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Mechanical systems engineer salary
Average mechanical systems engineer salary
$85,387
Average Mechanical Systems Engineer Salary
The average salary for a Mechanical Systems Engineer in the United States is approximately $85,387 per year, translating to about $41 per hour. Salaries can differ based on factors like geographical location, years of experience, and specific industries. For instance, engineers with specialized skills or advanced degrees may command higher salaries.
Salary by State
In certain states, mechanical systems engineers can earn significantly more. For example, states such as California and Texas frequently offer higher average salaries due to the concentration of technology and engineering firms. This provides potential for increased earnings for professionals in these regions.
Experience Level Impact
Entry-level engineers may start with lower salaries, approximately $65,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $100,000. Continuous professional development and specialization can enhance earning potential in this competitive field.
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Where can a Mechanical Systems Engineer earn more?
Mechanical systems engineer salaries by experience level
Mechanical systems engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average mechanical systems engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for mechanical systems engineers are California, Washington, and Oregon. The lowest average mechanical systems engineer salary states are South Dakota, Minnesota, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mechanical systems engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $105,569 | $50.75 |
| 2 | California | $110,459 | $53.11 |
| 3 | Oregon | $102,590 | $49.32 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $100,589 | $48.36 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $90,880 | $43.69 |
| 6 | Delaware | $89,883 | $43.21 |
| 7 | Nevada | $91,976 | $44.22 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $84,947 | $40.84 |
| 9 | Utah | $83,870 | $40.32 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $88,516 | $42.56 |
| 11 | Idaho | $88,063 | $42.34 |
| 12 | Alaska | $86,458 | $41.57 |
| 13 | Texas | $82,178 | $39.51 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $88,054 | $42.33 |
| 15 | Iowa | $84,841 | $40.79 |
| 16 | Alabama | $81,780 | $39.32 |
| 17 | Colorado | $81,967 | $39.41 |
| 18 | Maryland | $82,559 | $39.69 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $82,191 | $39.51 |
| 20 | Virginia | $79,159 | $38.06 |
| 21 | Georgia | $81,554 | $39.21 |
| 22 | Arizona | $78,095 | $37.55 |
| 23 | New York | $82,742 | $39.78 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $78,274 | $37.63 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $81,910 | $39.38 |
| 26 | Michigan | $76,249 | $36.66 |
| 27 | Illinois | $80,310 | $38.61 |
| 28 | Kansas | $77,626 | $37.32 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $80,566 | $38.73 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $75,456 | $36.28 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $77,850 | $37.43 |
| 32 | Maine | $78,391 | $37.69 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $71,881 | $34.56 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $75,295 | $36.20 |
| 35 | Indiana | $74,747 | $35.94 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $73,940 | $35.55 |
| 37 | Vermont | $72,088 | $34.66 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $72,162 | $34.69 |
| 39 | Ohio | $72,630 | $34.92 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $74,895 | $36.01 |
| 41 | Montana | $72,025 | $34.63 |
| 42 | Missouri | $72,435 | $34.82 |
| 43 | Florida | $70,530 | $33.91 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $67,856 | $32.62 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $66,888 | $32.16 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $68,339 | $32.86 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $69,397 | $33.36 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $69,012 | $33.18 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $63,519 | $30.54 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $67,641 | $32.52 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $60,139 | $28.91 |
Highest paying cities for mechanical systems engineers
The highest-paying cities for mechanical systems engineers are San Francisco, CA, Bellingham, WA, and Albuquerque, NM.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $124,518 | $59.86 |
| 2 | Bellingham, WA | $106,387 | $51.15 |
| 3 | Albuquerque, NM | $100,849 | $48.49 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $82,591 | $39.71 |
| 5 | Bethesda, MD | $82,361 | $39.60 |
| 6 | Englewood, CO | $81,972 | $39.41 |
| 7 | Columbus, GA | $81,766 | $39.31 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $80,435 | $38.67 |
| 9 | Mesa, AZ | $78,020 | $37.51 |
| 10 | Memphis, TN | $78,016 | $37.51 |
| 11 | Wichita, KS | $77,759 | $37.38 |
| 12 | Dearborn, MI | $76,317 | $36.69 |
| 13 | Fort Wayne, IN | $75,417 | $36.26 |
| 14 | Greenville, SC | $75,373 | $36.24 |
| 15 | Orlando, FL | $72,605 | $34.91 |
| 16 | Wilmington, NC | $72,185 | $34.70 |
| 17 | Dayton, OH | $71,887 | $34.56 |
Mechanical systems engineer salary details
A mechanical systems engineer's salary ranges from $62,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mechanical systems engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $100,000 | $8,333 | $48 |
| Average | $85,387 | $7,116 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
Highest paying mechanical systems engineer jobs
The highest paying types of mechanical systems engineers are principal engineer, system design engineer, and staff engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Tool Engineer | $101,135 | $8,428 | $48.62 | 98,936 |
| Product Engineer | $89,645 | $7,470 | $43.10 | 157,888 |
| Design Engineer | $77,134 | $6,428 | $37.08 | 138,173 |
| Equipment Engineer | $97,539 | $8,128 | $46.89 | 108,449 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for mechanical systems engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring mechanical systems engineers now:
Which companies pay mechanical systems engineers the most?
