| Wisconsin | $79,280 |
| Hawaii | $79,220 |
| South Carolina | $79,120 |
| Ohio | $78,950 |
| South Dakota | $78,270 |
| Idaho | $77,500 |
| Kansas | $77,500 |
| Nebraska | $77,500 |
| Mississippi | $77,300 |
| Kentucky | $76,790 |
| Arkansas | $76,460 |
| Montana | $75,230 |
| Puerto Rico | $61,790 |
| Guam | $60,440 |
| New Mexico | $120,390 |
| District of Columbia | $107,140 |
| California | $101,710 |
| Alaska | $101,670 |
| Maryland | $101,340 |
| Louisiana | $101,020 |
| Delaware | $100,900 |
| Massachusetts | $100,860 |
| Texas | $100,480 |
How do mechanical engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Mechanical engineers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than operations research analysts but more than audio engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Operations research analyst salary | $65K |
| Industrial engineer salary | $61K |
| Environmental engineer salary | $60K |
| Biomedical engineer salary | $61K |
| Ship engineer salary | $59K |
| Mechanical engineer salary | $53K |
| Geothermal technician salary | $46K |
| Drafter salary | $45K |
| Industrial engineering technician salary | $44K |
| Audio engineer salary | $28K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)