Mechanical Engineers in California. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
California's median wage for Mechanical Engineers was $126,370 in 2024, about 21% above the national median of $104,651. That gap is meaningful, but it shrinks once you account for what the money actually buys. California's cost-of-living index sits at 114.8, so the nominal premium translates to roughly $110,100 in national-baseline dollars, closer to a 5% real advantage over the US figure.
The spread between low and high earners is wide. Engineers at the 10th percentile earned $77,360, while those at the 90th pulled in $188,660. The top earners made about 2.4 times what the bottom earners made. In practice, that gap reflects years of experience, specialization, and the kinds of employers operating in the state. Aerospace, defense, and semiconductor manufacturing all concentrate here and tend to pay above what general manufacturing roles offer elsewhere.
The average wage of $131,130 runs about $4,760 above the median. A share of senior engineers at the high end is pulling that figure up, so the median is the more useful anchor for someone early in their career.
BLS projects employment for Mechanical Engineers to grow 9% nationally between 2024 and 2034, categorized as faster than average. That projection covers the national occupation, not California specifically, so treat it as directional context rather than a state forecast.
With 27,090 Mechanical Engineers employed in California in 2024, the state accounts for a large share of total US employment in this occupation. That scale tends to support a wider range of sub-specialties and career paths than smaller state markets typically can.
Salary distribution
Where California mechanical engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $102,360 and $166,580, with a median of $130,900.
Mechanical Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 2,000 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $149,493. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 234 | $101,629 |
| Level II — qualified | 560 | $128,690 |
| Level III — experienced | 575 | $158,575 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 465 | $185,869 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Mechanical Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla, Inc. | Mechanical Design Engineer | 238 | $155,943 |
| Apple Inc. | System Product Design Engineer | 200 | $166,001 |
| Lucid USA, Inc. | Product Specialist | 100 | $150,654 |
| Rivian Automotive, LLC | Staff Mechanical Design Engineer | 77 | $162,000 |
| HCL AMERICA INC | Senior Design Lead | 43 | $100,568 |
| FORD MOTOR COMPANY | Mechatronics Engineer Seating System | 42 | $155,043 |
| Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | Senior Engineer, Development Engineering | 36 | $133,263 |
| RIVIAN AUTOMOTIVE, LLC | Staff Mechanical Engineer | 31 | $163,037 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | Mechanical Engineer | 23 | $155,043 |
| Zoox, Inc. | Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Thermal Systems | 21 | $182,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Engineer Senior Mechanical at NVIDIA Corporation$185,869Santa ClaraWage Level IVDecided —I-200-26084-730666
- Sr. SDET, Controls at Lucid USA, Inc.$150,654NewarkWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26084-729419
- Sr. Staff Design Engineer, Solar at Aptera Motors Corp$185,000CarlsbadWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26085-730929
- Director of Engineering at The Montague Company$149,000HaywardWage Level IIDecided —I-200-26084-729923
- Software Test Engineer at Harbinger Motors Inc.$130,000Garden GroveWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26084-729594
- Mechanical Engineer at Google LLC$171,000Mountain ViewWage Level IIDecided —I-200-26084-728932
- Manufacturing Design at Apple Inc.$185,869CupertinoWage Level IVDecided —I-200-26084-728775
- Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Lighting at Rivian Automotive, LLC$174,894IrvineWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26084-729842
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
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Mechanical Engineers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Mechanical Engineers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 861 certified offers. The most common variant is Mechanical Engineer at a median of $133,300.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineer | Apple Inc. | 313 | $133,300 |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 193 | $152,373 |
| Engineer | Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 119 | $134,383 |
| System Product Design Engineer | Apple Inc. | 44 | $185,869 |
| Systems Engineer | Applied Intuition, Inc. | 30 | $176,282 |
| Design Engineer | Tata Consultancy Services Limited | 26 | $126,173 |
| Senior Software Engineer | Nuro, Inc | 25 | $195,000 |
| Staff Test Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 25 | $156,796 |
| Technical Program Manager | Google LLC | 24 | $171,579 |
| Senior Design Lead | HCL AMERICA INC | 24 | $99,186 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 19 | $124,999 |
| Quality Engineer | Intellectt Inc | 19 | $120,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Mechanical Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 1,977 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Manufacturing leads with a median of $155,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Tesla, Inc. | 1,312 | $155,000 |
| Professional services | Applied Intuition, Inc. | 331 | $126,214 |
| Technology and software | HCL AMERICA INC | 260 | $145,019 |
| Retail and wholesale | BYD America LLC | 30 | $100,308 |
| Energy and utilities | BHE Renewables, LLC | 13 | $137,429 |
| Education | PAC Project Advisors International, Ltd. | 11 | $84,947 |
| Healthcare | Vibrant America LLC | 9 | $105,269 |
| Transportation and logistics | Qantas Airways Ltd. | 6 | $131,747 |
| Real estate | Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. | 2 | $118,232 |
| Government and public sector | Planet Labs PBC | 2 | $141,550 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Total Concept Enterprises, Inc. | 1 | $70,000 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.9 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.7 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.6 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
Mechanical
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Physics
Knowledge
- 4.2 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
- 02
Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements.
- 03
Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
- 04
Develop, coordinate, or monitor all aspects of production, including selection of manufacturing methods, fabrication, or operation of product designs.
- 05
Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and recommend remedial actions.
- 06
Develop or test models of alternate designs or processing methods to assess feasibility, sustainability, operating condition effects, potential new applications, or necessity of modification.
- 07
Recommend the use of utility or energy services that minimize carbon footprints.
- 08
Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+9.0%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for mechanical engineers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$168,030
- San Francisco$161,370
- Los Angeles$123,900
- San Diego$121,750
- Sacramento$120,970
- Riverside$104,910
Compare Mechanical Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare California with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Mechanical Engineers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in California is $130,900.
- How does California compare to the national median for Mechanical Engineers?
- The California median is +21.6% versus the BLS national figure of $107,639.
- What is the salary range for Mechanical Engineers in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $82,070 and the 90th-percentile at $203,620, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Mechanical Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 9.0% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Mechanical Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.