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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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 Customer Service Representatives:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Mechanical Engineers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
293,960 1.4 % $ 45.94 $ 95,560 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Mechanical Engineers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 28.08 $ 34.56 $ 43.35 $ 54.99 $ 67.82
Annual Wage (2) $ 58,410 $ 71,880 $ 90,160 $ 114,380 $ 141,060


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 63,150 4.20 $ 47.62 $ 99,050
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 28,200 3.92 $ 41.65 $ 86,630
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 16,220 3.09 $ 50.34 $ 104,710
Scientific Research and Development Services 15,710 2.09 $ 51.89 $ 107,930
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 13,610 0.65 $ 49.54 $ 103,050

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 6,290 6.83 $ 45.17 $ 93,950
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 63,150 4.20 $ 47.62 $ 99,050
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 28,200 3.92 $ 41.65 $ 86,630
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 6,080 3.64 $ 38.03 $ 79,100
Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 1,040 3.22 $ 41.45 $ 86,210

Top paying industries for Mechanical Engineers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Pipeline Transportation 30 0.37 $ 61.14 $ 127,170
Waste Treatment and Disposal 290 0.30 $ 58.84 $ 122,400
Oil and Gas Extraction 330 0.27 $ 56.25 $ 117,000
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 820 0.76 $ 55.51 $ 115,470
Insurance Carriers 120 0.01 $ 54.88 $ 114,160


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.



Employment of Mechanical Engineers, by state, May 2020


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 40,340 10.28 4.86 $ 45.33 $ 94,280
California 28,130 1.71 0.81 $ 52.92 $ 110,070
Texas 21,970 1.82 0.86 $ 49.36 $ 102,660
Pennsylvania 15,740 2.86 1.35 $ 42.46 $ 88,310
Ohio 14,090 2.74 1.30 $ 40.92 $ 85,100


Location Quotient of Mechanical Engineers, by state, May 2020


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 40,340 10.28 4.86 $ 45.33 $ 94,280
New Hampshire 2,510 4.05 1.92 $ 45.32 $ 94,270
Wisconsin 10,520 3.88 1.84 $ 39.21 $ 81,550
Connecticut 5,370 3.49 1.65 $ 48.00 $ 99,840
South Carolina 6,060 3.01 1.42 $ 42.67 $ 88,740


Annual mean wage of Mechanical Engineers, by state, May 2020


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 1,300 1.66 0.78 $ 56.34 $ 117,180
District of Columbia 560 0.81 0.39 $ 55.70 $ 115,860
Maryland 5,520 2.19 1.04 $ 53.89 $ 112,090
California 28,130 1.71 0.81 $ 52.92 $ 110,070
Louisiana 1,890 1.05 0.50 $ 51.00 $ 106,090



Employment of Mechanical Engineers, by area, May 2020


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 27,810 15.63 7.40 $ 47.24 $ 98,260
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 10,030 1.72 0.82 $ 51.97 $ 108,100
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 8,920 2.05 0.97 $ 44.56 $ 92,680
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,570 0.97 0.46 $ 49.50 $ 102,970
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 8,380 2.82 1.34 $ 51.27 $ 106,640
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 8,190 3.15 1.49 $ 51.08 $ 106,250
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 6,600 1.84 0.87 $ 50.52 $ 105,090
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 6,250 2.32 1.10 $ 45.58 $ 94,820
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 5,800 3.14 1.49 $ 44.06 $ 91,650
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,150 1.70 0.81 $ 56.52 $ 117,570


Location Quotient of Mechanical Engineers, by area, May 2020


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)
California-Lexington Park, MD 750 16.60 7.86 $ 50.46 $ 104,950
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 27,810 15.63 7.40 $ 47.24 $ 98,260
Ann Arbor, MI 2,520 12.10 5.73 $ 48.10 $ 100,050
Jackson, MI 490 10.56 5.00 $ 40.62 $ 84,500
Dubuque, IA 530 9.47 4.48 (8) (8)
Monroe, MI 330 9.47 4.48 $ 42.96 $ 89,350
New Bern, NC 380 9.16 4.33 $ 40.00 $ 83,210
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 660 7.67 3.63 $ 44.35 $ 92,240
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 350 7.54 3.57 $ 45.40 $ 94,430
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 3,700 7.16 3.39 $ 38.64 $ 80,380


Annual mean wage of Mechanical Engineers, by area, May 2020


Top paying metropolitan areas for Mechanical Engineers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 5,030 4.56 2.16 $ 60.46 $ 125,760
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,330 1.43 0.68 $ 59.71 $ 124,190
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 480 3.17 1.50 $ 59.47 $ 123,700
Albuquerque, NM 1,090 2.92 1.38 $ 58.45 $ 121,570
Midland, TX 170 1.76 0.83 $ 56.58 $ 117,690
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,150 1.70 0.81 $ 56.52 $ 117,570
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 530 2.38 1.13 $ 56.03 $ 116,550
Lake Charles, LA 100 1.01 0.48 $ 55.20 $ 114,820
Idaho Falls, ID 170 2.49 1.18 $ 54.23 $ 112,800
Salinas, CA 80 0.50 0.23 $ 53.91 $ 112,140

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Mechanical Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,170 4.76 2.25 $ 36.15 $ 75,200
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 1,150 4.82 2.28 $ 34.45 $ 71,660
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 830 4.26 2.02 $ 35.26 $ 73,350
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 710 3.97 1.88 $ 42.31 $ 88,000
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 640 3.85 1.82 $ 43.19 $ 89,830

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 370 7.74 3.66 $ 54.22 $ 112,770
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 1,150 4.82 2.28 $ 34.45 $ 71,660
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,170 4.76 2.25 $ 36.15 $ 75,200
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 290 4.32 2.04 $ 33.63 $ 69,940
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 830 4.26 2.02 $ 35.26 $ 73,350

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Mechanical Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 370 7.74 3.66 $ 54.22 $ 112,770
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 70 0.58 0.27 $ 50.02 $ 104,050
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 0.20 $ 49.55 $ 103,060
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 120 1.66 0.79 $ 49.54 $ 103,040
Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 50 0.81 0.39 $ 49.04 $ 102,010


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

Other OEWS estimates and related information:

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021