Mechanical systems engineer salaries at Zoox and NVIDIA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mechanical systems engineer salary at companies like Learjet and Joby Aviation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoox | $134,568 | $64.70 |
| 2 | NVIDIA | $131,856 | $63.39 |
| 3 | Learjet | $113,970 | $54.79 |
| 4 | Joby Aviation | $113,847 | $54.73 |
| 5 | Cirrus Aircraft | $111,071 | $53.40 |
| 6 | Sandia National Labs | $106,153 | $51.04 |
| 7 | Eclipse Aviation | $105,834 | $50.88 |
| 8 | Applied Materials | $105,689 | $50.81 |
| 9 | Monster Products | $104,485 | $50.23 |
| 10 | Rivian | $102,251 | $49.16 |
| 11 | Genuine Parts | $101,948 | $49.01 |
| 12 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $101,013 | $48.56 |
| 13 | UPS | $100,120 | $48.13 |
| 14 | HP | $100,003 | $48.08 |
| 15 | R.M. Schulte & Associates | $98,865 | $47.53 |
| 16 | Seres | $98,184 | $47.20 |
| 17 | Tesla | $97,594 | $46.92 |
| 18 | Wabtec Corporation | $97,251 | $46.76 |
| 19 | PEI-Genesis | $96,330 | $46.31 |
| 20 | Lucid Motors | $95,765 | $46.04 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mechanical Systems Engineer salary by industry
The average mechanical systems engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average mechanical systems engineer salary in the professional industry is $103,372, the highest of any industry.
- The average mechanical systems engineer salary in the finance industry is $88,786.
- Mechanical systems engineers in the automotive industry earn an average salary of $76,847, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for mechanical systems engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $103,372 | $49.70 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $88,786 | $42.69 |
| 3 | Finance | $87,125 | $41.89 |
| 4 | Technology | $84,446 | $40.60 |
| 5 | Transportation | $83,409 | $40.10 |
| 6 | Construction | $81,016 | $38.95 |
| 7 | Automotive | $76,847 | $36.95 |
High paying mechanical systems engineer jobs
Mechanical systems engineer salary trends
The average mechanical systems engineer salary has risen by $10,351 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mechanical systems engineer earned $75,036 annually, but today, they earn $85,387 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for mechanical systems engineers over the last decade.
Compare mechanical systems engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mechanical systems engineer salary over time
Compare mechanical systems engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mechanical systems engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,400 | $41.05 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $83,700 | $40.26 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $82,700 | $39.78 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $81,300 | $39.10 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $79,700 | $38.33 | +0.7% |
Recently added mechanical systems engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Origin | Mechanical Systems Engineer III-New Glenn | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $117,498 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | Mechanical and Aerospace Systems Engineer | Cole, OK | 06/28/2025 | $86,800 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Mechanical Systems Engineer Lead | Englewood, CO | 06/27/2025 | $85,500 |
| Spacex | Mechanical Engineer, Flight Termination System (Starship) | Hawthorne, CA | 06/27/2025 | $110,000 |
| Msccn | Unmanned Maritime System Mechanical Engineer | Port Hueneme, CA | 06/26/2025 | $61,000 |
| Vista Technology Services | Unmanned Maritime System Mechanical Engineer | Port Hueneme, CA | 06/22/2025 | $61,000 |
| Bechtel | SR. Mechanical Systems Engineer | Richland, WA | 06/18/2025 | $90,990 |
| Boom Supersonic | Mechanical Engineer, Engine Systems | Denver, CO | 06/14/2025 | $107,000 |
| Amsted Industries Incorporated | Mechanical Systems Engineer | Jessup, MD | 06/11/2025 | $77,200 |
| Dell Technologies | Principal Mechanical Systems Development Engineer-Data Center|Liquid Cooling|Cad | Austin, TX | 06/11/2025 | $153,000 |
Mechanical systems engineer salary FAQs
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