Washington · SOC 17-2141
Mechanical Engineer Salary in Washington
VerifiedPublished wages for mechanical engineers in Washington, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Mechanical Engineers in Washington earn a median of $109,370 per year ($118,750 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $94,790–$138,560; the top 10% earn $163,790. That is 7% above the national median of $102,320, ranking Washington #10 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$109,370
+7% vs national
Top 10% earn
$163,790
90th percentile
Employed in state
9,350
Reliability Good (5.2% RSE)
Mechanical Engineer pay distribution — Washington 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 | $79,820 | +16% |
| 25th percentile | $94,790 | +16% |
| Median50th percentile | $109,370 | +7% |
| 75th percentile | $138,560 | +6% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $163,790 | +2% |
| Meanaverage | $118,750 | +8% |
Where mechanical engineers earn most in Washington
Metro areas in Washington where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2141. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| BellinghamBellingham, WA | $124,440 | $166,470 | 140 |
| KennewickKennewick-Richland, WA | $120,260 | $173,010 | 710 |
| SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $117,930 | $168,150 | 5,390 |
| BremertonBremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $107,100 | $142,810 | 690 |
| PortlandPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $103,010 | $144,970 | 2,650 |
| Walla WallaWalla Walla, WA | $98,540 | $134,430 | 80 |
| WenatcheeWenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $97,110 | $132,290 | 40 |
| SpokaneSpokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $96,190 | $141,380 | 400 |
| LongviewLongview-Kelso, WA | $95,720 | $145,680 | 110 |
| OlympiaOlympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $95,690 | $162,610 | 180 |
| LewistonLewiston, ID-WA | $92,490 | $125,580 | 30 |
| YakimaYakima, WA | $86,840 | $133,240 | 60 |
Washington engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.42
Jobs per 1,000
2.64
State rank (pay)
#10 of 51
All engineering roles
$150,511
A location quotient of 1.42 means Washington 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), Washington (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →