Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Iowa | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $97,700 | $107,639 | -9% |
| Median hourly wage | $46.97 | $51.75 | -9% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $111,276.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in Iowa is $97,700, or about $46.97 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. Iowa is -9% below the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in Iowa typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 3,470 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $97,700, Iowa offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 82 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 88% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Computer Hardware Engineers at $125,120, Chemical Engineers at $117,590, Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors at $106,350 — all figures are median annual wages for Iowa.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 82 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 88% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Iowa | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $125,120 | $130 |
| Chemical Engineers | $117,590 | $40 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $106,350 | $230 |
| Electrical Engineers | $105,820 | $1,280 |
| Engineers, All Other | $103,090 | $1,100 |
| Industrial Engineers | $97,690 | $3,600 |
Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 711 occupations in Iowa.