Mechanical Engineer Salary

Mechanical Engineers earn a median $104,110 a year nationally. Architecture and Engineering Occupations

U.S. median

$104,110

$50.05 per hour

Range

$73,990 – $164,340

10th to 90th percentile

Employed

296,810

across the U.S.

Mechanical Engineer take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$82,071

per year · effective tax rate 21.2%

$6,839Monthly

$3,420Twice a month

$3,157Every 2 weeks

$39.46Hourly

Federal income tax$14,074
Social Security (6.2%)$6,455
Medicare (1.45%)$1,510
Texas income tax$0
Take-home pay$82,071

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)	$73,990	$35.57	$60,882
25th percentile	$84,130	$40.45	$68,015
Median (50th)	$104,110	$50.05	$82,071
75th percentile	$132,590	$63.75	$101,891
90th percentile (top earners)	$164,340	$79.01	$123,592

Best cities for mechanical engineers (after tax & cost of living)

#	Metro area	Median	Take-home	Real value*	Jobs
1	Baton Rouge, LA	$135,530	$100,221	$110,400	540
2	Beaumont, TX	$122,280	$94,844	$105,329	470
3	Peoria, IL	$128,710	$93,013	$101,953	2,120
4	Columbus, IN	$127,700	$94,811	$101,944	1,000
5	San Jose, CA	$168,030	$112,533	$101,911	5,540
6	Augusta, GA	$128,740	$93,201	$101,412	980
7	Houston, TX	$125,350	$96,943	$98,290	8,310
8	Kennewick, WA	$124,780	$96,553	$96,477	570
9	New Orleans, LA	$117,990	$88,683	$95,773	530
10	San Francisco, CA	$161,370	$108,687	$94,009	5,150
11	Ann Arbor, MI	$127,310	$93,122	$92,310	2,280
12	Lexington Park, MD	$127,650	$92,762	$92,063	670
13	Chattanooga, TN	$106,660	$83,865	$91,692	510
14	Tulsa, OK	$107,440	$80,125	$89,812	1,060
15	Denver, CO	$128,180	$93,946	$88,810	4,530
16	Erie, PA	$106,890	$80,746	$88,780	590
17	Mobile, AL	$105,670	$78,150	$88,708	510
18	Davenport, IA	$104,320	$78,907	$88,581	930
19	Greensboro, NC	$109,540	$82,029	$88,332	1,260
20	Seattle, WA	$126,590	$97,790	$87,994	4,500
21	San Antonio, TX	$104,620	$82,430	$87,029	1,480
22	Boulder, CO	$124,360	$91,503	$86,978	1,130
23	Bridgeport, CT	$125,780	$91,840	$85,941	650
24	Niles, MI	$106,320	$79,358	$85,913	550
25	Elizabethtown, KY	$102,590	$77,529	$85,599	450

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

San Jose, CA — $168,030
San Francisco, CA — $161,370
Baton Rouge, LA — $135,530
Augusta, GA — $128,740
Peoria, IL — $128,710
Denver, CO — $128,180
Columbus, IN — $127,700
Lexington Park, MD — $127,650
Ann Arbor, MI — $127,310
Washington, DC — $126,990
Seattle, WA — $126,590
Bridgeport, CT — $125,780
Houston, TX — $125,350
Kennewick, WA — $124,780
Boulder, CO — $124,360

Mechanical Engineer salary by state

State	Median	Take-home	Range	Jobs
New Mexico	$157,710	$112,664	$103,780 – $203,140	2,710
District of Columbia	$133,300	$94,015	$86,820 – $195,190	510
California	$130,900	$91,090	$82,070 – $203,620	30,530
Delaware	$125,130	$89,875	$65,890 – $168,180	610
Colorado	$124,430	$91,547	$75,100 – $170,810	7,190
Alaska	$124,340	$96,252	$76,890 – $174,320	380
Maryland	$122,870	$89,734	$79,670 – $176,680	6,550
Louisiana	$119,540	$89,726	$70,350 – $181,550	1,890
Massachusetts	$119,300	$87,013	$79,570 – $166,480	7,680
Wyoming	$117,750	$91,667	$71,730 – $151,810	230
Rhode Island	$116,230	$86,679	$79,000 – $195,190	1,560
Texas	$112,410	$87,910	$75,810 – $175,210	22,080
New Jersey	$112,300	$82,869	$79,160 – $162,800	4,180
Washington	$110,430	$86,518	$79,400 – $167,680	8,240
Vermont	$107,330	$79,713	$83,820 – $150,380	530
Connecticut	$105,090	$78,556	$77,340 – $157,980	4,600
Michigan	$104,890	$78,413	$76,310 – $159,840	34,630
South Carolina	$104,580	$77,284	$74,260 – $166,340	5,780
Virginia	$104,180	$76,944	$77,840 – $160,770	7,470
New Hampshire	$103,660	$81,755	$72,740 – $165,500	2,760
Oregon	$103,470	$73,397	$78,100 – $162,550	2,920
Illinois	$102,680	$76,128	$72,150 – $160,160	11,790
Nevada	$102,680	$81,065	$75,960 – $160,210	1,410
Utah	$102,500	$77,292	$73,070 – $160,640	3,370
New York	$102,440	$75,893	$74,990 – $160,220	8,590
Maine	$102,430	$75,061	$78,440 – $137,280	890
Oklahoma	$101,850	$76,444	$70,070 – $136,110	2,270
Kentucky	$101,050	$76,500	$65,370 – $139,810	4,170
North Carolina	$100,720	$76,177	$71,260 – $155,550	9,560
Georgia	$100,620	$75,017	$71,940 – $156,320	5,290
Arizona	$100,270	$77,072	$71,030 – $159,040	5,050
Alabama	$100,230	$74,595	$72,110 – $162,420	—
Florida	$99,980	$79,166	$66,260 – $153,950	10,740
Indiana	$99,590	$75,983	$66,330 – $143,090	8,690
Tennessee	$99,550	$78,863	$64,150 – $156,150	3,930
Missouri	$99,330	$74,977	$64,750 – $142,100	4,870
Minnesota	$99,140	$73,357	$75,870 – $151,580	5,890
Ohio	$99,100	$76,604	$69,160 – $138,020	14,390
Hawaii	$98,740	$72,319	$66,110 – $141,500	530
Mississippi	$98,000	$74,585	$62,210 – $136,990	1,570
Pennsylvania	$97,920	$74,711	$65,770 – $150,950	13,550
Iowa	$97,700	$74,501	$71,050 – $137,540	3,470
West Virginia	$97,390	$73,585	$64,640 – $143,030	760
Wisconsin	$95,870	$72,574	$64,850 – $130,360	7,470
Montana	$94,190	$71,132	$65,820 – $133,270	500
Idaho	$93,190	$70,558	$63,660 – $141,020	1,070
South Dakota	$88,380	$71,005	$65,130 – $134,140	560
Nebraska	$88,060	$67,653	$61,860 – $136,870	950
North Dakota	$86,330	$69,139	$63,930 – $136,060	790
Kansas	$86,260	$65,500	$72,210 – $131,660	4,630
Arkansas	$80,180	$62,322	$57,650 – $131,840	1,410

Frequently asked questions

How much does a mechanical engineer make?

The national median salary for mechanical engineers is $104,110 a year ($50.05 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $73,990 and the top 10% earn over $164,340. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays mechanical engineers the most?

New Mexico has the highest median pay at $157,710. After taxes and local prices, Baton Rouge, LA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many mechanical engineers are there in the U.S.?

About 296,810 people work as mechanical engineers nationwide.

All 115 cities