How much does a mechanical engineering internship make?

The average mechanical engineering internship salary in the United States is $42,749. Mechanical engineering internship salaries typically range between $33,000 and $54,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for mechanical engineering interns is $20.55 per hour. Mechanical engineering internship salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Mechanical engineering interns earn the highest average salary in Illinois.

Mechanical engineering internship salary

Q: What state pays Mechanical Engineering Interns the most?

Illinois pays Mechanical Engineering Interns the most in the United States, with an average salary of $54,335 per year, or $26.12 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a mechanical engineering internship?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a mechanical engineering internship if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Illinois you should be paid close to $50,510 per year.

Q: How much do mechanical engineers start off making?

Mechanical engineers start off making $64,501 a year, on average. The range and what a mechanical engineer can make just starting out begins from as little as $48,000 a year to as much as $70,000 a year. Factors such as location and company type impact where on the pay scale a mechanical engineer will land.

Q: What is a reasonable salary for an internship?

A reasonable salary for an internship is typically around $15 an hour. However, this depends largely on industry and company. Fortunately, it is becoming less common for employers to have unpaid internships, so a person should find a paid internship regardless of their field.

Quoted expert

Michael Rudisill

Average mechanical engineering internship salary

$42,749

$20.55 hourly rate

Entry-level mechanical engineering internship salary

$33,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Mechanical Engineering Internship Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a mechanical engineering intern is approximately $42,749 annually, which translates to about $21 per hour. These positions often serve as a stepping stone into the engineering field, enabling students to apply classroom theories in real-world scenarios.

Salary Variations by State

Salary levels can fluctuate significantly based on geographic location. States such as California and New York tend to offer higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for engineering talent. Interns in these areas can expect salaries above the national average.

Top Industries for Mechanical Engineering Interns

Internships available in sectors like automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing often provide competitive pay and substantial learning opportunities. Engaging with diverse projects allows interns to develop specialized skills that are crucial for their future careers.

By understanding these salary dynamics and industry demands, students can make informed decisions about their career paths, maximizing their internship experiences and potential earnings.

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Mechanical engineering internship salary by:

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Where can a Mechanical Engineering Internship earn more?

Compare salary by location

71k

51k

31k

11k

Columbus, OH$50,648

Charleston, SC$41,244

Compare salary by company

74k

54k

34k

14k

CDM Smith$62,745

Masonite$44,397

Mechanical engineering internship salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a mechanical engineering internship typically falls between $38,613 and $84,718.

zippia

$42,749yearly

glassdoor[1]

$75,842yearly

comparably[2]

$84,718yearly

Salary.com[3]

$38,613yearly

Average mechanical engineering internship salary by state

The highest-paying states for mechanical engineering interns are Illinois, Washington, and Maryland. The lowest average mechanical engineering internship salary states are North Carolina, Kansas, and Utah.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for mechanical engineering interns

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington	$49,884	$23.98
2	Arizona	$47,546	$22.86
3	West Virginia	$49,350	$23.73
4	District of Columbia	$54,335	$26.12
5	Michigan	$47,019	$22.61
6	Illinois	$50,510	$24.28
7	Delaware	$47,208	$22.70
8	Massachusetts	$48,568	$23.35
9	Alaska	$48,612	$23.37
10	New Mexico	$45,389	$21.82
11	Ohio	$45,371	$21.81
12	Minnesota	$45,823	$22.03
13	Maryland	$49,368	$23.73
14	Indiana	$45,668	$21.96
15	Oregon	$45,300	$21.78
16	Connecticut	$46,025	$22.13
17	Virginia	$46,585	$22.40
18	Wisconsin	$43,410	$20.87
19	New Hampshire	$44,567	$21.43
20	Nebraska	$44,271	$21.28
21	Arkansas	$42,936	$20.64
22	Tennessee	$44,331	$21.31
23	Texas	$44,129	$21.22
24	Colorado	$43,727	$21.02
25	Hawaii	$46,500	$22.36
26	Alabama	$42,117	$20.25
27	Nevada	$44,926	$21.60
28	North Dakota	$40,603	$19.52
29	Iowa	$42,965	$20.66
30	Montana	$42,980	$20.66
31	Georgia	$44,300	$21.30
32	New York	$45,123	$21.69
33	Louisiana	$43,945	$21.13
34	Wyoming	$41,159	$19.79
35	California	$48,643	$23.39
36	Kentucky	$42,548	$20.46
37	Maine	$41,787	$20.09
38	Rhode Island	$41,466	$19.94
39	Vermont	$39,247	$18.87
40	South Carolina	$41,701	$20.05
41	Missouri	$42,836	$20.59
42	Pennsylvania	$42,012	$20.20
43	Idaho	$41,257	$19.84
44	Utah	$40,232	$19.34
45	New Jersey	$44,242	$21.27
46	Florida	$42,078	$20.23
47	North Carolina	$40,514	$19.48
48	Kansas	$40,320	$19.38
49	Oklahoma	$40,574	$19.51
50	South Dakota	$38,030	$18.28
51	Mississippi	$39,412	$18.95

