Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: Bachelor's Degree and up to 2 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
Top skills:Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningScienceMathematicsJudgment and Decision Making
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Mechanical Engineer pay by experience level
Entry level$76,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$87,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$108,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$137,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$170,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+9.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
18,100
projected openings per year
Growing faster than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Mechanical Engineer salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
94,960 workers
$123,500
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
60,610 workers
$118,000
Machinery Manufacturing
41,730 workers
$105,500
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
31,460 workers
$119,000
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
29,420 workers
$104,000
Scientific Research and Development Services
21,390 workers
$139,500
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
18,290 workers
$121,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
15,210 workers
$126,500
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
14,740 workers
$110,500
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
14,590 workers
$100,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 419,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
11.2%
White
84%
Black or African American
2.4%
Asian
11.5%
Hispanic or Latino
10.9%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $90,160 to $104,110.
+15.5% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$76,500
Early career25th percentile
$87,000
Median50th percentile
$108,000
Experienced75th percentile
$137,000
Top earners90th percentile
$170,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningScienceMathematicsJudgment and Decision Making
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$117,500
2027$121,500
2028$126,000
2029$130,500
2030$135,000
2031$139,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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The median market pay for a Mechanical Engineer in the United States is about $117,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Mechanical Engineer?
Most Mechanical Engineer pay falls between about $87,000 (25th percentile) and $137,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $170,000.
What does a Mechanical Engineer do?
Core responsibilities include: read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports; and research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
Is pay for Mechanical Engineer roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $90,160 in 2020 to $104,110 in 2025, a change of +15.5% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Mechanical Engineer pays 9% above the average across 59 roles in the Architecture and Engineering job family (family average $108,000).
Similar-paying roles in Architecture and Engineering
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Mechanical Engineer make?
The average base salary for a Mechanical Engineer in the United States is $117,500 per year, or about $56.49 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $87,000 and $137,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Architecture and Engineering roles?
The Architecture and Engineering job family averages $108,000 across 59 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Mechanical Engineer pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
