Mechanical Engineering Salaries State by State

What Impacts Your Mechanical Engineering Salary?

From your education to your experience, there are several factors that may impact your mechanical engineering salary. If you want to start a career in mechanical engineering, then you'll typically need to get your bachelor's degree. In fact, some of the highest paid engineering majors in the United States are undergraduate degrees.

Your degree program provides you with the opportunity to build the skills you need as a mechanical engineer, such as project engineering, product development, lean manufacturing and CAD skills. However, mechanical engineers tend to earn more when they obtain a higher degree and more experience.

Also, the industry you work in may impact your mechanical engineering salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mechanical engineers made an average of $99,870 per year in the scientific research and development services industry in 2018.

On the other hand, mechanical engineers who worked in the machinery manufacturing industry made $80,310 per year. The company you work for may impact how much you can earn as a mechanical engineer, too.

Paysa reports that mechanical engineers can make some of the highest annual salaries at companies, such as Google ($187,000), Apple ($169,000) and Microsoft ($166,000).

The location you work also may impact your salary as a mechanical engineer. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying states for mechanical engineering jobs in 2018 included Alaska ($128,690), New Mexico ($110,210), Maryland ($109,960) and California ($107,370). The District of Columbia also offered high annual wages for mechanical engineering jobs in 2018 at $112,780 per year.

How Much Do Entry-Level Mechanical Engineers Make?

Entry-level mechanical engineers may make an average per-year salary of $65,365, according to PayScale. But this figure may vary from source to source. For instance, Glassdoor reports an even higher national average annual salary with entry-level mechanical engineers earning $73,067 per year. However, the annual salary you earn may also look different depending on the company and location.

According to PayScale, some of the top-paying employers of mechanical engineers include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Ford Motor Company.

Moreover, mechanical engineers starting out in their career may earn as much as 22 percent more than the national average when working in San Francisco compared to earning two percent less than the national average, when working in Chicago.

How Much is the Average Mechanical Engineering Salary?

The average annual salary for mechanical engineering jobs varies based on the location you work and across sources. For example, PayScale reports that mechanical engineering jobs earn an average of $69,363 annually. However, Glassdoor places the national average higher with mechanical engineers making an average of $75,158 per year.

On the other hand, Paysa reports that mechanical engineers make an average of $97,118 per year. Indeed places the national average salary of mechanical engineers at $82,487 per year. However, Indeed reports that mechanical engineers working in Alaska make 19 percent below the national average at $66,015 per year while mechanical engineers make $90,052 per year in California.

The Average Annual Mechanical Engineering Salaries Across the USA

If you're deciding whether one location is better than another to start your career as a mechanical engineer, then it's a good start to take a look at the salaries of mechanical engineering jobs in various areas.

Here's a look at different mechanical engineering salaries across the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Final Thoughts

Whether you're exploring a career as a mechanical engineer or you're considering an offer, it's important to know how salaries look from state to state.

With more insight on location-based salaries for mechanical engineering jobs, you can have a benchmark for salaries in the area you prefer to work and have a better idea of what to expect.