Mechanical Engineers: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $84,130–$132,590. 296,810 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
92% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $94,961.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 17,800 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 57% | Mechanical Engineering |
| General Engineering | 6% | Engineering |
| Electrical Engineering | 4% | Electrical Engineering |
| Aerospace Engineering | 2% | Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering |
| Chemical Engineering | 2% | Chemical Engineering |
| Industrial And Manufacturing Engineering | 2% | Industrial Engineering |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies | 2% | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians |
| General Business | 1% | Business |
| Business Management And Administration | 1% | Business Administration |
| Miscellaneous Engineering | 1% | — |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | $157,710 |
| District of Columbia | $133,300 |
| California | $130,900 |
| Delaware | $125,130 |
| Colorado | $124,430 |
| Alaska | $124,340 |
| Maryland | $122,870 |
| Louisiana | $119,540 |
| Massachusetts | $119,300 |
| Wyoming | $117,750 |
| Rhode Island | $116,230 |
| Texas | $112,410 |
| New Jersey | $112,300 |
| Washington | $110,430 |
| Vermont | $107,330 |
| Connecticut | $105,090 |
| Michigan | $104,890 |
| South Carolina | $104,580 |
| Virginia | $104,180 |
| New Hampshire | $103,660 |
| Oregon | $103,470 |
| Illinois | $102,680 |
| Nevada | $102,680 |
| Utah | $102,500 |
| New York | $102,440 |
| Maine | $102,430 |
| Oklahoma | $101,850 |
| Kentucky | $101,050 |
| North Carolina | $100,720 |
| Georgia | $100,620 |
| Arizona | $100,270 |
| Alabama | $100,230 |
| Florida | $99,980 |
| Indiana | $99,590 |
| Tennessee | $99,550 |
| Missouri | $99,330 |
| Minnesota | $99,140 |
| Ohio | $99,100 |
| Hawaii | $98,740 |
| Mississippi | $98,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,920 |
| Iowa | $97,700 |
| West Virginia | $97,390 |
| Wisconsin | $95,870 |
| Montana | $94,190 |
| Idaho | $93,190 |
| South Dakota | $88,380 |
| Nebraska | $88,060 |
| North Dakota | $86,330 |
| Kansas | $86,260 |
| Arkansas | $80,180 |
| PR | $72,240 |
| GU | $61,510 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$99,660
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$103,380
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$102,630
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$100,290
- Jacksonville$99,500
- Panama City-Panama City Beach$102,610
- Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin$106,560
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$100,700
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$126,990
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$100,280
- Richmond$104,130
- Roanoke$102,160
- Kingsport-Bristol$94,560
- Lynchburg$94,630
- Staunton-Stuarts Draft$84,370
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$98,400
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$123,900
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$168,030
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$161,370
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$121,750
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$120,970
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$104,910
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$117,380
- Bakersfield-Delano$119,790
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Mathematics
- Science
Knowledge used
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Innovation
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Mechanical Engineers: questions
How much do mechanical Engineers make?
Mechanical Engineers earn a U.S. median $104,110 a year; the middle half earn $84,130 to $132,590 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $94,418 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is mechanical Engineers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 11.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,800 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a mechanical Engineer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 53% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is mechanical Engineering (57%).
How much do mechanical Engineers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $99,980 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $104,110 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 17-2141. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Mechanical Engineers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/mechanical-engineers.