Mechanical Engineer salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026
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Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Mechanical Engineer pay ranges from about $80,510 in El Paso, TX to $153,520 in San Jose, CA (median wage). The U.S. national average for this role is about $105,220.
The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.
| City | Median | 10th %ile | 90th %ile | Cost of living (US = 100) | Real pay (COL-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $153,520 | $95,910 | $215,560 | 110.4 | $139,058 |
| San Francisco, CA | $136,970 | $83,120 | $196,080 | 115.6 | $118,486 |
| Oakland, CA | $136,970 | $83,120 | $196,080 | 115.6 | $118,486 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $133,660 | $87,050 | $167,650 | 95.5 | $139,958 |
| San Diego, CA | $122,350 | $78,500 | $162,920 | 111.9 | $109,339 |
| Houston, TX | $119,550 | $76,630 | $168,830 | 98.6 | $121,247 |
| Sacramento, CA | $118,050 | $71,930 | $164,670 | 106.7 | $110,637 |
| Washington, DC | $116,470 | $79,920 | $177,610 | 108.9 | $106,951 |
| Boston, MA | $108,959 | $62,544 | $141,448 | 108.3 | $100,608 |
| Seattle, WA | $108,730 | $76,200 | $167,670 | 111.1 | $97,867 |
| Tucson, AZ | $105,160 | $83,150 | $171,340 | 96.9 | $108,524 |
| Long Beach, CA | $104,990 | $73,250 | $169,190 | 113.6 | $92,421 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $104,990 | $73,250 | $169,190 | 113.6 | $92,421 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $104,520 | $73,800 | $182,160 | 102.6 | $101,871 |
| Denver, CO | $104,390 | $68,990 | $170,280 | 105.8 | $98,667 |
| New York, NY | $104,100 | $67,640 | $164,160 | 112.6 | $92,451 |
| Portland, OR | $102,500 | $77,400 | $146,540 | 105.4 | $97,249 |
| Austin, TX | $102,370 | $62,970 | $165,880 | 98.1 | $104,353 |
| New Orleans, LA | $102,010 | $78,000 | $160,210 | 92.6 | $110,162 |
| Baltimore, MD | $101,710 | $66,320 | $170,400 | 104.5 | $97,330 |
| Detroit, MI | $101,230 | $67,580 | $133,920 | 100.3 | $100,927 |
| Chicago, IL | $100,200 | $64,330 | $153,540 | 103.6 | $96,718 |
| Memphis, TN | $99,990 | $63,470 | $132,250 | 92.2 | $108,449 |
| Tulsa, OK | $99,670 | $67,010 | $131,330 | 89.2 | $111,738 |
| Raleigh, NC | $99,560 | $64,710 | $140,880 | 98.2 | $101,385 |
| Dallas, TX | $99,490 | $63,490 | $157,630 | 103.1 | $96,499 |
| Arlington, TX | $99,490 | $63,490 | $157,630 | — | — |
| San Antonio, TX | $99,130 | $62,220 | $152,390 | 94.7 | $104,678 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $98,740 | $65,640 | $147,600 | 104.8 | $94,218 |
| Mesa, AZ | $98,430 | $68,880 | $135,550 | 103.3 | $95,286 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $98,430 | $68,880 | $135,550 | 103.3 | $95,286 |
| Louisville, KY | $97,280 | $66,500 | $141,630 | 93.1 | $104,490 |
| Miami, FL | $96,680 | $59,570 | $169,150 | 114.2 | $84,658 |
| Nashville, TN | $96,680 | $63,540 | $133,630 | 96.3 | $100,395 |
| Charlotte, NC | $95,980 | $61,960 | $141,400 | 97.3 | $98,643 |
| Columbus, OH | $95,620 | $64,800 | $137,490 | 95.5 | $100,126 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $95,490 | $50,269 | $127,144 | 100.7 | $94,826 |
| Fresno, CA | $95,030 | $61,810 | $150,930 | 102.2 | $92,984 |
| Kansas City, MO | $94,980 | $66,350 | $130,590 | 92.5 | $102,681 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $93,550 | $61,910 | $140,830 | 99.5 | $94,020 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $92,930 | $63,950 | $136,030 | 95.7 | $97,106 |
| Cleveland, OH | $92,920 | $63,730 | $134,360 | — | — |
| Fort Worth, TX | $91,745 | $49,862 | $121,062 | 103.1 | $88,986 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $86,650 | $66,890 | $129,090 | 96.9 | $89,422 |
| Omaha, NE | $86,240 | $62,800 | $133,490 | 91.9 | $93,841 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $85,110 | $63,730 | $124,060 | 90.4 | $94,148 |
| Atlanta, GA | $82,900 | $36,560 | $136,450 | 100.1 | $82,817 |
| Wichita, KS | $82,430 | $61,830 | $132,070 | 88.9 | $92,722 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $81,360 | $49,220 | $126,230 | 100.2 | $81,198 |
| El Paso, TX | $80,510 | $44,130 | $123,210 | 89.9 | $89,555 |
“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.
The national average for Mechanical Engineers is $105,220 per year, based on BLS OEWS wage data. Metro-level pay varies widely: across the 50 cities we track, average pay runs from $80,510 in El Paso to $153,520 in San Jose.
Albuquerque leads after adjusting for the local cost of living: its $133,660 average pay is worth about $139,958 in national-average dollars, ahead of San Jose at $139,058.
Real pay divides the metro's average wage by its Regional Price Parity from the BEA, so expensive and cheap cities can be compared directly. Albuquerque's index is 95.5, so its $133,660 average equals about $139,958 in national buying power.
Self-reported by readers, unverified, moderated for spam — a complement to the BLS data above, not a substitute. No email or name is collected; IPs are stored only as a hash for rate-limiting.
| City | Annual salary | Years | Level | Reported |
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