National Salary Scales

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual salary for mechanical engineers in 2009 was $80,580, which corresponds to an hourly wage of $38.74. The top 10% of mechanical engineers made $117,550 or more and 25% made $96,740 a year or more. The bottom 10% made less than $49,730 and the bottom 25% made less than $61,220 a year. The median annual salary was $77,020.
  
  

Salaries by Industry

• The largest employer of mechanical engineers in 2009 was the architectural and engineering sector, employing 52,770 out of a national total of 232,660 and paying an average wage of $85,180, according to the BLS. The highest paying industry, with an average of $95,160 a year, was the "other telecommunications" sector which excludes wired, wireless and satellite telecommunications. This was followed by spectator sports, with $93,100 a year; the computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing sector, with $93,000 a year; software publishers, at $91,990 and the federal executive branch, which offered an average of $91,560 a year.
  
  

Salaries by State and Metropolitan Area

• At an average salary of $98,790 a year in 2009, mechanical engineers enjoyed the highest salaries in Alaska. This was followed by the District of Columbia, Colorado and New Mexico. Virginia came fifth with an average annual wage of $90,140. On the local and city level, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area had the highest average salaries, at $110,490. This was followed by the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area, California; Anchorage, Alaska; the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area, Texas; and the Denver-Aurora area, Colorado, which had average salaries of $97,310 a year for mechanical engineers.
  
  

Qualifications and Outlook

• The bare minimum requirement for becoming a mechanical engineer is a bachelor's degree in an engineering field. Most mechanical engineers have a degree in mechanical engineering. Most degrees in mechanical engineering will include courses such as mathematics, physics and design. Although not required for entry-level jobs, graduate level degrees in mechanical engineering are available. Degrees in mechanical engineering are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).