Mechanical Engineer Salaries: State-by-State BLS Data

Mechanical engineers design, build, and test mechanical systems — from gas turbines and HVAC systems to consumer electronics and medical devices. The occupation spans nearly every manufacturing and industrial sector, making it one of the more geographically distributed engineering specialties.

National Median

Mechanical engineering wages sit solidly above the overall workforce median. The educational requirement (bachelor's degree minimum) and the breadth of technical skill involved anchor wages at a competitive level across industries. The distribution is tighter than software engineering — there's less extreme variance between entry-level and senior roles.

Top-Paying States

California leads for mechanical engineers as it does for most engineering occupations, driven by aerospace, defense, and tech manufacturing. Alaska and New Mexico often rank high as well, driven by defense and energy facility demand. Washington, with Boeing's aerospace presence, also shows strong wages.

Industries with the Highest Pay

Aerospace and defense manufacturing, petroleum and natural gas extraction, and semiconductor manufacturing tend to pay mechanical engineers more than general manufacturing or construction. Industry choice often matters more than geography for maximizing earnings in this occupation.

Browse Engineering Wages

Explore wages across all engineering disciplines in the Architecture and Engineering Occupations group, including civil engineers and architects.