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Mechanical designer salary
Average mechanical designer salary
$62,541
Understanding Mechanical Designer Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Mechanical Designer is $62,541 annually. These professionals are crucial in various industries, including manufacturing, aerospace, and automotive. Salary variations depend on experience, specialization, and geographic location. For instance, entry-level designers may earn around $50,000, while those with extensive experience can command salaries exceeding $85,000.
Earnings by State
Mechanical designers in states such as California, Texas, and New York often see higher salaries due to demand and cost of living. For example, California tops the list with an average salary of over $75,000. Understanding these regional differences can help you make informed career choices.
Career Growth Opportunities
Many mechanical designers can advance to senior positions or specialize in areas like product design or systems engineering, further increasing their earning potential. Continuous education and skill development play a vital role in achieving higher salaries in this field.
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Where can a Mechanical Designer earn more?
Mechanical designer salaries by experience level
Mechanical designer salary estimates from across the web
Average mechanical designer salary by state
The highest-paying states for mechanical designers are Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington. The lowest average mechanical designer salary states are Nebraska, Wyoming, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mechanical designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $74,633 | $35.88 |
| 2 | Washington | $71,828 | $34.53 |
| 3 | Michigan | $68,584 | $32.97 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $78,541 | $37.76 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $67,328 | $32.37 |
| 6 | Maryland | $74,226 | $35.69 |
| 7 | Virginia | $69,622 | $33.47 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $67,741 | $32.57 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $70,028 | $33.67 |
| 10 | Oregon | $66,105 | $31.78 |
| 11 | California | $70,414 | $33.85 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $66,129 | $31.79 |
| 13 | Illinois | $66,724 | $32.08 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $62,431 | $30.01 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $63,965 | $30.75 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $65,814 | $31.64 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $62,429 | $30.01 |
| 18 | Ohio | $61,672 | $29.65 |
| 19 | Delaware | $66,714 | $32.07 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $63,608 | $30.58 |
| 21 | Texas | $62,666 | $30.13 |
| 22 | New York | $64,229 | $30.88 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $63,173 | $30.37 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $65,926 | $31.70 |
| 25 | Alaska | $68,349 | $32.86 |
| 26 | Iowa | $61,342 | $29.49 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $62,532 | $30.06 |
| 28 | Kansas | $60,872 | $29.27 |
| 29 | Arizona | $60,922 | $29.29 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $60,029 | $28.86 |
| 31 | Colorado | $60,735 | $29.20 |
| 32 | Utah | $59,232 | $28.48 |
| 33 | Georgia | $58,946 | $28.34 |
| 34 | Indiana | $59,987 | $28.84 |
| 35 | Maine | $61,113 | $29.38 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $59,045 | $28.39 |
| 37 | Missouri | $60,330 | $29.00 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $61,598 | $29.61 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $59,205 | $28.46 |
| 40 | Alabama | $57,348 | $27.57 |
| 41 | Nevada | $58,255 | $28.01 |
| 42 | Vermont | $57,569 | $27.68 |
| 43 | Florida | $58,659 | $28.20 |
| 44 | Montana | $58,270 | $28.01 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $56,299 | $27.07 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $55,985 | $26.92 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $55,545 | $26.70 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $56,872 | $27.34 |
| 49 | Idaho | $52,504 | $25.24 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $50,028 | $24.05 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $49,662 | $23.88 |
Highest paying cities for mechanical designers
The highest-paying cities for mechanical designers are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $77,989 | $37.49 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $74,562 | $35.85 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $72,236 | $34.73 |
| 4 | Dearborn, MI | $68,611 | $32.99 |
| 5 | Greenville, SC | $68,096 | $32.74 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $67,028 | $32.23 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | $64,668 | $31.09 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $64,391 | $30.96 |
| 9 | Oak Ridge, TN | $63,719 | $30.63 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $62,890 | $30.24 |
| 11 | Oshkosh, WI | $62,652 | $30.12 |
| 12 | York, PA | $62,371 | $29.99 |
| 13 | Toledo, OH | $61,949 | $29.78 |
| 14 | Kansas City, KS | $61,094 | $29.37 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $61,001 | $29.33 |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $60,745 | $29.20 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $60,718 | $29.19 |
| 18 | Indianapolis, IN | $59,818 | $28.76 |
| 19 | Dalton, GA | $59,558 | $28.63 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | $59,095 | $28.41 |
Mechanical designer salary details
A mechanical designer's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mechanical designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| Average | $62,541 | $5,212 | $30 |
| 25th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
Highest paying mechanical designer jobs
The highest paying types of mechanical designers are senior mechanical engineer, senior mechanical designer, and senior designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autocad Drafter | $41,984 | $3,499 | $20.18 | 2,429 |
| Computer Aided Design Designer | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 92,503 |
| Design Engineer | $77,134 | $6,428 | $37.08 | 138,173 |
| Product Design Engineer | $94,827 | $7,902 | $45.59 | 170,485 |
| Design Drafter | $50,021 | $4,168 | $24.05 | 39,125 |
| Systems Designer | $93,438 | $7,786 | $44.92 | 101,665 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for mechanical designers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Marco Schoen Ph.D.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Research Center (MCERC), Idaho State University
Top companies hiring mechanical designers now:
Which companies pay mechanical designers the most?
