Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Tennessee | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $99,550 | $107,639 | -8% |
| Median hourly wage | $47.86 | $51.75 | -8% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $108,324.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $99,510 | $70,000 | $130,000 | 105 |
| Memphis | $87,569 | $61,600 | $114,400 | 85 |
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in Tennessee is $99,550, or about $47.86 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. Tennessee is -8% below the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in Tennessee typically earn from $70,000 depending on the city and employer.
With 3,930 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $99,550, Tennessee offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 83 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 89% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Computer Hardware Engineers at $130,830, Aerospace Engineers at $128,510, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer at $122,920 — all figures are median annual wages for Tennessee.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 83 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 89% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Tennessee | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $130,830 | — |
| Aerospace Engineers | $128,510 | $610 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $122,920 | $740 |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $106,470 | $170 |
| Electrical Engineers | $104,450 | $2,830 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $100,390 | — |
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 730 occupations in Tennessee.