occupation · 17-2141 · detailed
Mechanical Engineers — wages and employment
Mechanical Engineers earned a median annual wage of $102,320 in the United States in May 2024, with 286,760 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Mechanical Engineers earned a median annual wage of $102,320 in the United States in May 2024, with 286,760 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $68,740 or less, the best-paid tenth $161,240 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $99,510 to $102,320, +2.8 %. The best-paying state is New Mexico at $141,490; the lowest Guam at $60,700. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $147,730. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 286,760 | $102,320 | $110,080 | $68,740 | $81,800 | $130,290 | $161,240 | $49.19 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 281,290 | $99,510 | $105,220 | $64,560 | $79,160 | $126,990 | $157,470 | $47.84 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $141,490 | 1,690 |
| District of Columbia | $130,000 | 590 |
| Alaska | $129,990 | 530 |
| California | $126,370 | 27,090 |
| Massachusetts | $122,670 | 9,430 |
| Wyoming | $116,910 | 300 |
| Rhode Island | $115,270 | 1,400 |
| Louisiana | $114,050 | 1,650 |
| Maryland | $111,740 | 6,330 |
| Washington | $109,370 | 9,350 |
| Texas | $108,240 | 18,790 |
| Colorado | $108,060 | 6,850 |
| New Jersey | $107,020 | 4,440 |
| Connecticut | $106,600 | 5,310 |
| Delaware | $106,020 | 530 |
| South Carolina | $105,360 | 5,060 |
| New York | $105,130 | 8,420 |
| New Hampshire | $103,890 | 2,580 |
| Idaho | $103,660 | 970 |
| Michigan | $102,730 | 31,830 |
| Arizona | $102,510 | 5,440 |
| Maine | $101,500 | 940 |
| Oregon | $101,290 | 3,080 |
| North Carolina | $100,990 | 9,390 |
| West Virginia | $100,610 | 860 |
| Vermont | $100,520 | 530 |
| Illinois | $99,730 | 9,920 |
| Kentucky | $99,410 | 3,050 |
| Virginia | $99,350 | 7,960 |
| Tennessee | $99,330 | 3,680 |
| Montana | $99,250 | 580 |
| Indiana | $99,200 | 8,650 |
| Utah | $99,050 | 3,540 |
| Minnesota | $98,980 | 5,970 |
| Nevada | $98,110 | 1,090 |
| Iowa | $97,570 | 4,230 |
| Alabama | $97,550 | 5,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,450 | 14,300 |
| Florida | $97,190 | 8,860 |
| Georgia | $96,820 | 5,180 |
| Ohio | $96,330 | 16,420 |
| Hawaii | $95,250 | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $94,820 | 8,060 |
| Missouri | $91,890 | 3,950 |
| Kansas | $91,770 | 4,120 |
| Mississippi | $90,730 | 1,210 |
| South Dakota | $90,590 | 680 |
| Oklahoma | $90,510 | 2,250 |
| North Dakota | $84,020 | 770 |
| Nebraska | $82,510 | 860 |
| Arkansas | $78,570 | 1,150 |
| Puerto Rico | $62,520 | 290 |
| Guam | $60,700 | 90 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $147,730 | 3,910 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $145,640 | 4,670 |
| Salinas, CA | $141,420 | 60 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $132,850 | 480 |
| Anchorage, AK | $129,990 | 400 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $129,190 | 200 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $128,660 | 3,320 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $126,870 | 7,010 |
| Bellingham, WA | $124,440 | 140 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $124,160 | 8,050 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $123,300 | 690 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $122,920 | 610 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $122,890 | 220 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $122,760 | 390 |
| Chico, CA | $122,370 | 50 |
| Midland, TX | $122,270 | 250 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $121,060 | 5,080 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $120,260 | 710 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $119,690 | 550 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $119,590 | 360 |
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