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Mechanical engineering manager salary

Quoted expert
Marco Schoen Ph.D.

Average mechanical engineering manager salary

$116,922

$56.21 hourly rate

Entry-level mechanical engineering manager salary
$82,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Mechanical Engineering Manager Salaries

The average salary for a Mechanical Engineering Manager is approximately $116,922 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on experience, industry, and location. For instance, those with more years in the field often see higher earnings due to advanced skills and leadership roles.

Factors Influencing Salary

  • Experience Level: Entry-level managers typically start at lower salaries, while those with extensive experience can command significantly higher wages.
  • Geographic Location: Salaries can vary by state, with some regions offering better compensation due to demand.
  • Industry Specifics: Different industries may pay differently, with sectors like aerospace or automotive often offering higher salaries.

Highest Paying States

States such as California, Texas, and Massachusetts consistently report higher salaries for Mechanical Engineering Managers, making them attractive locations for job seekers in this field.

By staying informed on salary trends and factors, Mechanical Engineering Managers can better navigate their career paths and make informed decisions about job opportunities.

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Where can a Mechanical Engineering Manager earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
187k
167k
147k
127k
107k
87k
67k
Columbus, OH$158,592
Omaha, NE$96,565
Compare salary by company
Vs
217k
197k
177k
157k
137k
117k
97k
Meta$188,891
Air Products$126,935

Mechanical engineering manager salaries by experience level

Mechanical engineering manager salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, SalaryExpert and Payscale, the average salary for a mechanical engineering manager typically falls between $116,922 and $158,192.
zippia
$116,922yearly
glassdoor[1]
$129,230yearly
Salary.com[2]
$158,192yearly
payscale[3]
$121,650yearly
SalaryExpert[4]
$155,676yearly

Average mechanical engineering manager salary by state

The average mechanical engineering manager salary in California, Washington, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average mechanical engineering manager salary states are Kansas, Iowa, and South Carolina.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for mechanical engineering managers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington$141,034$67.80
2Connecticut$134,308$64.57
3Alaska$131,026$62.99
4California$147,522$70.92
5Massachusetts$126,803$60.96
6Oregon$124,425$59.82
7New Hampshire$114,264$54.93
8Nevada$130,346$62.67
9New Jersey$134,551$64.69
10Texas$115,695$55.62
11Arizona$110,486$53.12
12Michigan$109,889$52.83
13Maryland$120,672$58.02
14Idaho$108,151$52.00
15Maine$110,009$52.89
16Montana$109,551$52.67
17Virginia$109,655$52.72
18New York$114,367$54.98
19Pennsylvania$108,334$52.08
20Delaware$107,071$51.48
21North Carolina$108,693$52.26
22Indiana$106,316$51.11
23Tennessee$106,686$51.29
24South Dakota$103,200$49.62
25Colorado$103,154$49.59
26Georgia$103,896$49.95
27Hawaii$105,265$50.61
28Louisiana$105,422$50.68
29Utah$106,359$51.13
30Wisconsin$99,697$47.93
31North Dakota$97,690$46.97
32Mississippi$102,860$49.45
33Oklahoma$103,485$49.75
34District of Columbia$99,188$47.69
35Alabama$97,836$47.04
36Rhode Island$103,441$49.73
37Illinois$101,445$48.77
38West Virginia$98,888$47.54
39Ohio$99,647$47.91
40Kansas$95,347$45.84
41Arkansas$95,648$45.98
42New Mexico$95,537$45.93
43Vermont$101,750$48.92
44Nebraska$96,204$46.25
45Florida$100,127$48.14
46Minnesota$96,329$46.31
47Iowa$92,039$44.25
48South Carolina$91,382$43.93
49Kentucky$91,020$43.76
50Missouri$87,969$42.29
51Wyoming$88,006$42.31
Top mechanical engineering manager jobs near you

Highest paying cities for mechanical engineering managers

The highest-paying cities for mechanical engineering managers are Mountain View, CA, Seattle, WA, and Sparks, NV.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Mountain View, CA$158,592$76.25
2Seattle, WA$143,039$68.77
3Sparks, NV$135,851$65.31
4Somerville, MA$126,813$60.97
5Baltimore, MD$121,006$58.18
6Austin, TX$115,922$55.73
7New York, NY$114,546$55.07
8Phoenix, AZ$110,587$53.17
9Troy, MI$110,176$52.97
10Indianapolis, IN$106,099$51.01
11Norman, OK$103,811$49.91
12Centennial, CO$103,232$49.63
13Chicago, IL$101,802$48.94
14Cleveland, OH$101,141$48.63
15Melbourne, FL$100,974$48.55
16Omaha, NE$96,565$46.43

