• Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

17-2141 Mechanical Engineers

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.

---

National estimates for Mechanical Engineers
Industry profile for Mechanical Engineers
Geographic profile for Mechanical Engineers

National estimates for Mechanical Engineers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Mechanical Engineers:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
277,560	0.8 %	$ 48.47	$ 100,820	0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for Mechanical Engineers:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$ 29.80	$ 37.01	$ 46.31	$ 58.98	$ 72.72
Annual Wage (2)	$ 61,990	$ 76,980	$ 96,310	$ 122,680	$ 151,260

---

Industry profile for Mechanical Engineers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Mechanical Engineers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Mechanical Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Mechanical Engineers:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	55,120	3.47	$ 49.18	$ 102,290
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	29,720	3.97	$ 43.24	$ 89,940
Scientific Research and Development Services	22,440	2.58	$ 60.67	$ 126,200
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)	13,660	0.66	$ 51.66	$ 107,450
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	11,930	2.88	$ 50.92	$ 105,920

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Mechanical Engineers:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	4,250	4.78	$ 49.52	$ 103,000
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	29,720	3.97	$ 43.24	$ 89,940
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	5,750	3.55	$ 39.94	$ 83,080
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	55,120	3.47	$ 49.18	$ 102,290
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	11,930	2.88	$ 50.92	$ 105,920

Top paying industries for Mechanical Engineers:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services	(8)	(8)	(5)	(5)
Oil and Gas Extraction	390	0.38	$ 77.57	$ 161,340
Other Pipeline Transportation	40	0.44	$ 70.70	$ 147,060
Natural Gas Distribution	680	0.62	$ 66.91	$ 139,170
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	860	0.83	$ 62.06	$ 129,080

---

Geographic profile for Mechanical Engineers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Mechanical Engineers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Mechanical Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in Mechanical Engineers:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan	31,950	7.52	4.01	$ 45.91	$ 95,480
California	28,100	1.59	0.85	$ 56.83	$ 118,200
Pennsylvania	21,870	3.76	2.00	$ 52.62	$ 109,460
Texas	18,280	1.41	0.75	$ 51.59	$ 107,310
Ohio	15,480	2.88	1.53	$ 44.02	$ 91,560

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Mechanical Engineers:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan	31,950	7.52	4.01	$ 45.91	$ 95,480
Pennsylvania	21,870	3.76	2.00	$ 52.62	$ 109,460
New Hampshire	2,380	3.61	1.92	$ 48.14	$ 100,130
Wisconsin	9,170	3.26	1.73	$ 42.27	$ 87,920
Iowa	4,570	3.00	1.60	$ 44.50	$ 92,560

Top paying states for Mechanical Engineers:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New Mexico	1,680	2.06	1.10	$ 60.62	$ 126,080
District of Columbia	550	0.80	0.43	$ 58.98	$ 122,670
Louisiana	1,450	0.78	0.42	$ 56.85	$ 118,250
California	28,100	1.59	0.85	$ 56.83	$ 118,200
Alaska	230	0.75	0.40	$ 55.43	$ 115,300

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Mechanical Engineers:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	20,560	11.01	5.87	$ 47.39	$ 98,570
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	8,530	3.08	1.64	$ 57.22	$ 119,010
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	8,470	1.39	0.74	$ 54.50	$ 113,360
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	8,340	1.89	1.01	$ 48.44	$ 100,750
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	7,030	0.77	0.41	$ 51.65	$ 107,420
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	6,840	2.24	1.19	$ 55.91	$ 116,290
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	6,570	2.43	1.29	$ 52.49	$ 109,170
Pittsburgh, PA	5,470	5.17	2.76	$ 56.73	$ 117,990
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	5,250	2.58	1.37	$ 53.24	$ 110,740
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	5,130	2.15	1.14	$ 66.12	$ 137,530

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Mechanical Engineers:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	1,240	14.68	7.82	$ 49.54	$ 103,050
California-Lexington Park, MD	690	14.58	7.77	$ 51.35	$ 106,800
Columbus, IN	660	13.48	7.18	$ 52.52	$ 109,250
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	20,560	11.01	5.87	$ 47.39	$ 98,570
Dubuque, IA	610	10.55	5.62	$ 45.93	$ 95,540
Ann Arbor, MI	1,840	8.70	4.64	$ 47.80	$ 99,420
New Bern, NC	380	8.51	4.53	$ 40.11	$ 83,440
Huntsville, AL	1,990	8.33	4.44	$ 52.61	$ 109,430
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA	620	6.80	3.62	$ 46.93	$ 97,610
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	330	6.78	3.61	$ 48.13	$ 100,100