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what is the median salary of a mechanical engineer?
#financial-planning #mechanical-engineering
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Paul’s Answer
That is a huge question and not one easy to answer. It very much depends on the industry, location, the position held and any specialization you may have. Mechanical Engineers can follow any of a number of interests, each of which may have dozens of unique job titles that may or may not be unique in actual job content.
At the risk of getting a bit nerdy, remind yourself what "median" means. If you tried to derive a curve from a histogram, you would find it to be a very flat curve indeed. Additional noise is introduced when you allow for all the functions that a mechanical engineer can fill. Project Engineer? Process Engineer? Applications Engineer? Sales Engineer? Manufacturing Engineer? Those are just the common ones.
I suppose different career sites or salary.com could give you numbers they call "median" but they vary pretty widely and hiring managers always have some reason why industry averages do not apply to the position they are offering you. (That is not unique to engineering, by the way)
I recommend that you don't base any life decisions on that number. Any engineering position will let you live okay. Most will not make you rich. Pick something you love to do. Study it, learn diligently and understand that it is only a foundation for the actual work, which is far more fuzzy than you might expect. While studying, learn how to communicate with people. I interact daily with shop workers that never finished high school as well as some that are attending college. I work with ex-military, electrical people, finance people, sales and management. The words I chose and the way I present whatever I have to say is tailored for maximum information share. That works both ways. All those groups express themselves to you very differently and you need to understand not just what they are saying, but what they mean.
I chose engineering because I was and I remain curious about how the world works. I have made more than I am making now, I have made less. The people I have met that depend their happiness on money are generally the most miserable, awful people. I believe you have the imagination to measure success in other ways.
At the risk of getting a bit nerdy, remind yourself what "median" means. If you tried to derive a curve from a histogram, you would find it to be a very flat curve indeed. Additional noise is introduced when you allow for all the functions that a mechanical engineer can fill. Project Engineer? Process Engineer? Applications Engineer? Sales Engineer? Manufacturing Engineer? Those are just the common ones.
I suppose different career sites or salary.com could give you numbers they call "median" but they vary pretty widely and hiring managers always have some reason why industry averages do not apply to the position they are offering you. (That is not unique to engineering, by the way)
I recommend that you don't base any life decisions on that number. Any engineering position will let you live okay. Most will not make you rich. Pick something you love to do. Study it, learn diligently and understand that it is only a foundation for the actual work, which is far more fuzzy than you might expect. While studying, learn how to communicate with people. I interact daily with shop workers that never finished high school as well as some that are attending college. I work with ex-military, electrical people, finance people, sales and management. The words I chose and the way I present whatever I have to say is tailored for maximum information share. That works both ways. All those groups express themselves to you very differently and you need to understand not just what they are saying, but what they mean.
I chose engineering because I was and I remain curious about how the world works. I have made more than I am making now, I have made less. The people I have met that depend their happiness on money are generally the most miserable, awful people. I believe you have the imagination to measure success in other ways.
Updated
Sarah’s Answer
Check out the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to get the best data!
https://www.bls.gov/bls/wages.htm
https://www.bls.gov/bls/wages.htm
Updated
Glenn’s Answer
You have some web sites from some other answers, but you need to understand that it depends on location, industry, and size of the company. Higher cost of living drives higher salaries. Bigger companies tend to pay more, and some industries pay more than others. Also, the number of years of experience, your capability, your degree (BS vs. MS), and your particular job. Also, certain special skills will also improve your earning potential.
If you are going into engineering because of the money, you will not be happy. If you have a passion for math, science, and technology and want to work in that area for your career, engineering can be a very rewarding career path.
Research what types of jobs there are within Mechanical Engineering
Try to identify with people who work in that area and set up informational interviews.
If you are going into engineering because of the money, you will not be happy. If you have a passion for math, science, and technology and want to work in that area for your career, engineering can be a very rewarding career path.
Glenn recommends the following next steps: