Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3027) earn a median $74,510 a year ($35.82 an hour) in the United States, with 36,190 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Louisiana.
What mechanical engineering technologists and technicians do
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians help mechanical engineers and physical scientists develop, test, adjust, and modify machinery and equipment. Typical tasks include interpreting engineering sketches, specifications, and drawings, assembling and disassembling complex mechanical systems, and calculating the capacities that equipment in a proposed system needs in order to perform as specified. They review project instructions and blueprints to find out the test specifications and procedures, test machines and components, and analyze the results against the rated specifications. Some draft detail drawings or sketches to request parts fabrication, and some give colleagues technical support on mechanical design, fabrication, and testing. The occupation differs from mechanical engineers, who determine the design and are responsible for the analysis, from mechanical drafters, who focus on creating detailed drawings, and from industrial machinery mechanics and machinists, who repair equipment or manufacture parts. Test results that fall short of the design or rated specifications can lead them to modify the equipment under test.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Automation Design Checker, Brinell Tester, Computer-Aided Design Designer, Apparatus Engineering Technologist, Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $23.27 | $28.61 | $35.82 | $42.36 | $50.99 | $36.72 | 36,190 |
| Annual | $48,400 | $59,510 | $74,510 | $88,110 | $106,050 | $76,380 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $22.63 | $36.01 | $49.42 | $85.21 | $85.25 | $57.57 | 270 | 0.14 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $47,060 | $74,900 | $102,800 | $177,240 | $177,310 | $119,750 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $27.12 | $36.90 | $46.90 | $57.11 | $58.99 | $44.66 | 320 | 0.37 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $56,400 | $76,750 | $97,560 | $118,800 | $122,690 | $92,890 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $29.83 | $36.20 | $44.30 | $49.22 | $61.29 | $44.11 | 800 | 0.27 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $62,050 | $75,290 | $92,150 | $102,380 | $127,480 | $91,740 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $27.86 | $33.41 | $42.02 | $50.10 | $59.97 | $44.03 | 3,660 | 0.20 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $57,950 | $69,490 | $87,390 | $104,220 | $124,740 | $91,570 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $23.72 | $30.36 | $39.74 | $48.30 | $61.76 | $39.20 | 350 | 0.20 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $49,350 | $63,150 | $82,660 | $100,450 | $128,460 | $81,540 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $22.17 | $26.00 | $32.77 | $39.02 | $47.59 | $34.38 | 4,930 | 1.12 | 4.81 |
| Annual | $46,110 | $54,080 | $68,170 | $81,160 | $98,980 | $71,510 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $27.86 | $33.41 | $42.02 | $50.10 | $59.97 | $44.03 | 3,660 | 0.20 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $57,950 | $69,490 | $87,390 | $104,220 | $124,740 | $91,570 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $23.33 | $28.64 | $36.83 | $49.52 | $59.43 | $39.26 | 2,140 | 0.15 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $48,530 | $59,580 | $76,610 | $102,990 | $123,620 | $81,660 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $23.47 | $30.58 | $37.74 | $40.57 | $46.99 | $36.13 | 1,800 | 0.32 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $48,820 | $63,610 | $78,500 | $84,390 | $97,740 | $75,150 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $23.85 | $27.15 | $34.05 | $41.10 | $48.38 | $35.51 | 1,620 | 0.27 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $49,620 | $56,480 | $70,820 | $85,480 | $100,630 | $73,860 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $34.62 | $38.46 | $60.69 | $60.69 | $68.91 | $53.88 | 90 | 0.70 | 3.01 |
