Machine Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Machine Engineer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Machine Engineer in the United States is $83,113 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

However, a Machine Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $99,804
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,306 to $91,849
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $56,735
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View as table View as graph 25% $69,306 10% $56,735 90% $99,804 75% $91,849 $83,113 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Machine Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $91,849 $7,654 $1,766 $44
Average $83,113 $6,926 $1,598 $40
25th Percentile $69,306 $5,775 $1,333 $33
Check out Machine Engineer Job Openings in the United States
Machine Learning Engineer

BP Energy - DENVER, CO

Machine Learning Engineer

NewGen Technologies, Inc. - FORT BELVOIR, VA

Machine Learning Engineer

Quantum Science Solutions - CHANTILLY, VA

Machine Learning Engineer

OMW Consulting - WASHINGTON, DC

Search More Machine Engineer Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Machine Engineer Salaries

A Machine Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Machine Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Machine Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $81,195
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $81,770
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $83,688
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $86,587
  • Expert (over 8 years): $88,381
Levels Salary
Entry Level Machine Engineer$81,195
Intermediate Level Machine Engineer$81,770
Senior Level Machine Engineer$83,688
Specialist Level Machine Engineer$86,587
Expert Level Machine Engineer$88,381
$81,195 0 yr
$81,770 < 2 yrs
$83,688 2-4 yrs
$86,587 5-8 yrs
$88,381 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Machine Engineers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $104,830
  • San Francisco: $103,799
  • Oakland: $101,497

What Skills Can Increase a Machine Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.7% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Property Management (Mentioned in 3.94% Job Postings): Property management is the operation, control, and oversight of real estate management indicates a need to be cared for, monitored and accountability given for its useful life and condition. This is much akin to the role of management in any business. Property management is also the management of personal property, equipment, tooling, and physical capital assets that are acquired and used to build, repair, and maintain end item deliverables. Property management involves the processes, systems, and manpower required to manage the life cycle of all acquired property as defined above including acquisition, control, accountability, responsibility, maintenance, utilization, and disposition. For example, an owner of a single family may engage the services of a property management company. The company will then advertise the rental property, handle tenant inquiries, screen applicants, select suitable candidates, draw up a lease agreement, conduct a move in inspection, move the tenant(s) into the property and collect rental income. The company will then coordinate any maintenance issues, supply the owner(s) with financial statements and any relevant information regarding the property etc.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.38% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.7%
Property Management 3.94%
Continuous Improvement 1.38%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Machine Engineer's salary.
  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Oral Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Analysis
$88,930
7%
Risk Management
$88,930
7%
Oral Communication
$88,099
6%
Collaboration
$86,437
4%
Project Management
$86,437
4%
Budgeting
$86,437
4%
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How Education impacts a Machine Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Machine Engineers enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Machine Engineer with a No Diploma is between $88,206 and $95,267).

Machine Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Machine Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.6%
High School 57.4%
Associates 22.8%
Bachelors 14.4%
Masters 2.8%
Doctorate 0.0%
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Machine Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Machine Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Machine Engineer

Salaries for a Machine Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $70,332 in 2023 to around $68,297 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Machine Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Machine Engineer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$70,332
2024
$69,377
2025
$68,297
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $70,332
2024 $69,377
2025 $68,297
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Machine Engineer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Machine Engineer

Here are companies hiring for Machine Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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