Occupation salary profile

Mechanical Engineers

SOC 17-2141 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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 median · BLS
$104,110
▲ +1.75% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$106,730
▲ +3.18% YoY · 9,653 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$113,610
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
296,810
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Mechanical Engineers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 9,653 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$73,990$77,314
25th$84,130$89,191
Median (50th)$104,110$106,730
75th$132,590$132,426
90th — top pay$164,340$162,480
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $106,730 for Mechanical Engineers — 2.5% above the BLS national median of $104,110.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Mechanical Engineers

BLS projects employment of mechanical engineers to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 17,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
298,500 → 332,000
+33,500 jobs
Projected change
+11.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
17,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $106,730
Change vs prior year +3.18%
After inflation (CPI-U) +0.05%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 1,886 19.5% $72,000 $79,019 $87,872
Level II 3,430 35.5% $89,373 $98,000 $112,220
Level III 2,007 20.8% $110,000 $123,237 $150,654
Level IV 1,844 19.1% $125,362 $142,355 $175,114
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Mechanical Engineers

The 50 most-filed job titles inside SOC 17-2141, from 9,653 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Mechanical Engineer 1,636 16.95% $82,635 $94,786 $118,522 +2.77%
Mechanical Design Engineer 435 4.51% $85,010 $100,000 $137,625 +10.61%
Design Engineer 353 3.66% $83,200 $93,642 $103,000 +4.05%
Project Engineer 291 3.01% $83,200 $97,305 $115,297 +2.43%
Engineer generic 212 2.2% $83,169 $95,009 $108,275 +5.57%
Product Engineer 140 1.45% $87,136 $98,170 $113,670 +1.34%
Systems Engineer 104 1.08% $109,512 $125,362 $156,282 +5.51%
Process Engineer 97 1% $79,180 $96,408 $109,798 -0.61%
Manufacturing Engineer 91 0.94% $83,651 $97,760 $120,570 +8.96%
Quality Engineer 86 0.89% $83,710 $95,000 $108,362 +3.59%
Equipment Engineer 85 0.88% $85,000 $100,000 $107,000 -3.85%
Project Manager 74 0.77% $95,831 $109,616 $129,544 +4.9%
Design Release Engineer 72 0.75% $93,642 $103,980 $126,131 -11.76%
Design Lead 70 0.73% $90,477 $98,966 $100,298 +3.77%
Principal Engineer 66 0.68% $125,360 $145,642 $169,553 +15.16%
Application Engineer 66 0.68% $88,835 $104,554 $117,623 +9.99%
Product Development Engineer 64 0.66% $88,197 $103,780 $117,312 +1.02%
Staff Engineer 60 0.62% $107,718 $131,290 $154,649 +12.08%
Field Service Engineer 56 0.58% $78,920 $87,090 $96,179 +0%
System Product Design Engineer 55 0.57% $147,400 $162,500 $185,869 +4.81%
Controls Engineer 52 0.54% $85,862 $103,682 $134,000 -7.9%
Technical Specialist 49 0.51% $137,248 $162,720 $166,878 +0.26%
Software Engineer 48 0.5% $128,424 $158,968 $193,372 +20.65%
Test Engineer 45 0.47% $92,581 $122,859 $146,044 +13.59%
Staff Mechanical Design Engineer 42 0.44% $171,268 $181,475 $199,500 -1.16%
Technical Program Manager 41 0.42% $142,100 $153,000 $180,000 -1.29%
Research Engineer 41 0.42% $90,000 $103,106 $113,580 +3.08%
CAE Engineer 40 0.41% $95,000 $110,467 $124,740 +6.22%
Staff Mechanical Engineer 39 0.4% $159,650 $166,300 $186,534 -3.29%
R&D Engineer 37 0.38% $89,419 $103,210 $125,917 +1.11%
Designer generic 36 0.37% $71,422 $83,803 $99,678 +13.67%
Program Manager 32 0.33% $109,218 $124,500 $147,960 -1.21%
Automotive Engineer 32 0.33% $88,000 $99,000 $115,000 +16.26%
Development Engineer 29 0.3% $95,062 $108,056 $124,768 +7.41%
Calibration Engineer 29 0.3% $89,960 $107,000 $121,181 +2.67%
Applications Engineer 29 0.3% $81,000 $94,000 $106,974 -5.99%
Engineer, Mechanical 29 0.3% $90,000 $103,210 $123,385 +8.07%
Performance/Simulation/Application Engineer 27 0.28% $97,989 $100,298 $100,298 +0%
Product Manager 26 0.27% $111,592 $133,064 $141,842 +2.67%
Mechanical Designer 26 0.27% $75,135 $80,860 $91,426 +1.54%
Product Design Engineer 24 0.25% $121,708 $176,500 $210,000 +30.74%
Reliability Engineer 24 0.25% $98,384 $111,286 $144,902 -5.69%
Reliability Engineering 23 0.24% $138,878 $181,100 $185,869 +16.81%
Mechanical Engineering 22 0.23% $140,400 $155,827 $163,461 -0.75%
Engineering Consultant 21 0.22% $87,589 $93,642 $100,568 —
Validation Engineer 21 0.22% $84,000 $92,400 $104,000 +2.67%
Maintenance Engineer 21 0.22% $72,446 $81,000 $90,000 +5.02%
Module Design Engineer 20 0.21% $146,325 $158,995 $182,515 +2.55%
Production Engineer 20 0.21% $71,260 $88,343 $105,676 -1.84%
Thermal and Fluid Systems Technical Specialist 20 0.21% $92,230 $96,724 $109,403 +0.44%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Mechanical Engineers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.8
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.8
  • Mathematics3.8
  • Science3.8
  • Active Learning3.5
  • Operations Analysis3.5
  • Speaking3.4
Top knowledge areas
  • Design4.5
  • Engineering and Technology4.5
  • Production and Processing4.3
  • Mechanical4.2
  • English Language4.1
  • Mathematics3.9
  • Public Safety and Security3.7
  • Computers and Electronics3.6
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADAutodesk RevitDassault Systemes SolidWorksMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointPythonPTC Creo ParametricAdobe IllustratorAutodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DBentley MicroStationCC++ChefESRI ArcGIS softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Project