| Annual | $72,010 | $79,990 | $126,230 | $126,230 | $143,340 | $112,060 | ||||
| Baton Rouge, LA | Hourly | $31.72 | $48.35 | $57.51 | $83.79 | $101.38 | $64.39 | 90 | 0.21 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $65,980 | $100,570 | $119,630 | $174,290 | $210,880 | $133,940 | ||||
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | Hourly | $30.20 | $46.84 | $52.90 | $52.91 | $54.07 | $48.41 | 90 | 0.25 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $62,820 | $97,430 | $110,030 | $110,050 | $112,470 | $100,700 | ||||
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | Hourly | $36.03 | $40.07 | $52.63 | $61.76 | $61.76 | $49.94 | 80 | 0.60 | 2.59 |
| Annual | $74,940 | $83,340 | $109,470 | $128,460 | $128,460 | $103,880 | ||||
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | Hourly | $33.68 | $40.06 | $50.56 | $62.02 | $62.02 | $52.37 | 110 | 0.27 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $70,040 | $83,330 | $105,160 | $129,010 | $129,010 | $108,940 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $22.97 | $27.68 | $33.41 | $40.53 | $48.92 | $35.19 | 3,140 | 1.65 | 7.09 |
| Annual | $47,770 | $57,570 | $69,490 | $84,310 | $101,760 | $73,190 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $27.14 | $30.74 | $38.02 | $48.87 | $59.32 | $41.43 | 1,220 | 0.19 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $56,460 | $63,940 | $79,080 | $101,650 | $123,380 | $86,170 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $27.41 | $30.00 | $30.00 | $40.17 | $46.01 | $34.56 | 1,090 | 0.40 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $57,010 | $62,390 | $62,390 | $83,550 | $95,700 | $71,880 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $25.76 | $31.02 | $43.97 | $56.37 | $59.65 | $43.66 | 1,030 | 0.31 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $53,580 | $64,520 | $91,450 | $117,250 | $124,080 | $90,800 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $38.18 | $41.09 | $48.38 | $59.97 | $60.10 | $50.44 | 790 | 0.33 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $79,410 | $85,460 | $100,620 | $124,740 | $125,000 | $104,910 | ||||
Top industries employing mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 19.8% of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians nationally (7,160 jobs) at a median $72,110 a year ($34.67 an hour), followed by Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) (10.4%) and Scientific Research and Development Services (7.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 7,160 | 19.8% | $72,110 | $34.67 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) NAICS 3330A1 | 3,770 | 10.4% | $64,400 | $30.96 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 2,780 | 7.7% | $86,860 | $41.76 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336300 | 1,890 | 5.2% | $78,210 | $37.60 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 1,460 | 4.0% | $75,610 | $36.35 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (36,190). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $60,460 for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in May 2021 and $74,510 in May 2025, with employment of 40,180 and 36,190.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $60,460 | $29.07 | 40,180 |
| May 2022 | $61,990 | $29.80 | 39,610 |
| May 2023 | $64,020 | $30.78 | 38,930 |
| May 2024 | $68,730 | $33.04 | 37,450 |
| May 2025 | $74,510 | $35.82 | 36,190 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
45 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana profile | $49.42 | $102,800 | $47,060 | $177,310 | 270 | 0.14 | 0.59 |
| 2 | New Mexico profile | $46.90 | $97,560 | $56,400 | $122,690 | 320 | 0.37 | 1.57 |
| 3 | Missouri profile | $44.30 | $92,150 | $62,050 | $127,480 | 800 | 0.27 | 1.17 |
| 4 | California profile | $42.02 | $87,390 | $57,950 | $124,740 | 3,660 | 0.20 | 0.86 |
