Do Mechanical Engineers Make Good Money?
Mechanical engineers use engineering and scientific principles to provide design tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical equipment. Engineers work for the duration of a project, conducting research and drawing up plans at its inception to overseeing its implementation and operation. They may work to solve a specific problem at an organization or oversee the mechanical functioning of all of an organization's equipment. Mechanical engineers may also research how new materials and techniques could be applied to an organization's functioning to increase efficiency. Generally, mechanical engineering is a well-rewarded profession.
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Average Pay
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In its employment survey of May 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics collected salary data from over 200,000 individuals working as mechanical engineers throughout the United States. It calculated that the average wage for the profession was $80,580. This is slightly more than the figures published by PayScale.com in 2011, which put the average salary for a mechanical engineer at between $51,935 and $72,459, dependent on bonuses and profit sharing. The global economic crisis that occurred between these dates may explain the discrepancy.
Pay by Industry
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The BLS also detailed how salary levels for the occupation varied between different industry sectors. Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturers and software publishers were among the best-paying sectors, with averages of $93,000 and $91,990, respectively, while positions in federal government agencies were listed at $91,560. Salaries within aerospace products and parts manufacturing and architectural, engineering and related services were similar -- $85,460 and $85,180, respectively -- while scientific research and development services offered an average of $89,580.
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Pay by Experience
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Salary analysis website PayScale.com analyzed how experience affects mechanical engineers' salaries. It listed the average wage for a practitioner with less than 12 months in the profession as between $46,098 and $59,739, while one to four years brought rates up to between $50,896 and $64,567. An engineer with five to nine years experience earned between $59,281 and $76,499, while 10 to 19 years meant compensation of $63,575 to $88,606. A veteran of 20 years or more earned between $73,305 and $107,092 as of 2011.
Pay by Location
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Another factor that affects the salaries of mechanical engineers is the geographical location in which they work. Pay analysis website SalaryExpert.com compared wages across some major American cities and found that Houston and Boston were among the most lucrative locales, with average pay of $111,512 and $90,725, respectively. In contrast, Miami was listed at $74,745. The BLS listed Alaska and Colorado as states in which, across all industry sectors, a mechanical engineer would likely receive among the best pay rates, averaging $98,790 and $94,100, respectively. Wisconsin was listed at just $69,610.
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References
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