Iowa · SOC 17-2141
Mechanical Engineer Salary in Iowa
VerifiedPublished wages for mechanical engineers in Iowa, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Mechanical Engineers in Iowa earn a median of $97,570 per year ($99,070 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $78,610–$108,800; the top 10% earn $133,850. That is 5% below the national median of $102,320, ranking Iowa #36 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$97,570
-5% vs national
Top 10% earn
$133,850
90th percentile
Employed in state
4,230
Reliability Good (7.1% RSE)
Mechanical Engineer pay distribution — Iowa vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $64,900 | -6% |
| 25th percentile | $78,610 | -4% |
| Median50th percentile | $97,570 | -5% |
| 75th percentile | $108,800 | -16% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $133,850 | -17% |
| Meanaverage | $99,070 | -10% |
Where mechanical engineers earn most in Iowa
Metro areas in Iowa where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2141. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| AmesAmes, IA | $103,020 | $132,650 | 160 |
| DavenportDavenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $100,090 | $132,370 | 1,110 |
| WaterlooWaterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $97,570 | $172,750 | 290 |
| Iowa CityIowa City, IA | $97,000 | $143,750 | 70 |
| Sioux CitySioux City, IA-NE-SD | $90,590 | $135,760 | 60 |
| OmahaOmaha, NE-IA | $90,580 | $132,770 | 400 |
| Des MoinesDes Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $88,500 | $177,080 | 650 |
| Cedar RapidsCedar Rapids, IA | $82,890 | $133,180 | 400 |
Iowa engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.46
Jobs per 1,000
2.71
State rank (pay)
#36 of 51
All engineering roles
$103,087
A location quotient of 1.46 means Iowa employs mechanical engineers at a meaningfully higher rate than the country as a whole — a genuine cluster for this discipline.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2141 (Mechanical Engineers), Iowa (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →