Careers / Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$104,110
United States, 2025
Employment
296,810
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 17-2141.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$73,990
25th percentile
$84,130
75th percentile
$132,590
90th percentile
$164,340
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Science3.8
- Mathematics3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Operations Analysis3.5
- Active Learning3.5
- Speaking3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.4
- Systems Analysis3.4
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Science | 3.8 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Mathematics | 3.8 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.5 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.5 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Writing | 3.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.4 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.4 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Technology Design | 3.1 | — | Not selected | — |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Mechanical EngineersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $168,030 | 5,540 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $161,370 | 5,150 | 2025 |
| NM | $157,710 | 2,710 | 2025 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $135,530 | 540 | 2025 |
| DC | $133,300 | 510 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $132,920 | 190 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $132,560 | 70 | 2025 |
| CA | $130,900 | 30,530 | 2025 |
| Augusta, GA | $128,740 | 980 | 2025 |
| Peoria, IL | $128,710 | 2,120 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $128,180 | 4,530 | 2025 |
| Columbus, IN | $127,700 | 1,000 | 2025 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $127,650 | 670 | 2025 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $127,310 | 2,280 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $126,990 | 5,390 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $126,590 | 4,500 | 2025 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $126,090 | 110 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $125,780 | 650 | 2025 |
| Houston, TX | $125,350 | 8,310 | 2025 |
| Midland, TX | $125,200 | 250 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Mechanical Engineers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.