The median annual wage for mechanical engineers was $83,590 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $53,640, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $128,430.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for mechanical engineers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
$95,700
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
89,720
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
87,710
Engineering services
85,920
Machinery manufacturing
76,810
Most mechanical engineers work full time, and about 1 in 3 worked more than 40 hours a week in 2014.
Mechanical Engineers
Median annual wages, May 2015
Engineers
$90,060
Mechanical engineers
$83,590
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics