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The national median salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians is $68,723 per year ($33.04/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $57,325 and $82,971 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $100,901 per year. There are approximately 37,450 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
6K
$72,740
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
NAICS 3330A1
4K
$65,320
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
4K
$71,560
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336300
2K
$74,000
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
2K
$60,850
Wage range across top 5 industries: $60,850 to $74,000 (22% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$22.57
$46,946
P25
$27.56
$57,325
P50MEDIAN
$33.04
$68,723
P75
$39.89
$82,971
P90
$48.51
$100,901
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 $68,723 per year ($33.04/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $57,325 and $82,971 annually.
How much do top-earning mechanical engineering technologists and technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians is $100,901 per year ($48.51/hr). The 75th percentile is $82,971 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 $46,946 per year ($22.57/hr). The 25th percentile is $57,325 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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.