Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Virginia | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $104,180 | $107,639 | -3% |
| Median hourly wage | $50.09 | $51.75 | -3% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $103,046.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | $97,520 | $68,600 | $127,400 | 100 |
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in Virginia is $104,180, or about $50.09 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. Virginia is -3% below the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in Virginia typically earn from $68,600 depending on the city and employer.
With 7,470 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $104,180, Virginia offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 113 of the 747 occupations reported in Virginia — higher than 85% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Engineers, All Other at $148,160, Aerospace Engineers at $143,210, Computer Hardware Engineers at $139,030 — all figures are median annual wages for Virginia.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Virginia 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 104.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 113 of the 747 occupations reported in Virginia — higher than 85% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Virginia | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Engineers, All Other | $148,160 | $5,060 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $143,210 | $2,540 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $139,030 | $1,720 |
| Chemical Engineers | $136,380 | $790 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $128,890 | — |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $119,990 | $3,280 |
Virginia 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 104.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 747 occupations in Virginia.