| 5 | Connecticut profile | $39.74 | $82,660 | $49,350 | $128,460 | 350 | 0.20 | 0.88 |
| 6 | Rhode Island profile | $39.23 | $81,600 | $56,470 | $140,960 | 30 | 0.06 | 0.27 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $38.86 | $80,840 | $52,720 | $104,850 | 260 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| 8 | Nebraska profile | $38.49 | $80,050 | $52,590 | $99,640 | 250 | 0.25 | 1.06 |
| 9 | Washington profile | $38.18 | $79,410 | $59,150 | $125,450 | 890 | 0.25 | 1.07 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $38.07 | $79,180 | $51,750 | $124,060 | 640 | 0.23 | 1.00 |
| 11 | Ohio profile | $37.74 | $78,500 | $48,820 | $97,740 | 1,800 | 0.32 | 1.39 |
| 12 | New York profile | $37.60 | $78,210 | $46,290 | $103,660 | 1,140 | 0.12 | 0.51 |
| 13 | Kentucky profile | $37.49 | $77,990 | $48,690 | $97,880 | 520 | 0.26 | 1.12 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $37.41 | $77,820 | $53,980 | $99,190 | 50 | 0.10 | 0.43 |
| 15 | Indiana profile | $37.13 | $77,220 | $49,610 | $99,380 | 1,500 | 0.47 | 2.01 |
| 16 | Colorado profile | $37.06 | $77,090 | $54,650 | $109,650 | 330 | 0.12 | 0.50 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $37.03 | $77,020 | $51,360 | $121,460 | 1,170 | 0.19 | 0.82 |
| 18 | Maine profile | $36.92 | $76,790 | $49,920 | $102,730 | 220 | 0.34 | 1.45 |
| 19 | Texas profile | $36.83 | $76,610 | $48,530 | $123,620 | 2,140 | 0.15 | 0.65 |
| 20 | North Dakota profile | $36.75 | $76,440 | $56,160 | $122,390 | 90 | 0.21 | 0.91 |
| 21 | Virginia profile | $36.37 | $75,650 | $46,090 | $98,320 | 670 | 0.16 | 0.71 |
| 22 | Georgia profile | $35.51 | $73,870 | $48,170 | $128,540 | 560 | 0.12 | 0.50 |
| 23 | Nevada profile | $35.07 | $72,950 | $47,030 | $118,650 | 420 | 0.27 | 1.17 |
| 24 | Arizona profile | $34.66 | $72,090 | $49,570 | $99,020 | 730 | 0.23 | 0.97 |
| 25 | Iowa profile | $34.46 | $71,670 | $52,430 | $125,300 | 500 | 0.32 | 1.37 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania profile | $34.05 | $70,820 | $49,620 | $100,630 | 1,620 | 0.27 | 1.15 |
| 27 | Mississippi profile | $33.93 | $70,570 | $49,240 | $91,170 | 220 | 0.19 | 0.81 |
| 28 | South Carolina profile | $33.45 | $69,580 | $49,350 | $96,610 | 1,290 | 0.56 | 2.40 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $32.84 | $68,310 | $55,120 | $84,220 | 30 | 0.04 | 0.16 |
| 30 | Michigan profile | $32.77 | $68,170 | $46,110 | $98,980 | 4,930 | 1.12 | 4.81 |
| 31 | Wisconsin profile | $32.62 | $67,850 | $47,880 | $90,150 | 900 | 0.31 | 1.31 |
| 32 | New Hampshire profile | $32.09 | $66,740 | $54,570 | $85,490 | 570 | 0.83 | 3.58 |
| 33 | New Jersey profile | $31.34 | $65,180 | $46,350 | $99,860 | 260 | 0.06 | 0.26 |
| 34 | Minnesota profile | $30.77 | $63,990 | $45,000 | $85,640 | 400 | 0.14 | 0.58 |
| 35 | Massachusetts profile | $30.00 | $62,390 | $53,200 | $95,460 | 1,310 | 0.36 | 1.55 |
| 36 | North Carolina profile | $29.98 | $62,360 | $48,550 | $91,160 | 1,190 | 0.24 | 1.03 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $29.94 | $62,270 | $46,320 | $94,160 | 580 | 0.18 | 0.76 |
| 38 | Utah profile | $29.74 | $61,870 | $48,370 | $88,110 | 900 | 0.52 | 2.24 |
| 39 | Oklahoma profile | $29.56 | $61,480 | $49,390 | $97,650 | 490 | 0.29 | 1.24 |
| 40 | Alabama profile | $29.01 | $60,350 | $46,370 | $78,690 | 400 | 0.19 | 0.82 |
| 41 | Florida profile | $28.71 | $59,720 | $37,830 | $82,410 | 540 | 0.06 | 0.24 |
| 42 | Kansas profile | $26.63 | $55,390 | $48,560 | $100,360 | 410 | 0.29 | 1.24 |
| 43 | South Dakota profile | $25.80 | $53,670 | $45,150 | $77,980 | 110 | 0.24 | 1.04 |
| 44 | West Virginia profile | $22.91 | $47,660 | $32,290 | $79,160 | 200 | 0.28 | 1.20 |
| – | Alaska profile | * | * | * | * | 70 | 0.22 | 0.93 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (17-3020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-3027 Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-3027, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-3027.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.