Mechanical Engineer salary in California

The median annual wage for mechanical engineers in California is $130,900, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimates — above the national median of $104,110. California ranks 3 of 50 states and DC with published data for this occupation.

Median

$130,900

25th percentile

$102,360

75th percentile

$166,580

90th percentile

$203,620

Employment and national comparison

Employment in California	30,530
Mean annual wage in California	$136,660
National median	$104,110
National employment	296,810

Metro areas in California

San Francisco, CA: median $161,370
Los Angeles, CA: median $123,900
San Diego, CA: median $121,750

States with similar pay for mechanical engineers

District of Columbia: median $133,300
Delaware: median $125,130
Colorado: median $124,430
Alaska: median $124,340
Maryland: median $122,870
Louisiana: median $119,540

See all states ranked for mechanical engineers.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates; state, metropolitan area and national files from https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. State estimates are for BLS occupation "Mechanical Engineers" (17-2141), cross-industry, all ownerships. Retrieved 2026-10-02. Where BLS does not publish a numeric estimate (suppressed, or reported only as at or above $239,200) the value is shown as —.