Mechanical designer salaries at Apple and VIA Motors are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mechanical designer salary at companies like Nikola Motor and Seagate Technology are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $112,706 | $54.19 |
| 2 | VIA Motors | $94,274 | $45.32 |
| 3 | Nikola Motor | $85,890 | $41.29 |
| 4 | Seagate Technology | $85,286 | $41.00 |
| 5 | Amphenol | $84,269 | $40.51 |
| 6 | Vicor | $84,200 | $40.48 |
| 7 | LUFKIN Industries | $84,115 | $40.44 |
| 8 | Tesla | $82,741 | $39.78 |
| 9 | Nabors Industries | $79,595 | $38.27 |
| 10 | Amazon | $76,881 | $36.96 |
| 11 | Halliburton | $76,663 | $36.86 |
| 12 | IBM | $75,620 | $36.36 |
| 13 | Bayer | $75,414 | $36.26 |
| 14 | Arora Engineers | $75,081 | $36.10 |
| 15 | Ghafari Associates | $74,760 | $35.94 |
| 16 | Smith Seckman Reid | $74,712 | $35.92 |
| 17 | Jefferson Lab | $74,341 | $35.74 |
| 18 | Hargrove Engineers + Constructors | $74,217 | $35.68 |
| 19 | Interface Engineering | $74,039 | $35.60 |
| 20 | Henderson Engineers | $73,656 | $35.41 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mechanical Designer salary by industry
The average mechanical designer salary varies across industries:
- The average mechanical designer salary in the energy industry is $66,900, the highest of any industry.
- The average mechanical designer salary in the finance industry is $66,377.
- Mechanical designers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $65,820, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for mechanical designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $66,900 | $32.16 |
| 2 | Technology | $66,377 | $31.91 |
| 3 | Professional | $65,849 | $31.66 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $65,820 | $31.64 |
High paying mechanical designer jobs
Mechanical designer salary trends
The average mechanical designer salary has risen by $7,582 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mechanical designer earned $54,959 annually, but today, they earn $62,541 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for mechanical designers over the last decade.
Compare mechanical designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mechanical designer salary over time
Compare mechanical designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mechanical designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $62,500 | $30.07 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $61,300 | $29.49 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $60,600 | $29.14 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $59,600 | $28.64 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $58,400 | $28.08 | +0.7% |
Recently added mechanical designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actalent | Mechanical Drafter | Grand Rapids, MI | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Penn State University | Mechanical Engineering Designer | Parkesburg, PA | 06/29/2025 | $61,800 |
| The Pennsylvania State University | Mechanical Engineering Designer | University Park, FL | 06/28/2025 | $61,800 |
| Wilsonco | Experienced Mechanical Designer | Albuquerque, NM | 06/27/2025 | $60,000 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Designer | King of Prussia, PA | 06/27/2025 | $60,000 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Drafter | Deer Park, TX | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Enercon | 3D Mechanical Designer | Kennewick, WA | 06/26/2025 | $65,000 |
| Johnson Service Group | Mechanical Designer | Marlborough, MA | 06/25/2025 | $68,871 |
| Farnsworth Group Inc. | Industrial/Semiconductor Mechanical Designer | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/25/2025 | $75,000 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Designer | Louisville, KY | 06/25/2025 | $58,436 |
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