Top mechanical engineering internship jobs near you

Highest paying cities for mechanical engineering interns

The highest-paying cities for mechanical engineering interns are Palo Alto, CA, Lynnwood, WA, and Hagerstown, MD.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Palo Alto, CA	$50,648	$24.35
2	Lynnwood, WA	$49,954	$24.02
3	Hagerstown, MD	$49,491	$23.79
4	Fall River, MA	$48,906	$23.51
5	Gilbert, AZ	$47,471	$22.82
6	Newark, DE	$47,213	$22.70
7	Saint Paul, MN	$45,853	$22.04
8	East Hartford, CT	$45,686	$21.96
9	Mason, OH	$45,346	$21.80
10	Camden, NJ	$44,885	$21.58
11	Austin, TX	$44,562	$21.42
12	Atlanta, GA	$44,484	$21.39
13	Syracuse, NY	$44,123	$21.21
14	Fort Collins, CO	$44,115	$21.21
15	Saint Louis, MO	$43,290	$20.81
16	Bentonville, AR	$43,036	$20.69
17	Huntsville, AL	$42,659	$20.51
18	Bradenton, FL	$42,554	$20.46
19	Reading, PA	$42,011	$20.20
20	Charleston, SC	$41,244	$19.83

Mechanical Engineering Interns are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Mechanical engineering internship salary details

A mechanical engineering internship's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $54,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average mechanical engineering internship salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a mechanical engineering internship's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$54,000	$4,500	$26
75th Percentile	$48,000	$4,000	$23
Average	$42,749	$3,562	$21
25th Percentile	$37,000	$3,083	$18
10th Percentile	$33,000	$2,750	$16

Highest paying mechanical engineering internship jobs

The highest paying types of mechanical engineering interns are senior mechanical engineer, senior mechanical designer, and research engineer.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Co-Operations Engineer	$42,618	$3,552	$20.49	86,804
Student Engineer	$71,947	$5,996	$34.59	98,036
Field Engineer	$71,874	$5,989	$34.55	86,015
Research Engineer	$96,945	$8,079	$46.61	136,763
Engineering Trainee	$60,235	$5,020	$28.96	79,966
Mechanical Design Drafter	$58,371	$4,864	$28.06	54,189

How would you rate the starting salaries for mechanical engineering internships, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Michael Rudisill

Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University

From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.

Top companies hiring mechanical engineering interns now:

Which companies pay mechanical engineering interns the most?

Mechanical engineering internship salaries at CDM Smith and Nabors Industries are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mechanical engineering internship salary at companies like Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	CDM Smith	$62,745	$30.17
2	Nabors Industries	$62,185	$29.90
3	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$58,337	$28.05
4	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$57,407	$27.60
5	AECOM	$52,388	$25.19
6	Idaho Power	$50,298	$24.18
7	Waupaca Foundry	$49,091	$23.60
8	Steel Dynamics	$49,032	$23.57
9	Altec	$48,487	$23.31
10	BNSF Railway	$47,675	$22.92
11	CITGO Petroleum	$46,832	$22.52
12	Alliant Energy	$46,417	$22.32
13	Bio-Rad Laboratories	$45,996	$22.11
14	Harrison French and Associates	$45,881	$22.06
15	New Hudson Facades	$45,429	$21.84
16	Agilent Technologies	$45,407	$21.83
17	Black & Veatch	$45,135	$21.70
18	Comtech Telecommunications	$44,749	$21.51
19	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$44,587	$21.44
20	Masonite	$44,397	$21.34

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$43,000$42,600$42,200$41,800$41,400$41,000

MaleFemale

Mechanical Engineering Internship salary by industry

The average mechanical engineering internship salary varies across industries:

The average mechanical engineering internship salary in the hospitality industry is $44,983, the highest of any industry.
The average mechanical engineering internship salary in the finance industry is $43,933.
Mechanical engineering interns in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $41,267, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for mechanical engineering interns

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Hospitality	$44,983	$21.63
2	Construction	$43,933	$21.12
3	Professional	$42,137	$20.26
4	Automotive	$42,079	$20.23
5	Technology	$41,545	$19.97
6	Manufacturing	$41,267	$19.84

High paying mechanical engineering internship jobs

Mechanical engineering internship salary trends

The average mechanical engineering internship salary has risen by $5,182 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mechanical engineering internship earned $37,567 annually, but today, they earn $42,749 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for mechanical engineering interns over the last decade.

Compare mechanical engineering internship salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average mechanical engineering internship salary over time

Compare mechanical engineering internship salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Mechanical engineering internship salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$42,700	$20.55	+1.9%
2024	$41,900	$20.16	+1.2%
2023	$41,400	$19.92	+1.7%
2022	$40,700	$19.58	+2.0%
2021	$39,900	$19.19	+0.7%

Recently added mechanical engineering internship salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Blue Origin	Spring 2026 Structural & Mechanical Engineering Intern-Undergraduate	Seattle, WA	06/30/2025	$66,784
Lightspeed La	Mechanical Engineering Intern (Robotics & Embedded Systems)	Bellevue, WA	06/29/2025	$69,306
Marathon Petroleum	Intern/Co-Op-Refining Mechanical Engineer Spring 2026	Findlay, OH	06/28/2025	$67,431
Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	Mechanical Engineering Intern-Summer 2025	Somers Point, NJ	06/27/2025	$39,924
Global Medical Response	Mechanic Intern	Tempe, AZ	06/27/2025	$41,740
Dddsystems	Electro Mechanical Engineer Intern	San Diego, CA	06/27/2025	$43,827
Ttm Technologies	Mechanical Engineer Intern-Fall 2025	Syracuse, NY	06/27/2025	$33,319
Bae Systems	Mechanical Engineering Co-Op Internship, AUG-DEC 2025	Manchester, NH	06/20/2025	$44,660
Bae Systems	Mechanical Engineering Internship	Cedar Rapids, IA	06/19/2025	$45,526
Joby Aviation	Mechanical Engineer Intern-System Electronics	San Carlos, CA	06/19/2025	$41,740

Mechanical engineering internship salary FAQs

What state pays Mechanical Engineering Interns the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a mechanical engineering internship?

How much do mechanical engineers start off making?

What is a reasonable salary for an internship?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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