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What mechanical engineers do

  • Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
  • Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
  • Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
  • Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
  • Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
  • Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions.
  • Research and analyze customer design proposals, specifications, manuals, or other data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, or maintenance requirements of designs or applications.
  • Provide technical customer service.
Also called
Design EngineerMechanical EngineerProduct EngineerProject EngineerApplication EngineerEquipment EngineerMechanical Design EngineerMechanical DesignerProduct Development EngineerTest Engineer
Specialties within this occupation
  • Fuel Cell Engineers
  • Automotive Engineers
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Air Conditioning Engineer (AC Engineer)Automation EngineerAutomotive DesignerAutomotive EngineerBody EngineerBrake EngineerCar DesignerCombustion EngineerCooling and Heating Systems Design EngineerCryogenics EngineerDesign Cell EngineerDiesel EngineerDiesel Retrofit DesignerDistribution EngineerDust Control EngineerElectromechanical EngineerEngine DesignerEngineerErecting EngineerFacilities Mechanical Design EngineerField Service EngineerFuel Cell DesignerFuel Cell EngineerFuel Cell Systems EngineerFuel Cell Test EngineerGeothermal Power Generation Mechanical EngineerHeating and Cooling Systems EngineerHeating EngineerHVAC Design Mechanical Engineer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Design Mechanical Engineer)HVAC Engineer (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning Engineer)HVAC Engineer (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineer)HVAC Sensor and Digital Control Designer (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Sensor and Digital Control Designer)Hydraulic EngineerHydroelectric Plant Mechanical EngineerIndustrial Green Systems DesignerIndustrial Retrofit DesignerInstallation EngineerInternal Combustion EngineerMachine Design EngineerMachine Tool DesignerMechanical Design Facilities EngineerMechanical Development EngineerMechanical Engineering InternMechanical Equipment Test EngineerMechanical HVAC Engineer (Mechanical Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Engineer)Mechanical Project EngineerMechanical Research EngineerMotorcycle DesignerPlant EngineerPlant Equipment EngineerProducts EngineerProducts Mechanical Design EngineerRefrigeration EngineerReliability EngineerResearch and Development Engineer (R&D Engineer)Research EngineerRoller Coaster DesignerRoller Coaster EngineerServomechanism DesignerSheet Metal EngineerSpace Battery TechnicianStack EngineerStress AnalystSubsystems EngineerSupplier Quality Engineer (SQE)Systems EngineerTest Inspection EngineerTextile EngineerTool and Die EngineerTool Design EngineerTool DesignerTool EngineerTool MakerTooling EngineerUtilization EngineerVentilating EngineerVentilating ExpertWeapons DesignerWeapons EngineerWind Turbine Mechanical Engineer

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.