Salary guide, May 2025

Mechanical Design Engineer pay, United States

Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.

This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.

The median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in the United States was $104,110 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $84,130 and $132,590.

Also searched as: Design Engineer. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.

Broader occupation · SOC 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.

Mechanical Engineers in U.S.: median $104,110; published 25th to 75th percentile $84,130 to $132,590.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$73,990	$84,130	$104,110	$132,590	$164,340

Mechanical Engineers in U.S.: median $50.05; published 25th to 75th percentile $40.45 to $63.75.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$35.57	$40.45	$50.05	$63.75	$79.01

BLS estimated 296,810 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

How does pay compare in the target metros?

Mechanical Design Engineer pay in target metros (May 2025)
Metro	Median	25th to 75th	Employment	Location quotient
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$99,660	$78,490 to $127,810	2,000	0.37
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$100,290	$85,340 to $127,330	1,220	0.44
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$103,380	$82,830 to $128,920	1,720	0.64
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$100,000	$81,420 to $124,360	1,810	1.28
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$109,990	$92,180 to $137,060	6,960	0.38
Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$109,990	$92,180 to $137,060	6,960	0.38
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$105,420	$87,200 to $132,840	5,600	0.73
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$102,070	$83,140 to $130,310	6,900	0.8

Rank every metro for Mechanical Design Engineer

What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?

Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.

Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$140,600
Apparel Manufacturing (NAICS 315000)$125,070
Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$119,150
Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$114,990
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$106,870
Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$106,350
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$105,560
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$104,820
Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$104,420
Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$102,200
Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$101,990
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$101,350
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$100,930
Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$99,680
Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$98,620

Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.

Mechanical Design Engineer (SOC 17-2141) by manufacturing industry, national, May 2025
NAICS / scope	Industry	Employment	25th	Median	75th
31-33 · sector	Manufacturing	130,930	$82,490	$101,570	$127,800
333000 · 3-digit	Machinery Manufacturing	41,730	$79,580	$98,620	$123,220
336000 · 3-digit	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	31,460	$87,140	$105,560	$132,370
3330A1 · 4-digit	Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	29,420	$79,340	$97,620	$120,800
334000 · 3-digit	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	18,290	$93,970	$106,870	$134,480
332000 · 3-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	14,590	$77,410	$94,320	$110,060
336400 · 4-digit	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	12,060	$99,760	$112,900	$149,430
334500 · 4-digit	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	10,800	$92,000	$106,210	$134,920
336300 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	8,750	$83,290	$102,410	$126,410
335000 · 3-digit	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	7,160	$82,920	$101,350	$124,470
3320A1 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	6,820	$78,910	$97,340	$116,340
333500 · 4-digit	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	5,510	$76,180	$88,160	$106,140
339000 · 3-digit	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	5,080	$83,680	$102,200	$126,730
334400 · 4-digit	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	4,940	$97,010	$107,240	$134,140
333600 · 4-digit	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	4,420	$99,020	$124,400	$135,750
336100 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	4,330	$98,690	$121,670	$140,660
3320A2 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)	3,820	$75,440	$87,120	$104,250
332700 · 4-digit	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	3,690	$75,800	$92,110	$110,700
335900 · 4-digit	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	3,220	$93,170	$106,290	$128,530
332710 · 5-digit	Machine Shops	3,190	$75,920	$92,560	$113,820
335300 · 4-digit	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	3,170	$81,020	$96,660	$120,210
339100 · 4-digit	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	3,080	$85,900	$104,950	$130,830
326000 · 3-digit	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	3,060	$82,490	$98,120	$118,360
325000 · 3-digit	Chemical Manufacturing	2,650	$98,540	$119,150	$140,430
336600 · 4-digit	Ship and Boat Building	2,470	$82,030	$100,280	$127,540
326100 · 4-digit	Plastics Product Manufacturing	2,400	$81,470	$98,170	$120,660
333300 · 4-digit	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	2,380	$80,770	$97,190	$122,130
331000 · 3-digit	Primary Metal Manufacturing	2,300	$81,760	$99,680	$115,860
339900 · 4-digit	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	2,000	$79,470	$96,910	$119,520
336200 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	1,980	$76,950	$84,370	$99,470
3250A1 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)	1,890	$101,380	$124,010	$144,670
334200 · 4-digit	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	1,340	$97,710	$106,870	$134,840
336500 · 4-digit	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	1,180	$99,420	$115,720	$130,670
334100 · 4-digit	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	910	$82,750	$105,030	$133,740
311000 · 3-digit	Food Manufacturing	900	$90,680	$106,350	$131,820
322000 · 3-digit	Paper Manufacturing	870	$98,870	$114,990	$131,350
324000 · 3-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	740	$124,430	$140,600	$165,480
324100 · 4-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	740	$124,430	$140,600	$165,480
337000 · 3-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	700	$72,270	$81,710	$100,270
336900 · 4-digit	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	690	$82,260	$97,170	$125,100
3370A1 · 4-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)	670	$70,170	$80,600	$98,420
326200 · 4-digit	Rubber Product Manufacturing	660	$82,760	$97,320	$107,020
325400 · 4-digit	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	620	$89,710	$103,280	$130,300
327000 · 3-digit	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	620	$83,200	$100,930	$118,460
331500 · 4-digit	Foundries	620	$78,590	$92,820	$105,730
331100 · 4-digit	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	530	$74,220	$99,990	$115,580
332720 · 5-digit	Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	510	$75,000	$87,180	$102,840
322100 · 4-digit	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	480	$106,780	$124,140	$136,700
331300 · 4-digit	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	470	$85,520	$106,650	$128,760
322200 · 4-digit	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	400	$83,350	$103,380	$124,700
311900 · 4-digit	Other Food Manufacturing	390	$102,020	$121,740	$144,950
335100 · 4-digit	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	390	$75,790	$93,380	$110,480
335200 · 4-digit	Household Appliance Manufacturing	380	$96,450	$106,660	$119,580
331200 · 4-digit	Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	370	$84,090	$98,280	$106,450
321000 · 3-digit	Wood Product Manufacturing	310	$75,260	$90,020	$105,880
331400 · 4-digit	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	310	$84,800	$102,300	$114,830
334300 · 4-digit	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	290	$100,780	$125,380	$146,000
321900 · 4-digit	Other Wood Product Manufacturing	250	$74,530	$84,360	$104,190
332800 · 4-digit	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	250	$83,090	$98,010	$112,430
312000 · 3-digit	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	200	$93,820	$104,820	$115,760
312100 · 4-digit	Beverage Manufacturing	190	$93,950	$104,980	$115,760
3250A2 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)	150	$85,540	$107,220	$124,050
311500 · 4-digit	Dairy Product Manufacturing	120	$81,810	$99,180	$124,630
311800 · 4-digit	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	110	$66,800	$74,460	$87,800
311200 · 4-digit	Grain and Oilseed Milling	100	$91,370	$96,570	$104,150
313000 · 3-digit	Textile Mills	90	$92,010	$101,990	$131,570
314000 · 3-digit	Textile Product Mills	90	$65,180	$85,590	$105,270
311300 · 4-digit	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	80	$103,970	$117,350	$131,040
313200 · 4-digit	Fabric Mills	70	$97,810	$105,810	$134,390
314900 · 4-digit	Other Textile Product Mills	70	$65,160	$81,410	$102,390
311600 · 4-digit	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	40	$84,990	$113,160	$140,040
321200 · 4-digit	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	40	$82,650	$92,230	$101,990
323000 · 3-digit	Printing and Related Support Activities	40	$82,640	$104,420	$129,120
323100 · 4-digit	Printing and Related Support Activities	40	$82,640	$104,420	$129,120
337900 · 4-digit	Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing	40	$98,180	$111,900	$139,990
315000 · 3-digit	Apparel Manufacturing	Not published by BLS	$103,120	$125,070	$134,270

