Mechanical Engineer Salary by State
How much mechanical engineers earn in each state. SOC code 17-2141 (Mechanical Engineers). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$104,110Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$113,610Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$50.05Mean $54.62/hour
- U.S. employment296,810Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateNew Mexico$152,430 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do mechanical engineers make?
Nationally, mechanical engineers earn a median of $104,110 a year and a mean of $113,610 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $84,130 (25th percentile) and $132,590 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $73,990 and the top 10% more than $164,340.
That median is 2.0× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $152,430 in New Mexico (highest) to $88,340 in Arkansas (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, New Mexico comes out on top at $171,052 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $73,990 | $6,166 | $35.57 |
| 25th | $84,130 | $7,011 | $40.45 |
| Median | $104,110 | $8,676 | $50.05 |
| 75th | $132,590 | $11,049 | $63.75 |
| 90th | $164,340 | $13,695 | $79.01 |
| Mean | $113,610 | $9,468 | $54.62 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Mechanical Engineer salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $152,430 | $157,710 | $75.82 | $103,780 | $203,140 | $171,052 | 2,710 |
| District of Columbia | $138,500 | $133,300 | $64.09 | $86,820 | $195,190 | $121,292 | 510 |
| California | $136,660 | $130,900 | $62.94 | $82,070 | $203,620 | $118,248 | 30,530 |
| Alaska | $126,160 | $124,340 | $59.78 | $76,890 | $174,320 | $121,426 | 380 |
| Maryland | $125,850 | $122,870 | $59.07 | $79,670 | $176,680 | $117,019 | 6,550 |
| Colorado | $124,410 | $124,430 | $59.82 | $75,100 | $170,810 | $120,689 | 7,190 |
| Rhode Island | $124,290 | $116,230 | $55.88 | $79,000 | $195,190 | $113,617 | 1,560 |
| Texas | $121,510 | $112,410 | $54.05 | $75,810 | $175,210 | $115,767 | 22,080 |
| Massachusetts | $121,430 | $119,300 | $57.36 | $79,570 | $166,480 | $112,760 | 7,680 |
| Washington | $121,370 | $110,430 | $53.09 | $79,400 | $167,680 | $103,206 | 8,240 |
| Louisiana | $120,520 | $119,540 | $57.47 | $70,350 | $181,550 | $135,533 | 1,890 |
| Delaware | $117,710 | $125,130 | $60.16 | $65,890 | $168,180 | $125,381 | 610 |
| Wyoming | $117,060 | $117,750 | $56.61 | $71,730 | $151,810 | $127,023 | 230 |
| New Jersey | $116,640 | $112,300 | $53.99 | $79,160 | $162,800 | $103,217 | 4,180 |
| Oregon | $115,090 | $103,470 | $49.74 | $78,100 | $162,550 | $100,068 | 2,920 |
| Virginia | $114,770 | $104,180 | $50.09 | $77,840 | $160,770 | $103,046 | 7,470 |
| South Carolina | $113,690 | $104,580 | $50.28 | $74,260 | $166,340 | $111,612 | 5,780 |
| Michigan | $112,320 | $104,890 | $50.43 | $76,310 | $159,840 | $109,033 | 34,630 |
| Vermont | $112,260 | $107,330 | $51.60 | $83,820 | $150,380 | $109,520 | 530 |
| Connecticut | $111,530 | $105,090 | $50.52 | $77,340 | $157,980 | $101,438 | 4,600 |
| Illinois | $111,380 | $102,680 | $49.37 | $72,150 | $160,160 | $102,680 | 11,790 |
| New Hampshire | $110,940 | $103,660 | $49.84 | $72,740 | $165,500 | $99,482 | 2,760 |
| New York | $110,270 | $102,440 | $49.25 | $74,990 | $160,220 | $94,940 | 8,590 |
| Nevada | $110,180 | $102,680 | $49.37 | $75,960 | $160,210 | $102,680 | 1,410 |
