How much does a mechanical engineering professor make?

The average mechanical engineering professor salary in the United States is $54,405. Mechanical engineering professor salaries typically range between $28,000 and $105,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for mechanical engineering professors is $26.16 per hour. Mechanical engineering professor salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Mechanical engineering professors earn the highest average salary in New Hampshire.

Mechanical engineering professor salary

Q: What state pays Mechanical Engineering Professors the most?

New Hampshire pays Mechanical Engineering Professors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $104,041 per year, or $50.02 per hour.

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

You know if you are being paid fairly as a mechanical engineering professor if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New Hampshire you should be paid close to $103,277 per year.

Quoted expert

Daisy Huang

Average mechanical engineering professor salary

$54,405

$26.16 hourly rate

Entry-level mechanical engineering professor salary

$28,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Average Mechanical Engineering Professor Salary

As of October 2025, the average salary for a mechanical engineering professor is $54,405 annually, translating to about $26 per hour. Salaries in this field vary considerably based on factors such as experience, education level, and geographical location.

Salary by State

Different states offer varied compensation for mechanical engineering professors. For instance, professors in states like California and New York often earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for engineering professionals. Here’s a quick overview of some of the highest paying states:

California
New York
Texas
Massachusetts

Career Opportunities

The role of a mechanical engineering professor is vital in shaping the future of engineering. With opportunities in universities and colleges, this profession not only offers competitive salaries but also the chance to influence the next generation of engineers. To maximize earning potential, consider gaining advanced degrees or certifications, and seek positions in research-intensive institutions.

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Mechanical engineering professor salary by:

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Where can a Mechanical Engineering Professor earn more?

Compare salary by location

109k

89k

69k

49k

29k

Columbus, OH$98,569

Coral Gables, FL$39,369

Compare salary by company

162k

142k

122k

102k

82k

62k

42k

22k

Stanford University$147,285

Rice University$51,596

Average mechanical engineering professor salary by state

The highest-paying states for mechanical engineering professors are New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Washington. The lowest average mechanical engineering professor salary states are Georgia, Wyoming, and Louisiana.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for mechanical engineering professors

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New Hampshire	$103,277	$49.65
2	Rhode Island	$98,413	$47.31
3	District of Columbia	$104,041	$50.02
4	Washington	$98,928	$47.56
5	Connecticut	$99,294	$47.74
6	Utah	$87,171	$41.91
7	Maine	$94,053	$45.22
8	Massachusetts	$95,678	$46.00
9	Pennsylvania	$94,413	$45.39
10	Delaware	$91,553	$44.02
11	North Dakota	$83,045	$39.93
12	New York	$88,976	$42.78
13	Vermont	$96,671	$46.48
14	Alaska	$79,707	$38.32
15	Oregon	$78,699	$37.84
16	Colorado	$80,527	$38.71
17	Idaho	$82,727	$39.77
18	West Virginia	$74,869	$35.99
19	Nevada	$87,531	$42.08
20	Maryland	$88,197	$42.40
21	Illinois	$87,934	$42.28
22	Michigan	$77,858	$37.43
23	Ohio	$79,058	$38.01
24	Nebraska	$71,054	$34.16
25	Kansas	$75,628	$36.36
26	New Jersey	$81,013	$38.95
27	New Mexico	$67,841	$32.62
28	Mississippi	$66,170	$31.81
29	California	$81,161	$39.02
30	Virginia	$59,315	$28.52
31	Indiana	$72,257	$34.74
32	Texas	$64,895	$31.20
33	Arizona	$69,009	$33.18
34	Alabama	$60,597	$29.13
35	Iowa	$63,606	$30.58
36	Wisconsin	$56,119	$26.98
37	Minnesota	$64,572	$31.04
38	South Dakota	$52,806	$25.39
39	Montana	$57,439	$27.61
40	Wyoming	$48,910	$23.51
41	Arkansas	$59,819	$28.76
42	Hawaii	$49,979	$24.03
43	Kentucky	$51,361	$24.69
44	Missouri	$58,666	$28.20
45	North Carolina	$51,070	$24.55
46	Louisiana	$48,654	$23.39
47	Tennessee	$52,059	$25.03
48	South Carolina	$45,175	$21.72
49	Georgia	$48,922	$23.52
50	Oklahoma	$43,878	$21.10
51	Florida	$38,864	$18.68

