Boulder, CO · CBSA 14500
Mechanical Engineer Salary in Boulder
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for mechanical engineers in Boulder, CO, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Colorado and the national benchmark.
Mechanical Engineers in Boulder earn a median of $110,650 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $92,570–$155,070; the top 10% earn $190,690. That is 8% above the national median and 2% above the Colorado median. BLS reports 1,100 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$110,650
+8% vs national
Top 10% earn
$190,690
90th percentile
Employed in metro
1,100
Reliability Good (8.4% RSE)
Mechanical Engineer pay — Boulder vs Colorado vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $77,540 | +13% |
| 25th percentile | $92,570 | +13% |
| Median50th percentile | $110,650 | +8% |
| 75th percentile | $155,070 | +19% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $190,690 | +18% |
| Meanaverage | $131,360 | +19% |
How concentrated mechanical engineers are in Boulder
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
3.03
Jobs per 1,000
5.63
Metro rank (pay)
#38 of 342
All engineering roles
$144,540
At a location quotient of 3.03, Boulder is a genuine hub for this discipline — the occupation is roughly 3.0× as concentrated here as nationally, which usually means deeper employer competition and more lateral options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mechanical engineer make in Boulder?
Does Boulder pay more than the rest of Colorado?
Where does Boulder rank nationally for mechanical engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2141 (Mechanical Engineers), Boulder, CO (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →