Mechanical Engineers Salary in Detroit, MI (2024)
Mechanical Engineers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn a median of $104,420 per year ($50.20 per hour) based on 19,740 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +2.1% against the national median of $102,320 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where mechanical engineers actually sit across the pay range in Detroit, MI, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37.13 | $77,220 | |
| 25th percentile | $40.42 | $84,080 | |
| Median | $50.20 | $104,420 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $62.59 | $130,190 | |
| 90th percentile | $71.07 | $147,830 | |
| Average (mean) | $52.72 | $109,660 |
How Detroit, MI compares
The local median of $104,420 runs +2.1% above the US median of $102,320 for this occupation; it pays 105.8% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($50,740); within the metro it ranks 66th of 657 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI — this occupation | $104,420 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $102,320 | +2.1% |
| Detroit, MI — all occupations | $50,740 | +105.8% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $145,640 | -28.3% |
Detroit, MI has an unusually deep bench in this occupation — the location quotient of 5.56 means the job is roughly 556% as common here as it is nationally, which usually reflects a specialised local industry cluster.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.3%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 66th of 657 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Detroit, MI
To put $104,420 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 66th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $230,450 | 1,590 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $230,060 | 730 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $218,340 | 2,470 |
| Physicists | $188,400 | 150 |
| Pediatricians, General | $182,040 | 350 |
| Dentists, General | $179,130 | 1,950 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,890 | 8,720 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $166,010 | 7,990 |
| Sales Managers | $157,900 | 8,260 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $151,390 | 470 |
Where mechanical engineers earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $86,390 to $145,640. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $145,640 | 4,670 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $128,660 | 3,320 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $126,870 | 7,010 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $124,160 | 8,050 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $121,060 | 5,080 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $117,930 | 5,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $114,290 | 8,280 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $111,270 | 6,440 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $110,530 | 3,870 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $110,410 | 1,570 |
See the full national picture on the Mechanical Engineers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for mechanical engineers in Detroit, MI?
The median annual wage is $104,420, or $50 per hour. That means half of the mechanical engineers working in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $109,660.
What do the highest and lowest paid mechanical engineers in Detroit, MI earn?
The bottom 10% earn $77,220 or less, while the top 10% earn $147,830 or more — a spread of $70,610 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $84,080 and $130,190.
Is mechanical engineers pay in Detroit, MI above the local average?
Yes, it is 105.8% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $50,740. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Detroit, MI pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $104,420 the metro median is 2.1% higher than the US median of $102,320 for mechanical engineers. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $86,390 to $145,640.
How many mechanical engineers work in Detroit, MI?
BLS counts about 19,740 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 10.34 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. Detroit, MI has an unusually deep bench in this occupation — the location quotient of 5.56 means the job is roughly 556% as common here as it is nationally, which usually reflects a specialised local industry cluster.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 5.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.