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The national median salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians is $74,506 per year ($35.82/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $59,509 and $88,109 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $106,059 per year. There are approximately 36,190 mechanical engineering technologists and technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+0.0%
Little or no change
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
38K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate'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
7K
$72,110
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
NAICS 3330A1
4K
$64,400
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
3K
$86,860
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336300
2K
$78,210
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
1K
$75,610
Wage range across top 5 industries: $64,400 to $86,860 (35% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$23.27
$48,402
P25
$28.61
$59,509
P50MEDIAN
$35.82
$74,506
P75
$42.36
$88,109
P90
$50.99
$106,059
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 engineering technologists and technicians salary?
The national median salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians is $74,506 per year ($35.82/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $59,509 and $88,109 annually.
How much do top-earning mechanical engineering technologists and technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians is $106,059 per year ($50.99/hr). The 75th percentile is $88,109 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians?
Entry-level Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $48,402 per year ($23.27/hr). The 25th percentile is $59,509 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.