What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?

For Mechanical Design Engineer, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.

An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.

Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.

What should you know about two BLS releases?

Mechanical Design Engineer in the United States, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$81,800	$102,320	$130,290
May 2025	$84,130	$104,110	$132,590

These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.

Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.

What should you know about design for manufacture and cost?

We ask how they selected materials, designed castings, weldments or machined parts for the shop that would build them, and whether they visited suppliers. Strong candidates describe a design change that cut cost without hurting performance and how they proved it.

What should you know about questions?

Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.

What is the median pay for a Mechanical Design Engineer?

The median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in the United States was $104,110 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $84,130 and $132,590. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.

What does the 10th percentile mean here?

10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $73,990. 90% earned less than $164,340.

Does this include overtime or bonuses?

Is this the pay for a Mechanical Design Engineer at a plant?

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimated 296,810 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

What should you know about related?

Underlying BLS figures for this role (JSON)

Reading this wage estimate

What does this data mean for your opening?

Mechanical Design Engineers are mapped to the broader BLS classification for Mechanical Engineers, SOC 17-2141. The BLS does not isolate design-specific mechanical roles, so this data aggregates all mechanical engineering functions. 5, and FEA analysis, are captured within this broader group. For Mechanical Design Engineer in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates.

The May 2025 median is $104,110; the May 2024 median is $102,320. Their arithmetic difference is $1,790. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. For Mechanical Design Engineer in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.

The middle-band width for this occupation is $48,460, defined by the P75 value of $132,590 and the P25 value of $84,130. This figure signifies the market spread for professional mechanical design expertise. The P10 level is $73,990, while the P90 level is $164,340, demonstrating a significant ceiling for senior design experts. Manufacturers should use this band width as a baseline for structuring competitive offers for mechanical talent. For Mechanical Design Engineer in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.

High-employment metros provide context for local wage variance. The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area reports a median of $109,470, a $5,050 change from the previous median. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area reports a median of $123,900, a $9,610 change. Detroit holds a location quotient of 6.19, reflecting a very high concentration of these roles compared to Los Angeles at 0.73. These quotients quantify employment concentration rather than local pay levels or candidate supply. Both regions show variation from the national median of $104,110, reflecting the influence of local manufacturing density on professional wages.

National sector wages provide additional reference, although these are industry-wide averages rather than role-specific earnings. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reports a median of $140,600, while Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing reports $125,380. These sector averages are consistently higher than the general national occupation median, highlighting the premium placed on design engineering in these specific manufacturing environments. Because these figures are topcoded at the sector level, they should serve as industry indicators. Companies should combine these sectoral insights with their internal salary ranges to maintain consistent and equitable hiring practices.

Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?

For Mechanical Design Engineer in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. It helps managers determine salary levels based on the design experience required for the role.

What is the significance of the $48,460 middle-band width?

Why does Detroit have a higher location quotient than Los Angeles?

The location quotient of 6.19 in Detroit indicates a high employment density for this occupation relative to the area's total workforce. This reflects Detroit's historic and current status as a mechanical manufacturing hub.

Are sector-specific wages reliable for design engineer offers?

Industry figures are broad averages, not specific wage data for Mechanical Design Engineers. They offer relative context but should not replace internal benchmarking for specific job titles.