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Job outlook for contract mechanical designers in the United States
Contract mechanical designer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected contract mechanical designer job growth rate is 2% from 2018-2028.
About 6,400 new jobs for contract mechanical designers are projected over the next decade.
Contract mechanical designer salaries have increased 7% for contract mechanical designers in the last 5 years.
There are over 11,609 contract mechanical designers currently employed in the United States.
There are 72,152 active contract mechanical designer job openings in the US.
The average contract mechanical designer salary is $69,294.
Are contract mechanical designer jobs in demand?
Contract mechanical designer job and salary trends over time
Contract mechanical designer jobs over time
Contract mechanical designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,609 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 12,264 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 12,808 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 12,660 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 12,153 | 0.00% |
Average contract mechanical designer salary over time
Contract mechanical designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $69,294 | $33.31 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $67,964 | $32.68 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $67,150 | $32.28 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $66,005 | $31.73 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $64,706 | $31.11 | +0.7% |
Contract mechanical designer jobs by state
Most common states for contract mechanical designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 253 | 36% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,066 | 16% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 606 | 15% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,027 | 14% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 192 | 14% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,009 | 12% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 665 | 12% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 386 | 12% |
| 9 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,441 | 11% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 651 | 11% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 66 | 11% |
| 12 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,043 | 10% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 576 | 10% |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 548 | 9% |
| 15 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 271 | 9% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,051 | 8% |
| 17 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 806 | 8% |
| 18 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 243 | 8% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 88 | 8% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 75 | 8% |
Most common cities for contract mechanical designers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 1 | 1% | $60,597 |
Contract Mechanical Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of contract mechanical designer experts
Cincinnati State Technical & Community College
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Idaho State University
Mike DeVore Ph.D.
Professor & Program ChairCincinnati State Technical & Community College
Mechanical Engineering Technology
What hard/technical skills are most important for Contract Mechanical Designers?
Mike DeVore Ph.D.: -Computer-Aided Design
-Knowledge of manufacturing processes
-A good mathematics foundation
-Technical communication
-Problem solving
What experience really stands out on Contract Mechanical Designer resumes?
Dr. Mingshao Zhang: Internship and Co-op (Cooperative Education) experiences that related to the industry.
Charles Jenckes
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
Mechanical Engineering
What skills stand out on Contract Mechanical Designer resumes?
Charles Jenckes: For new graduates
1.Where the candidate went to school and what was studied
2.GPA
3.Any successful internships
4.Projects completed by the student
How would you rate the starting salaries for Contract Mechanical Designers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang: Above average, but you won't be a millionaire easily (you can with some effort, saving, and investing well). It is very unlikely you'll ever be *super* wealthy, but it's also very unlikely you'll ever not find employment in your field. You'll have a solid ticket to a modestly comfortable life, with some luxuries, too.
What general advice would you give to a Contract Mechanical Designer?
Marco Schoen Ph.D.: Stay current. Engineering evolves continuously; new tools, new technologies, and new areas where engineers can contribute, learn, and work. When graduating, students have the feeling they are set for their careers. However, this is not true; they might be set to start their careers. To be consistently successful in their pages, they need to stay informed and updated.