| Georgia | $109,650 | $100,620 | $48.37 | $71,940 | $156,320 | $104,486 | 5,290 |
| Alabama | $109,330 | $100,230 | $48.19 | $72,110 | $162,420 | $112,872 | — |
| Utah | $107,410 | $102,500 | $49.28 | $73,070 | $160,640 | $103,640 | 3,370 |
| North Carolina | $107,350 | $100,720 | $48.42 | $71,260 | $155,550 | $106,808 | 9,560 |
| Arizona | $107,220 | $100,270 | $48.21 | $71,030 | $159,040 | $99,573 | 5,050 |
| Maine | $107,220 | $102,430 | $49.25 | $78,440 | $137,280 | $105,598 | 890 |
| Minnesota | $106,060 | $99,140 | $47.66 | $75,870 | $151,580 | $100,548 | 5,890 |
| Florida | $105,800 | $99,980 | $48.07 | $66,260 | $153,950 | $96,692 | 10,740 |
| Oklahoma | $105,410 | $101,850 | $48.97 | $70,070 | $136,110 | $116,002 | 2,270 |
| Tennessee | $104,790 | $99,550 | $47.86 | $64,150 | $156,150 | $108,324 | 3,930 |
| Indiana | $104,670 | $99,590 | $47.88 | $66,330 | $143,090 | $106,742 | 8,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,740 | $97,920 | $47.08 | $65,770 | $150,950 | $100,328 | 13,550 |
| Hawaii | $103,410 | $98,740 | $47.47 | $66,110 | $141,500 | $89,764 | 530 |
| Kentucky | $103,320 | $101,050 | $48.58 | $65,370 | $139,810 | $112,029 | 4,170 |
| Missouri | $101,340 | $99,330 | $47.75 | $64,750 | $142,100 | $109,394 | 4,870 |
| Ohio | $101,320 | $99,100 | $47.64 | $69,160 | $138,020 | $106,789 | 14,390 |
| West Virginia | $101,310 | $97,390 | $46.82 | $64,640 | $143,030 | $108,816 | 760 |
| Mississippi | $100,690 | $98,000 | $47.12 | $62,210 | $136,990 | $112,644 | 1,570 |
| Iowa | $99,230 | $97,700 | $46.97 | $71,050 | $137,540 | $111,276 | 3,470 |
| Montana | $98,660 | $94,190 | $45.28 | $65,820 | $133,270 | $99,567 | 500 |
| Idaho | $98,430 | $93,190 | $44.80 | $63,660 | $141,020 | $97,581 | 1,070 |
| Kansas | $97,840 | $86,260 | $41.47 | $72,210 | $131,660 | $95,738 | 4,630 |
| Nebraska | $96,820 | $88,060 | $42.34 | $61,860 | $136,870 | $97,736 | 950 |
| Wisconsin | $96,750 | $95,870 | $46.09 | $64,850 | $130,360 | $101,881 | 7,470 |
| North Dakota | $96,400 | $86,330 | $41.51 | $63,930 | $136,060 | $97,000 | 790 |
| South Dakota | $95,080 | $88,380 | $42.49 | $65,130 | $134,140 | $99,752 | 560 |
| Arkansas | $88,340 | $80,180 | $38.55 | $57,650 | $131,840 | $92,267 | 1,410 |
Highest median pay
- New Mexico — $157,710
- District of Columbia — $133,300
- California — $130,900
- Delaware — $125,130
- Colorado — $124,430
Lowest median pay
- Arkansas — $80,180
- Kansas — $86,260
- North Dakota — $86,330
- Nebraska — $88,060
- South Dakota — $88,380
Best pay after cost of living
- New Mexico — $171,052
- Louisiana — $135,533
- Wyoming — $127,023
- Delaware — $125,381
- Alaska — $121,426
The most mechanical engineers work in Michigan (34,630 jobs), California and Texas.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mechanical engineer make?
The national median wage for mechanical engineers is $104,110 a year and the mean is $113,610, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays mechanical engineers the most?
New Mexico has the highest mean wage for mechanical engineers at $152,430.
Which state pays mechanical engineers the least?
Arkansas has the lowest mean wage for mechanical engineers among states with published data, at $88,340.
Where do mechanical engineers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, New Mexico ranks first at $171,052 in national-average dollars, followed by Louisiana and Wyoming.