Mechanical Engineer Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$130,900
$62.94/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$118,226
Regional Price Parity: 110.720 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($104,110): +$26,790 (+25.7%)
California ranks 3rd of 51 states by median pay, and 8th of 51 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $82,070 | $39.46 |
| 25th percentile | $102,360 | $49.21 |
| Median | $130,900 | $62.94 |
| 75th percentile | $166,580 | $80.09 |
| 90th percentile | $203,620 | $97.89 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 30,530
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $130,900
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $104,110
- Difference
- +$26,790 (+25.7%)
Cost of living
$130,900 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $118,226
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | ||
| 1st | $157,710 | $171,030 1st |
| District of Columbia | ||
| 2nd | $133,300 | $121,291 6th |
| California This page | ||
| 3rd | $130,900 | $118,226 8th |
| Delaware | ||
| 4th | $125,130 | $125,371 4th |
| Colorado | ||
| 5th | $124,430 | $120,745 7th |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Mechanical Engineering Technologist and Technician salary in the U.S.
$74,510/year U.S.
- Electrical Engineer salary in California
$144,040/year California
- Engineers, All Other salary in the U.S.
$122,930/year U.S.
- Industrial Engineer salary in California
$124,600/year California
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic salary in the U.S.
$64,520/year U.S.
- Stationary Engineer and Boiler Operator salary in the U.S.
$78,620/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +11.2%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Fuel Cell Engineers
- Automotive Engineers
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Mechanical Engineers; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
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Mechanical Engineer salary in nearby places
- Mechanical Engineer salary in Arizona
$100,270/year Arizona
- Mechanical Engineer salary in Nevada
$102,680/year Nevada
- Mechanical Engineer salary in Oregon
$103,470/year Oregon
- Mechanical Engineer salary in the U.S.
$104,110/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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