Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Mechanical Engineers is $104,104 per year ($50.05/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $84,136 and $132,600 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $164,341 per year. There are approximately 296,810 mechanical engineers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment such as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+9.1%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
18K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
293K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
15% from new growth85% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
61K
$103,440
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
NAICS 3330A1
29K
$97,620
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
21K
$132,040
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
14K
$120,370
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
12K
$112,900
Wage range across top 5 industries: $97,620 to $132,040 (35% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$35.57
$73,986
P25
$40.45
$84,136
P50MEDIAN
$50.05
$104,104
P75
$63.75
$132,600
P90
$79.01
$164,341
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average mechanical engineers salary?
The national median salary for Mechanical Engineers is $104,104 per year ($50.05/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $84,136 and $132,600 annually.
How much do top-earning mechanical engineers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Mechanical Engineers is $164,341 per year ($79.01/hr). The 75th percentile is $132,600 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for mechanical engineers?
Entry-level Mechanical Engineers (10th percentile) earn approximately $73,986 per year ($35.57/hr). The 25th percentile is $84,136 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.