Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $130,900 | $107,639 | +22% |
| Median hourly wage | $62.93 | $51.75 | +22% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $118,248.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $154,241 | $108,500 | $201,500 | 244 |
| Oakland | $139,314 | $98,000 | $182,000 | 196 |
| Los Angeles | $127,373 | $89,600 | $166,400 | 173 |
| Long Beach | $119,412 | $84,000 | $156,000 | 153 |
| San Diego | $117,422 | $82,600 | $153,400 | 161 |
| Sacramento | $107,471 | $75,600 | $140,400 | 130 |
| Fresno | $94,535 | $66,500 | $123,500 | 105 |
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in California is $130,900, or about $62.93 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. California is +22% above the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in California typically earn from $108,500 depending on the city and employer.
With 30,530 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $130,900, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 92 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 88% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Computer Hardware Engineers at $185,180, Nuclear Engineers at $172,400, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer at $160,520 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 92 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 88% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $185,180 | $19,820 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $172,400 | $1,070 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $160,520 | $20,830 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $158,130 | $520 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $157,620 | $9,170 |
| Electrical Engineers | $144,040 | $24,230 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.