Mechanical engineering manager salary details

A mechanical engineering manager's salary ranges from $82,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $165,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average mechanical engineering manager salary graph
Average mechanical engineering manager salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a mechanical engineering manager's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$165,000$13,750$79
75th Percentile$140,000$11,667$67
Average$116,922$9,744$56
25th Percentile$97,000$8,083$47
10th Percentile$82,000$6,833$39

Highest paying mechanical engineering manager jobs

The highest paying types of mechanical engineering managers are engineering director, senior engineering manager, and vice president of engineering.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Research And Development Director$137,944$11,495$66.32102,901
Research And Development Manager$117,507$9,792$56.49125,447
Design Manager$102,637$8,553$49.3461,273
Vice President Of Engineering$150,651$12,554$72.4392,133
Engineering Supervisor$97,535$8,128$46.8957,046
Manager, Systems Engineering$130,127$10,844$62.56174,962

How would you rate the starting salaries for mechanical engineering managers, 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

Starting salaries for new engineers have been competitive for many years. Engineers progress on two different pathways: technical and managerial, leading to different pay scales and careers.

Top companies hiring mechanical engineering managers now:

  1. Apple jobs (9)
  2. Tesla jobs (5)
  3. Cisco jobs (7)
  4. Applied Materials jobs (14)
  5. Intel jobs (11)

Which companies pay mechanical engineering managers the most?

Mechanical engineering manager salaries at Meta and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mechanical engineering manager salary at companies like Rivian and Intuitive Surgical are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Meta$188,891$90.81
2Apple$172,540$82.95
3Rivian$162,240$78.00
4Intuitive Surgical$158,638$76.27
5Tesla$152,267$73.21
6Amazon$147,622$70.97
7Applied Materials$145,432$69.92
8Clover Network$143,072$68.78
9Magic Leap$139,923$67.27
10Formlabs$139,281$66.96
11KLA$139,272$66.96
12Intel$137,322$66.02
13EMCOR Group$136,623$65.68
14Western Digital$135,857$65.32
15Lt Engineering$132,522$63.71
16Cymer$131,711$63.32
17The Davis Companies$128,962$62.00
18NJOY$128,583$61.82
19Abbott$127,647$61.37
20Air Products$126,935$61.03

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$112,000$110,800$109,600$108,400$107,200$106,000
MaleFemale

Mechanical Engineering Manager salary by industry

The average mechanical engineering manager salary varies across industries:

  • The average mechanical engineering manager salary in the manufacturing industry is $119,341, the highest of any industry.
  • The average mechanical engineering manager salary in the finance industry is $116,084.
  • Mechanical engineering managers in the government industry earn an average salary of $87,489, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for mechanical engineering managers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Manufacturing$119,341$57.38
2Retail$116,084$55.81
3Internet$115,551$55.55
4Technology$114,900$55.24
5Government$87,489$42.06

High paying mechanical engineering manager jobs

Mechanical engineering manager salary trends

The average mechanical engineering manager salary has risen by $21,378 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mechanical engineering manager earned $95,544 annually, but today, they earn $116,922 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for mechanical engineering managers over the last decade.

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

Average mechanical engineering manager salary over time

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

Mechanical engineering manager salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$117,000$56.21+3.1%
2024$113,000$54.45+2.8%
2023$110,000$52.92+2.2%
2022$108,000$51.77+2.2%
2021$105,000$50.65+1.4%

Recently added mechanical engineering manager salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
JeppesenMechanical & Structural Engineering ManagerNorth Charleston, SC06/30/2025$130,050
Barry-WehmillerMechanical Engineering ManagerPasadena, CA06/30/2025$150,000
Milhouse Engineering & ConstructionMechanical Engineering ManagerChicago, IL06/29/2025$141,400
Amazon.com, Inc.Senior Mechanical Engineering Manager, Kuiper Government SolutionsLos Angeles, CA06/25/2025$161,700
Nvent Electric PlcMechanical Engineering ManagerAnoka, MN06/24/2025$105,000
Lockheed MartinMechanical Engineering ASC. ManagerKing of Prussia, PA06/22/2025$120,100
BoeingMechanical & Structural Engineering ManagerHouston, TX06/21/2025$139,400
CaciMechanical Engineering Senior ManagerFlorham Park, NJ06/20/2025$131,800
PDG Website-NewManager, Mechanical EngineerRochester, NY06/20/2025$150,000
Northrop GrummanMechanical Engineering Manager 2Baltimore, MD06/18/2025$135,800

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