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Highest paying cities for mechanical engineering professors

The highest-paying cities for mechanical engineering professors are Worcester, MA, Reading, PA, and San Jose, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Worcester, MA	$98,569	$47.39
2	Reading, PA	$97,241	$46.75
3	San Jose, CA	$85,549	$41.13
4	Akron, OH	$83,043	$39.92
5	Boulder, CO	$80,937	$38.91
6	Ann Arbor, MI	$77,118	$37.08
7	Flagstaff, AZ	$70,375	$33.83
8	Duluth, MN	$68,263	$32.82
9	Albuquerque, NM	$68,250	$32.81
10	Houston, TX	$64,294	$30.91
11	Ames, IA	$63,063	$30.32
12	Bayamn, PR	$50,878	$24.46
13	Atlanta, GA	$48,757	$23.44
14	Bowling Green, KY	$48,684	$23.41
15	Coral Gables, FL	$39,369	$18.93

Mechanical engineering professor salary details

A mechanical engineering professor's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $105,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average mechanical engineering professor salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a mechanical engineering professor's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$105,000	$8,750	$50
75th Percentile	$77,000	$6,417	$37
Average	$54,405	$4,534	$26
25th Percentile	$38,000	$3,167	$18
10th Percentile	$28,000	$2,333	$13

Highest paying mechanical engineering professor jobs

The highest paying types of mechanical engineering professors are professor, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and mechanical engineer.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Electrical Instructor	$49,625	$4,135	$23.86	50,102
Professor	$157,570	$13,131	$75.75	21,861
Engineering Instructor	$50,652	$4,221	$24.35	77,631
Mechanical Engineer	$75,352	$6,279	$36.23	105,618

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

Daisy Huang

Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks

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.

Top companies hiring mechanical engineering professors now:

Which companies pay mechanical engineering professors the most?

Mechanical engineering professor salaries at Stanford University and Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mechanical engineering professor salary at companies like UMiami Health System and Worcester Polytechnic Institute are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Stanford University	$147,285	$70.81
2	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$118,460	$56.95
3	UMiami Health System	$117,938	$56.70
4	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	$91,411	$43.95
5	University Of Minnesota Physicians	$89,388	$42.98
6	The University of New Mexico	$84,171	$40.47
7	University of Michigan	$83,252	$40.02
8	University of Colorado Boulder	$81,911	$39.38
9	PSEA	$77,316	$37.17
10	San Jose State University	$76,711	$36.88
11	Iowa State University	$70,182	$33.74
12	UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	$65,922	$31.69
13	Georgia State University	$61,846	$29.73
14	Rice University	$51,596	$24.81

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$49,000$48,200$47,400$46,600$45,800$45,000

MaleFemale

Mechanical engineering professor salary trends

The average mechanical engineering professor salary has risen by $6,785 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mechanical engineering professor earned $47,620 annually, but today, they earn $54,405 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for mechanical engineering professors over the last decade.

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

Average mechanical engineering professor salary over time

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

Mechanical engineering professor salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2026	$54,400	$26.16	+2.5%
2025	$53,000	$25.50	-0.7%
2024	$53,400	$25.68	+3.3%
2023	$51,700	$24.83	+0.8%
2022	$51,200	$24.62	+2.5%

Recently added mechanical engineering professor salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	Professor-Mechanical Engineering	Blacksburg, VA	11/01/2024	$208,938

Mechanical engineering professor salary FAQs

What state pays Mechanical Engineering Professors the most?

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

Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.

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Mechanical Engineering Professor Salary

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